Create custom word search puzzles with your own words. Perfect for teachers, students, parents, and puzzle enthusiasts. Generate puzzles with customizable directions and download as PDF for printing or sharing.
This title will appear on the PDF
Custom instructions for the PDF (leave blank for default)
Minimum 3 words, maximum 50 words. Words will be automatically capitalized.
Upload a .txt file with one word per line
Instructions: Find all the words hidden in the puzzle. Words can go horizontally, vertically, diagonally, and backwards depending on your settings.
Words are intelligently placed with optimal overlapping to create challenging but solvable puzzles.
Grid size automatically adjusts based on the number and length of words for optimal puzzle layout.
Choose from horizontal, vertical, diagonal, and backwards directions to control puzzle difficulty.
Download professional-looking puzzles as PDF files ready for printing or digital sharing.
Generated puzzles include an organized word list sorted alphabetically for easy reference.
Create multiple versions of the same puzzle with words in different positions.
Words read left to right in straight lines. This is the easiest direction for solvers to spot and should always be included for beginners.
Words read top to bottom in straight columns. The second most common direction and still relatively easy to find.
Words read at 45-degree angles from top-left to bottom-right or top-right to bottom-left. More challenging to spot than straight lines.
Words can be placed in reverse in any direction (horizontal, vertical, or diagonal). This significantly increases difficulty as solvers must check words in both directions.
You can include 3 to 50 words. The optimal range is 10-20 words for a balanced puzzle that's neither too easy nor too crowded.
Grid size is automatically calculated based on the number of words and their lengths. Longer words and more words result in larger grids (up to 25×25).
Yes! The generator intelligently overlaps words where they share common letters, making efficient use of space and creating more interesting puzzles.
If the generator can't fit all words after multiple attempts, try: using fewer words, choosing shorter words, or reducing the number of enabled directions.
Yes! Use the "Regenerate" button to create different versions of the puzzle with words in new positions. This is great for creating different versions for multiple students or participants.
No, only letters A-Z are accepted. Numbers, spaces, and special characters are automatically filtered out. Use hyphens or combine words into single terms.
The PDF export creates a print-ready document with the current puzzle grid and word list. It captures exactly what you see on screen, so generate or regenerate until you're happy with the layout.
Generated puzzles are free to use for classroom and personal use. Commercial resale or publication of the puzzles is not permitted. Teachers, parents, and individuals can freely use puzzles for educational and personal activities.
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