Word Search Generator
Create printable word search grids with controlled placement rules.
Supply your words, pick grid size, and decide how placements work. Results are deterministic with your chosen seed so you can recreate the same puzzle anytime.
Word search options
Provide your word list, choose grid size, and set placement rules. All processing stays in your browser.
Generated a fresh grid.
Words are uppercased and limited to A–Z before placement. Empty lines are ignored.
Grid preview
Letters fill the grid after all words are placed. Toggle the solution to highlight placed words.
Puzzle 1
| D | A | Y | U | F | R | O | U | L | J | R | V | M | B | E |
| E | F | G | H | J | M | U | D | K | Z | E | U | X | E | Z |
| T | Z | H | T | B | Q | R | U | V | K | S | P | X | G | K |
| N | J | N | R | E | E | I | D | N | A | R | U | E | G | S |
| D | R | X | E | C | H | L | A | T | E | E | A | I | A | R |
| I | L | F | C | R | O | F | Q | O | P | P | T | H | R | R |
| S | A | H | C | I | N | R | X | F | T | S | O | A | E | W |
| S | U | H | O | M | L | M | E | A | H | A | F | O | R | N |
| Y | T | M | G | S | Y | L | H | S | I | D | A | E | D | C |
| R | C | I | E | O | K | O | Z | B | T | I | Y | N | H | V |
| O | E | G | N | N | J | M | L | E | J | E | M | F | P | A |
| Y | L | E | T | F | Z | C | O | L | O | R | A | N | T | K |
| S | E | N | L | S | X | F | L | X | S | O | G | H | Z | H |
| A | G | I | Y | S | C | R | O | L | L | E | D | T | L | B |
| F | K | T | U | A | D | G | H | S | I | F | F | I | N | S |
Puzzle 2
| F | R | X | J | K | Q | I | C | H | I | S | W | M | S | Q |
| R | N | L | T | Q | W | F | P | F | I | V | S | E | G | A |
| H | J | M | M | I | R | H | H | X | C | X | Z | S | S | R |
| S | A | N | T | R | C | C | S | P | P | R | Z | O | F | M |
| V | P | F | C | P | T | K | J | O | A | J | W | D | W | C |
| D | E | E | W | G | A | R | T | P | U | M | P | A | E | H |
| I | A | G | W | R | X | R | W | A | J | T | I | L | A | A |
| T | U | A | M | E | M | X | E | M | C | G | H | C | B | I |
| I | N | Z | M | O | O | R | P | A | T | K | C | P | N | R |
| J | H | I | T | C | U | D | J | K | E | M | R | W | A | L |
| U | X | U | S | Y | L | D | E | G | N | I | W | K | R | W |
| K | K | A | B | R | E | P | A | R | K | I | G | S | T | P |
| E | G | V | H | J | I | O | B | D | E | B | Q | Y | G | H |
| T | C | E | M | F | T | G | V | W | W | H | E | W | T | D |
| I | E | A | J | V | M | J | Y | T | D | E | H | D | O | Z |
Directions follow your settings. Overlaps appear only when letters match across words.
Word list
Placed words show their starting coordinates and direction. Unplaced entries are listed for review.
Active bank: Word Bank 1: Word Bank 1
Puzzle 1
Placed
- DEADISHLY — row 9, col 14 (left)
- BECRIMSON — row 3, col 5 (down)
- COGENTLY — row 7, col 4 (down)
- ASPERSER — row 8, col 11 (up)
- SNIFFISH — row 15, col 15 (left)
- COLORANT — row 12, col 7 (right)
- BEGGARER — row 1, col 14 (down)
- SCROLLED — row 14, col 5 (right)
- ORYSSID — row 11, col 1 (up)
- LECTUAL — row 12, col 2 (up)
Unplaced
All words were placed.
Puzzle 2
Placed
- TICKTACK — row 2, col 4 (down right)
- SOUTHPAW — row 4, col 8 (down right)
- ARMCHAIR — row 2, col 15 (down)
- WINGEDLY — row 11, col 12 (left)
- TAPROOM — row 9, col 10 (left)
- RAGWEED — row 6, col 7 (left)
- CLADOSE — row 8, col 13 (up)
- REPARK — row 12, col 5 (right)
- WHEWT — row 14, col 10 (right)
- DUCT — row 10, col 7 (left)
Unplaced
All words were placed.
How generation works
- Words are uppercased, stripped to A–Z, deduplicated, and sorted by length before placement.
- Directions respect your diagonal and backwards toggles; overlaps only happen when letters match.
- A seeded random generator picks start cells and directions to keep outputs reproducible.
- Empty cells fill with random letters after placement to complete the printable grid.
What you’ll get
The preview shows the filled grid, and you can toggle the solution view to highlight placed words. It’s a quick way to check placements before you print or share.
A quick note
Puzzles are generated in your browser and can vary slightly by settings. Printing results can differ by printer, margins, and browser.
How the word search generator works
Words are normalized, sorted by length, and placed using a seeded random generator. Direction toggles control available paths, overlaps are only allowed on matching letters, and empty cells are filled with random A–Z letters.
What you can choose
- Word list (one per line, non‑letters removed)
- Grid size and max placement attempts
- Diagonal and backwards direction toggles
- Overlap allowance and deterministic seed
What you’ll see
- Filled grid preview with optional solution highlighting
- Placed word locations with starting coordinates and directions
- Unplaced words list if a word could not be placed
- Printable layout ready to copy or print from your browser
A quick example
Example: a 15×15 grid with diagonals enabled, backwards enabled, and overlaps on. The preview shows the full puzzle, and the solution view highlights each word so you can verify placement before printing.
Helpful tips
- Shorter word lists are easier to fit and solve.
- Disable diagonals for a friendlier, beginner‑level puzzle.
- Enable overlaps to fit more words in smaller grids.
- Use a seed if you want repeatable puzzles.
Limits to keep in mind
Difficulty is controlled by directions and grid size, not by handcrafted puzzle design. If a word can’t be placed, it will appear in the unplaced list. Printing results can vary by browser and printer margins.
FAQs
Quick answers
What does this generator do?
It builds a letter grid that hides your words, then fills the remaining cells with random letters to make a printable word search.
How are words placed in the grid?
Words are normalized to A–Z, sorted by length, and placed using a seeded random generator that respects your direction toggles.
What changes the difficulty?
Allowing diagonals, backwards directions, and overlaps increases complexity. Grid size also affects how quickly words are found.
Is the output deterministic?
Yes. Using the same words, options, and seed produces the same puzzle. Changing any of those inputs will change the grid.
Can I print on A4 or US Letter?
Yes. Choose your paper size in the print dialog. The layout is designed for standard printer sizes.
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