Word Search Maker

Make your own word search

Paste a word list, pick how hard it should be, and get a printable puzzle with a word bank and an answer key. Free, no sign-up, and the grid is checked so nothing unfortunate turns up in the filler letters.

Your words

0 words

3 to 24 letters each, up to 60 words. Two-word entries like NEW YORK are fine - the space is dropped inside the grid and kept in the word bank.

Advanced options

Changing these switches the difficulty above to Custom.

Filler that looks like real English hides the words better than random letters do.

Save

Get a link that reopens this exact puzzle later. Nothing is stored on a server - the whole puzzle travels inside the link itself.

Preview

Your word search will appear here.
Add a few words and press Generate word search.

Share & publish

The Word Search Maker turns any list of words into a printable word search puzzle. Type or paste your words, pick a difficulty, and the grid is built in your browser straight away – no account, no sign-up, nothing to install. Every puzzle prints with a word bank and an answer key, sized to fit A4 and US Letter.

Difficulty is the control that matters most. Easy hides words left-to-right and top-to-bottom only. Standard adds diagonals. Hard uses all eight directions, including backwards. Advanced options let you pick exactly which directions to allow and how the filler letters are chosen – filler weighted to match your own word list hides the answers noticeably better than random letters.

Every grid is also scanned in all eight directions against a blocklist, so an offensive word formed by chance in the filler is rewritten before you ever see it. The list is hand-curated rather than exhaustive, so a glance before printing is still wise.

Building a crossword instead? Try the Crossword Maker. Solving one? Try the Crossword Helper.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Word Search Maker free to use? +

Yes, completely free, with no account or signup needed. There is no watermark on the printed worksheet and nothing to install.

Can I print the word search or save it as a PDF? +

Yes. Print produces the puzzle page with its word bank, followed by an answer key on its own page. Every browser's print dialog includes a "Save as PDF" option, so this covers PDF output with no extra step. The worksheet is laid out to fit both A4 and US Letter.

Can I make it easier or harder? +

Yes. The Easy setting places every word left-to-right or top-to-bottom only, with no backwards words, no diagonals and no overlapping words, on a roomier grid. Standard adds diagonals, and Hard uses all eight directions including backwards. Advanced options let you tick the eight directions individually.

Can I include backwards and diagonal words? +

Yes. The Hard preset turns on all eight directions. You can also open Advanced options and tick exactly which of the eight directions you want, in any combination.

How many words can I use, and how long can they be? +

Up to 60 words, each 3 to 24 letters long. Multi-word entries like NEW YORK are fine – the space is removed inside the grid and kept in the word bank. Any word that will not fit is reported rather than silently dropped.

Does it include an answer key? +

Yes, on its own page, with every hidden word ringed and the filler letters faded back so the answers stand out at a glance. You can switch the answer key off if you would rather not print it.

Could an offensive word appear in the puzzle by accident? +

Random filler letters can spell things nobody intended – even a small grid accidentally forms well over a hundred short words across its eight reading directions. Every generated grid is scanned in all eight directions against a blocklist and any hit is rewritten before you ever see it. The blocklist is hand-curated rather than exhaustive, so it is worth a glance before printing, but the common cases are handled.

Can I save a puzzle and come back to it later? +

"Save & get link" produces a permanent URL that reopens the exact grid you generated, even months later. Opening that link shows it read-only; click "Duplicate and edit" to make changes without altering the original link. You can also download the puzzle as a JSON file as a backup.