1st Grade Word Search Printable in Large Lowercase Letters

Print an 8 by 8 first grade word search in large lowercase letters, answer key included, or press New puzzle.

Name Date

1st Grade Word Search

Find every word hidden in the grid. Words go across and down.

0 of 8 words found

QRFROGTF

BIRDCGRH

HTOWNUES

MOJRSSEH

OCBPBDEI

ONFISHHP

NNESTINS

EDLVULRR

This grid is wider and taller than its box. Slide it to see every letter.To drag, hold the first letter for a moment, then slide.Keyboard: Tab to the grid, arrow keys to move, Enter on the first and last letter.

Shipship
Frogfrog
Fishfish
Treetree
Moonmoon
Nestnest
Birdbird
Towntown

8 of 20 words from the 1st Grade list.

Start from a list

Easy: words go across and down.

More options

Show clues, not words

Word list

Large print Lower-case letters Name and date line on paper

The puzzle changes as you go. See the puzzle

Answer key: 1st Grade Word Search

QRFROGTF

BIRDCGRH

HTOWNUES

MOJRSSEH

OCBPBDEI

ONFISHHP

NNESTINS

EDLVULRR

ship, frog, fish, tree, moon, nest, bird, town

Next step Hunt for more animals in a bigger puzzle Make a puzzle from your own spelling words

All 283 words

Blends and Digraphs 35

Bath You sit in warm water in a tub to get clean.
Bench A long seat for more than one person.
Brick A hard block of baked clay for building walls.
Chest A big strong box with a lid, or the front of your body.
Chip A small piece that broke off a cup or a plate.
Chop To cut wood or food with quick hits.
Clam A sea animal that lives inside two shells that close tight.
Clap To hit your hands together to make a sound.
Cloth Woven stuff that shirts and sheets are made from.
Crib A bed with high sides for a baby.
Dish A plate or a bowl for food. It ends with sh.
Fish An animal that lives in water and breathes with gills.
Flag Cloth with colors and shapes that stands for a country.
Frog A green animal that hops. It starts with the blend fr.
Glad Happy and pleased.
Grin A big wide smile.
Jump To push off the ground with both feet. It ends with the blend mp.
Moth An insect with soft wings that flies to a lamp after dark.

Show all 283 words (265 more)

Blends and Digraphs, continued

Plug It fits in the hole to keep water in the sink.
Shed A small hut in the yard for tools.
Shelf A flat board on the wall that holds books.
Ship A big boat that crosses the sea. It starts with sh.
Shop A place where you buy things. It starts with sh.
Skip To hop from one foot to the other as you go.
Snap To break with a sharp crack, or to click your fingers.
Spin To turn around and around fast.
Step One move of your foot when you walk, or one stair.
Stop To quit moving. Red means this at a traffic light.
Swan A big white bird with a long neck. Its young is a cygnet.
Swim To move through water with your arms and legs.
Tent A cloth house you sleep in when you camp.
Thick Wide from one side to the other. A big book is this.
Thin Narrow, like a thread or a sheet of paper.
Twig A tiny stick from a tree.
Whisk A kitchen tool made of wire loops for beating eggs.

Silent E Words 34

Bone A hard white part inside your body. A dog likes to chew one.
Brave Ready to do a hard thing even when you feel afraid.
Cake A sweet baked treat with candles on your birthday.
Cave A big hole in the side of a hill or under the ground.
Cone A shape with a round base and a point. It can hold ice cream.
Crane A tall machine that lifts heavy loads, or a bird with long legs.
Cube A solid shape with six square faces, like a toy block.
Dime A small silver-colored coin worth ten cents.
Flame The hot bright part of a fire.
Flute A thin pipe you blow across to play music.
Gate The door in a fence.
Globe A map of the Earth shaped like a ball.
Hide To get out of sight so no one can find you.
Hive The home where bees live and make honey.
Hose A long tube that sprays water on the yard.
Joke Something you say to make people laugh.
Lake A big body of water with land all around it.
Mice More than one mouse.
Mule A farm animal whose parents are a horse and a donkey.
Note A short letter, or one sound in a song.
Pine A tree with needles and cones that stays green all year.
Plate A flat dish you eat from.
Pole A long thin post, like the one a flag flies from.
Prize What you win for coming first.
Ride To sit on a bike, a horse or a bus and go.
Rose A flower with a sweet smell and sharp points on its stem.
Shade A cool dark spot out of the sun.
Skate A boot with wheels or a blade for gliding.
Smoke The gray cloud that rises from a fire.
Stone A small piece of rock.
Stove You cook food in pots on top of it.
Tube A long hollow shape. Toothpaste comes in one.
Vine A plant with a long stem that climbs up a wall or a tree.
Wave Water that rolls onto the beach, or a hello with your hand.

