Word Search

How to play

Every word in the list is hidden in the grid of letters. Words run in straight lines: across, down or diagonally, and on harder levels also backwards. Find them all to finish the puzzle.

• Drag from the first letter of a word to the last to mark it, or tap the first letter, then the last.
• Found words are highlighted in the grid and crossed off the list.
• Hint flashes the first letter of a word you haven’t found yet.
• Print puts the current puzzle on one page: grid and word list, without highlights. Every New puzzle is a new grid, so you can print as many as you need.

Levels

• Easy: 10 × 10, 8 words, across and down only.
• Medium: 13 × 13, 12 words, across, down and diagonally.
• Hard: 15 × 15, 16 words, in all eight directions including backwards.
• Daily: one 13 × 13 puzzle per day in all eight directions, the same for every player.

Strategy

1. Look for unusual letters first. Q, Z, X, J and K stand out in the grid.
2. Scan for double letters, such as the LL in GORILLA or the OO in RACCOON.
3. Search one row at a time for a first letter, then check the eight directions around each match.
4. Start with the longest words. They have the fewest places they can fit.

Origins

The word search is usually credited to Norman E. Gibat, who published one in the Selenby Digest in Norman, Oklahoma, on 1 March 1968. It was not the only claim: in Spain, Pedro Ocón de Oro was already publishing sopas de letras, “letter soups”, before then.

The puzzle spread through newspapers, magazines and puzzle books, under names like word find and word seek, and became a classroom staple. Teachers use it for spelling and new vocabulary, especially in language classes, because it asks readers to look at words letter by letter.

History

Why it’s fun

• Anyone can play. If you can read, you can start.
• Small wins, often. Every word found is a moment of success.
• Relaxed or quick. Take your time, or race the Daily for a place on the leaderboard.
• Paper or screen. It works just as well printed as it does online.

What it trains

Word search practises visual scanning, attention and spelling: to find a word you hold its exact letters in mind and check them in eight directions.

FAQ

How does the daily leaderboard work?

Everyone gets the same daily puzzle. Our server times you from your first touch on the grid until the last word is found. Using a hint takes that day’s puzzle off the leaderboard.

Can words overlap?

Yes. Two words can share a letter where they cross.

Is every word in the grid exactly once?

Yes. Each puzzle is checked so that every listed word appears in exactly one place.

This version

• Easy, Medium, Hard and a Daily puzzle with a world leaderboard.
• 18 themes and seasonal puzzles such as the Halloween word search.
• Every listed word appears exactly once; no word hides inside another.
• Print any puzzle on one page, with lines for name and date.
• Sound for every word found, climbing as the list fills up.

Updates

1. September 30, 2026Sound: a note for each word found and a short celebration at the end.
2. September 29, 2026Halloween word search and seasonal themes.
3. September 29, 2026Daily puzzle and world leaderboard.
4. September 29, 2026First version on Zippi: three levels, 18 themes, printing.

Page last reviewed September 30, 2026.

Sources

• Word search, Wikipedia