Word Search Puzzle
Word Search Puzzle
Our free daily · new every day Findish A word search with a new theme every day Play A block of letters, and a list beside it. The words are in there somewhere, running in every direction including backwards, and Word Search Puzzle asks nothing of you beyond finding them.
It is the least demanding puzzle format there is, and that is why it survives. There is nothing to learn, no vocabulary requirement and no way to be permanently stuck, only a grid that gives way as your eye adjusts.
If you would rather have a new one every day with a theme attached, the word search section has a printable puzzle for each morning.
How to play Word Search Puzzle
- Read the word list beside the grid.
- Drag across the letters to select a word.
- Words run horizontally, vertically and diagonally, forwards and backwards.
- Correct words are marked in the grid and crossed off the list.
- Finish when every word on the list has been found.
Words overlap
Letters are shared between words. A single letter can belong to three different answers, which is why a grid that looks too small for its list usually is not.
This matters when you are hunting the last one or two. The letters are already on screen and probably already highlighted, which is exactly why they have become invisible to you.
Tips and strategy
Hunt letters, not words
Reading the grid looking for a whole word is slow, because your eye tries to parse everything. Pick the least common letter in the word instead and scan for that one character.
A word containing J, Q, X, Z, K or V is effectively free. There will be two or three of that letter in the entire grid, and one of them is your answer.
Scan in one direction at a time
- Go along every row left to right, then every row right to left.
- Then every column down, then every column up.
- Then the diagonals, which is where the words you cannot find are hiding, because almost nobody scans them properly.
Working from the list
- Sort the list mentally by rarest first letter.
- Take the strange words first while your attention is fresh.
- Leave the short common words for last, since they are the ones most likely to appear by accident while you hunt for others.
The last word
When one word will not come, stop scanning the grid and look again at the word itself. Count its letters, then look only at the places where that many letters fit in a straight line, including backwards and diagonally upward, which is the direction people check last and least.
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Orientation
Built for a landscape screen. On a phone, turn the device sideways.
Last updated
Frequently asked questions
Which directions can words run?
Horizontally, vertically and diagonally, and in both directions along each of those lines, so a word may be written backwards or diagonally upwards.
Can words share letters?
Yes. Letters are commonly used by more than one answer, which is how a compact grid holds a long list.
What is the fastest way to find a word?
Scan for its rarest letter rather than the whole word. Anything containing J, Q, X, Z, K or V will have only a handful of candidates in the grid.
Why can I never find the last word?
It is usually diagonal and often written upwards, which is the direction almost nobody checks. Count the letters and look only where that many fit in a straight line.
Is it free?
Yes, free in the browser, and there is a new themed puzzle each day in the word search section.