Vowel Teams 38

Beach The sand by the sea.
Bowl A deep round dish for soup.
Broom A brush on a long stick for sweeping the floor.
Chain Metal rings joined in a line.
Coach The person who trains a team.
Crow A big black bird that says caw.
Dream A story your mind makes while you are asleep.
Eagle A big bird with sharp eyes and a hooked beak that hunts from the air.
Feet More than one foot.
Float To stay on top of the water.
Food What you eat.
Fruit Apples, pears and plums are kinds of this.
Hay Dry cut grass that horses and cows eat.
House A building where a family lives.
Key You turn it to open a lock.
Leaf A flat green part of a plant that grows from a stem.
Mail Letters and boxes brought to your home.
Moon It shines in the sky after dark and seems to change shape.
Nail A thin metal spike you hit with a hammer.
Oak The kind of tree that an acorn grows into.
Pea A small round green seed that grows in a pod.
Play To have fun with a game or a toy.
Queen A woman who rules a country, or the wife of a king.
Road Cars and buses drive on it.
Roof The top cover of a house.
Sail A big sheet that catches wind to push a boat.
Seal A sea animal with flippers that barks. Its young is a pup.
Seed A plant grows from this small thing in the soil.
Soap You rub it on wet hands to wash them.
Steam The hot mist that rises from boiling water.
Sweet The taste of sugar and honey.
Tail The part at the back end of a dog that can wag.
Tie To make a knot or a bow in a lace.
Toad An animal like a frog with dry, bumpy skin.
Tray A flat board with a rim for carrying cups and plates.
Tree A tall plant with a trunk, branches and leaves. The ee says its name.
Wheat A tall grain plant. Its seeds are ground into flour.
Zoo A place where you can see wild animals.

1st Grade Sight Words 30

After Later than. It is the opposite of before.
Again One more time.
Any One or some, no matter which.
Ask To say a question.
Could Was able to. It rhymes with would and should.
Every Each one, with none left out.
Fly To move in the air like a bird.
Give To hand something to someone to keep.
Going On the way to somewhere.
How A question word that means in what way.
Just Only, or a moment ago.
Know To have a fact in your head. It starts with a silent k.
Live To be alive, or to have your home in a place.
May A word for asking if you are allowed. It is also the fifth month.
Must Have to.
Old Not new and not young.
Once One time only. Many stories start with this word.
Open Not shut.
Over Above, or across the top of.
Put To set something in a place.
Round Shaped like a ball or a ring.
Some A few, but not all.
Soon In a short time from now.
Take To pick something up and keep hold of it.
Thank What you do when someone helps you. You say this word and then you.
Then Next, or at that time.
Think To use your mind.
Walk To go on foot, slower than a run. The l is silent.
Were The word for was when there is more than one.
When A question word that means at what time.

1st Grade Math 41

Add To put numbers together to find how many in all.
Cent The smallest amount of money. One hundred make a dollar.
Clock It shows the time with two hands or with numbers.
Coin A round piece of metal money.
Corner The point where two sides of a shape meet.
Digit One of the ten symbols from 0 to 9 that make up every number.
Dollar Money worth one hundred cents.
Dozen A group of twelve, like eggs in a box.
Eleven Ten and one more. The number 11.
Equal The same amount. The = sign means this.
Fifty Five tens. The number 50.
First Number one in a line, before all the others.
Forty Four tens. The number 40. It is spelled with no u.
Graph A picture that shows numbers with bars or dots.
Half One of two equal parts.
Hour Sixty minutes. The short hand on a clock points to it.
Inch A small unit of length. Twelve make a foot.
Less A smaller amount. 3 is this than 8.
Long Measuring a lot from end to end. A snake is this.
Minus The name of the take away sign.
Minute Sixty seconds. The long hand on a clock points to it.
Month About thirty days. A year has twelve.
More A bigger amount. 9 is this than 6.
Nickel A coin worth five cents.
Ones The place of the 2 in the number 42.
Pair Two things that go together, like socks.
Penny A coin worth one cent.
Plus The name of the + sign.
Second Next after number one in a line. Also a tiny bit of time.
Shape A square, a triangle or a cube is one.
Short Measuring only a little from end to end, or not tall.
Square A flat shape with four equal sides and four corners.
Tally A mark you draw to count one. The fifth mark goes across the other four.
Tens The place of the 4 in the number 42.
Third Number three in a line.
Thirty Three tens. The number 30.
Total The whole amount when you put all the parts together.
Twelve Ten and two more. The number 12.
Twenty Two tens. The number 20.
Week Seven days in a row.
Year Twelve months, from one birthday to the next.

