Word Search Maker
Type your words, pick a grid size and difficulty, and make a printable word search with an answer key.
Everything runs in your browser. There's no sign-up and no credits, and your words never leave your device. Download a US Letter PDF with the puzzle on page 1 and the answer key on page 2.
Your puzzle
One word per line, or separated by commas. Up to 40words. Spaces and punctuation are removed in the grid, so “sea horse” becomes SEAHORSE.
Ocean Animals
- Shark
- Whale
- Crab
- Starfish
- Octopus
- Dolphin
- Seal
- Coral
- Jellyfish
- Turtle
How to make a word search
- Pick a theme and 8 to 15 words. A theme (ocean animals, a spelling list, a birthday) makes the puzzle easier to start, because the solver knows what kind of word to look for.
- Choose a grid that fits the longest word. Every word has to fit in one row, column or diagonal, so a 12-letter word needs at least a 12 × 12 grid.
- Set the difficulty by direction. Across and down is easiest. Diagonals make it harder, and backwards words are the hardest.
- Print it with the answer key. The PDF puts the answers on page 2, so you can print the puzzle alone or keep the key for checking.
Grid size and difficulty by age
| Age | Grid | Words | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 to 7 | 8 × 8 to 10 × 10 | 6 to 8 short words | Easy |
| 8 to 10 | 12 × 12 to 14 × 14 | 10 to 15 words | Medium |
| 11 and up | 15 × 15 to 20 × 20 | 15 to 25 words | Hard |
| Adults and large print | 12 × 12 to 15 × 15 | 12 to 20 words | Medium or hard; smaller grids print bigger letters |
Need a whole puzzle book?
This maker builds one puzzle at a time from your own words. To make a themed book of word searches, or to mix them with mazes, sudoku and tracing pages, use the AI activity book maker. It writes the word lists for your theme and exports every puzzle with an answer key as one print-ready PDF. For other ways to make a word search at home, including by hand, read how to make a word search game at home.
Frequently asked questions
How do I make my own word search?
Type a title and your words, one per line, choose a grid size and difficulty, and the maker places the words and fills the rest of the grid with random letters. Download the PDF to print the puzzle and its answer key.
Is this word search maker free?
Yes. It runs entirely in your browser with no sign-up and no credits, and your words are never uploaded.
What size grid should I use?
The grid must be at least as long as your longest word. For young children use 8 × 8 to 10 × 10 with a few short words. For older kids and adults, 15 × 15 or larger with 15 to 25 words is a good challenge.
What does the difficulty setting change?
The directions words can run in. Easy uses only left to right and top to bottom. Medium adds diagonals. Hard uses all eight directions, including backwards words, which are the hardest to spot.
Does it make an answer key?
Yes. Tick Show answers to see the solution on screen, and the downloaded PDF always includes the answer key on page 2.
Can I sell word searches I make here?
Yes. The puzzles are built from your own word list, so you can print them for class, use them at home or include them in books you sell. The PDF is US Letter (8.5 × 11 inches) with 0.75-inch margins, which also fits KDP's no-bleed layout for that trim size.