Word Search — free online Puzzle game
Find the hidden words across, down, diagonally — and backwards on hard.
Word Search is a free online word puzzle in your own language. Find every word from the list hidden in the letter grid by dragging from its first letter to its last. Easy hides six words in an 8×8 grid running across or down, normal hides nine in 11×11 with diagonals, and hard hides twelve in 14×14 in all eight directions, including backwards. Pick a theme — animals, food, nature or things at home — and every grid is new. The word lists follow the page language: English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Chinese, Japanese or Korean. No download, no sign-up.
Quick start
- Press Start. Pick a difficulty and a theme — easy only hides words across and down.
- Find a word from the list in the grid and drag from its first letter to its last.
- A found word is circled in colour and crossed off the list.
- Find them all to finish; Hint flashes the first letter of a word you have not found.
How to play Word Search
- The list below the grid shows the words hidden in it. Words always run in a straight line with no gaps.
- Easy: 6 words in an 8×8 grid, across or down. Normal: 9 words in 11×11, also diagonally. Hard: 12 words in 14×14, in all eight directions including backwards.
- Words can cross and share letters. All other squares are filled with random letters.
- Select a word by dragging along it; a selection only counts if it matches a word on the list.
- The puzzle ends when every word is found. Your fastest time without hints is saved for each difficulty.
Controls
- Select a word: press on the first letter and drag to the last
- Hint: the Hint button or H
- New puzzle: the New game button, a difficulty or a theme
Tips
- Scan for rare letters first — a Z, Q or J (or an unusual character) narrows the search fast.
- Look for a word's first two letters together, then follow that direction.
- On hard, remember words can be backwards: search for the last letter too.
Frequently asked questions
Which languages are the words in?
The words follow the language of the page: English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Simplified and Traditional Chinese, Japanese (in katakana) and Korean. Accents are left out in the grid, so a word like LEÓN is written LEON.
Are the puzzles always different?
Yes. Every new game draws words from the chosen theme and places them at random.
Is Word Search free?
Yes. It is completely free to play in your browser, with no download, no account and no in-game purchases.
Can I play on my phone?
Yes. Drag with your finger to select; the grid scales to the screen and works in portrait and landscape.