Light, Sound and Sky 32

Beam A straight line of light, like the one from a flashlight.
Bright Giving off a lot of light, like the Sun at midday.
Buzz The sound a bee makes.
Candle A stick of wax with a string inside that burns with a small flame.
Dark With no light, like a room with the lamp off.
Dawn The first light of the morning.
Day The time when the sky is light, from morning until evening.
Dusk The dim time after the Sun goes down, just before dark.
Earth The planet we live on.
East The side of the sky where the Sun comes up.
Echo A sound that bounces off a wall and comes back to you.
Flash A quick burst of light.
Glow To give off a soft, steady light.
Lamp You switch it on to light a room.
Light It lets you see. It comes from the Sun, a lamp or a flame.
Loud Making a lot of sound. A drum can be this.
Mirror Shiny glass that shows you your own face.
Noise A sound, often one that nobody wants to hear.
Noon Twelve o'clock in the middle of the day.
Quiet Making very little sound.
Ray A thin line of light from the Sun.
Rise To come up. The Sun does this each morning.
Shadow The dark shape made when you block the light.
Shine To give off light.
Siren The loud warning sound on a fire truck.
Soft Gentle and low, like a whisper.
Sound What you hear. It is made when something shakes very fast.
Spark A tiny bit of fire that jumps from a flame.
Star A far away ball of hot gas that looks like a tiny dot. The Sun is one.
Sunset When the Sun goes down in the west at the end of the day.
Voice The sound you make when you talk or sing.
West The side of the sky where the Sun goes down.

Plants and Animals 37

Acorn The nut of an oak tree.
Antler A branched horn on the head of a deer.
Bark The rough skin of a tree, or the sound a dog makes.
Beak The hard mouth of a bird.
Bird An animal with feathers that lays eggs. Most kinds can fly.
Bloom To open into a flower.
Branch An arm of a tree.
Bulb A round plant part under the soil that a tulip grows from.
Calf A young cow.
Claw A sharp curved nail on the toe of a cat or a bird.
Fawn A young deer.
Fern A green plant with feathery leaves and no flowers.
Flock A group of birds or sheep.
Flower The part of a plant with petals that makes seeds.
Foal A young horse.
Fur The soft hair that covers a cat or a bear.
Gills Fish use them to breathe under water.
Grow To get bigger.
Hatch To break out of an egg.
Herd A group of cows, deer or elephants that live together.
Hoof The hard foot of a horse or a cow.
Horn A hard point that grows on the head of a goat or a bull.
Insect A small animal with six legs, like an ant or a bee.
Joey A young kangaroo.
Moss A soft green plant that grows like a rug on damp rocks and logs.
Nest A home a bird builds for its eggs.
Owlet A young owl.
Paw The foot of a dog or a cat.
Petal One of the soft bright parts of a flower.
Puppy A young dog.
Root The part of a plant that grows down in the soil and takes in water.
Soil The dirt that plants grow in.
Sprout A new little plant just up from its seed.
Stem The part of a plant that holds up the leaves and flowers.
Stripe A long band of color on a zebra or a tiger.
Trunk The thick woody stem of a tree, or the long nose of an elephant.
Wing A bird or a bat flaps it to fly.

My Community 36

Baker A person who makes bread and cakes.
Bank A place that keeps money safe.
Bridge It lets a road cross over a river.
Buy To pay money and get something.
Chef The head cook in a restaurant.
City A very big town.
Doctor The person you see when you are sick.
Driver The person who steers a bus, a truck or a car.
Earn To get money for work you do.
Farmer A person who grows crops or raises animals for food.
Goods Things people make or grow to sell.
Helper Someone who makes a job easier for others.
Judge The person in charge of a court.
Law A rule that everyone in a country must follow.
Leader The person others follow.
Map A drawing of a place seen from above.
Market A place where many sellers set out food and goods.
Mayor The leader of a town or a city.
Money Coins and bills you use to pay.
Museum A building where you can see old or rare things.
Need Something you must have to live, like food or water.
Nurse A person who cares for sick people, often beside a doctor.
Pilot The person who flies a plane.
Police Officers who keep people safe and see that laws are followed.
Rule It tells you what you may and may not do.
Save To keep money for later.
Sell To give something and get money for it.
Sign A board with words or a picture that tells you something.
Spend To use money to pay for things.
Store A place that sells things.
Street A road in a town with buildings along it.
Town A place with homes, shops and schools, smaller than a city.
Trade To swap one thing for another.
Vote To make a choice with a group by raising hands or marking paper.
Want Something you would like but can live without, like a toy.
Work The job a person does to earn money.

How this list was compiled: Word lists and meanings written for this site around what American first graders commonly study: phonics patterns, sight words, math, science and community. The grade is our suggestion. The 30 sight words are common high-frequency words that also appear on widely used published sight word lists. The choice of words and every meaning are our own. Spellings checked against a standard American English word list. Facts in the meanings checked on 2026-09-19: coin values at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coins_of_the_United_States_dollar , the dime's metal at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dime_%28United_States_coin%29 (checked 2026-09-20: copper and nickel since 1965, so the meaning says silver-colored), birds at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bird (checked 2026-09-20: feathers and eggs; some kinds cannot fly, so the meaning says most), names of young animals at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_animal_names , insect legs at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insect , gills at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gill , echo at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Echo , sunrise and sunset directions at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunrise and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunset , acorn at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acorn , mule at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mule , mayor at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayor . Licence: own work

How it works

Eight short words, such as frog, cake and moon, hide in this 1st grade word search printable. Each of the 283 words has a meaning to read aloud, and none is longer than 6 letters.

Read the full guide

Pick the list that fits this week's phonics

Start from a list offers eight themes: Blends and Digraphs, Silent E Words, Vowel Teams, 1st Grade Sight Words, 1st Grade Math, Light, Sound and Sky, Plants and Animals, and My Community. Picking one puts 8 of its words in the list under the grid and renames the puzzle. The cross beside a word takes it away, to cut the hunt to 4 or 6 words for a child who tires.

A gentler start and a stretch

For a gentler start, pick 1st Grade Warm-Up: 21 words of 3 letters, such as zoo and paw. For a stretch, pick 1st Grade Challenge, 48 words of 5 to 6 letters; the grid grows by itself if the words need room. Both stay on Easy.

Tick Show clues, not words and read the clues aloud: children hear "A young horse" and hunt for foal.
Opening list clues name the pattern: frog "starts with the blend fr", and for tree, "The ee says its name".
1st Grade Math holds clock and coin words: Clock, Hour, Minute, Penny, Nickel, Cent and Dollar.

Questions and answers

Is this a good word search for 6 year olds?

For a 6 year old who reads short words, yes: the 8 words have 3 to 5 letters and run across and down, never backwards or on a slant. For a child still learning letters, the kindergarten word search hides 6 words that never cross.

Why are the letters lowercase?

Most of what first graders read is in lowercase, so the grid and the word list match the words as children see them in books. Large print and Lower-case letters are both switches in More options, and turning one off keeps the same puzzle.

Can I use our own spelling words on the worksheet?

Yes. Type this week's list over the words under the grid, or paste it into the last place of the list, in capitals or lowercase; the grid shows them in lowercase. A word of up to 8 letters fits the 8 by 8 grid, and a longer one makes the grid grow.

All 283 words

Blends and Digraphs 35

Blends and Digraphs, continued

Silent E Words 34

Vowel Teams 38

1st Grade Sight Words 30

1st Grade Math 41

Light, Sound and Sky 32

Plants and Animals 37

My Community 36

How it works

Pick the list that fits this week's phonics

A gentler start and a stretch

Questions and answers

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