Alabama Word Search

Montgomery, Mobile Bay, Yellowhammer, Camellia and 12 more Alabama words hide in the first grid, answer key included.

Name Date

Alabama Word Search

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

0 of 16 words found

SHHUNTSVILLECHD

FROCKETCITYIAGI

JMBYVNGLBHCTMUS

PFEERNTNAEDSELE

IEALPEACHLRILFL

EIMLTSYOREBELCM

ENOOTSRTMNIRIOA

SFBWMENQAKREAAJ

EDIHYEFNGEMRTSB

BILAYRCBNLIYRTN

DAEMFIOLOLNENUR

GNBMSVTULEGPWOL

FIAELETEIRHMNUD

ENYRLROSAPARKSQ

FTSMMONTGOMERYS

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.

MontgomeryMONTGOMERY
BirminghamBIRMINGHAM
HuntsvilleHUNTSVILLE
SelmaSELMA
Mobile BayMOBILE BAY
Tennessee RiverTENNESSEE RIVER
Gulf CoastGULF COAST
YellowhammerYELLOWHAMMER
CamelliaCAMELLIA
PeachPEACH
Rosa ParksROSA PARKS
Helen KellerHELEN KELLER
Rocket CityROCKET CITY
CottonCOTTON
BluesBLUES
MagnoliaMAGNOLIA

16 of 28 words from the Alabama Favorites list.

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

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Answer key: Alabama Word Search

SHHUNTSVILLECHD

FROCKETCITYIAGI

JMBYVNGLBHCTMUS

PFEERNTNAEDSELE

IEALPEACHLRILFL

EIMLTSYOREBELCM

ENOOTSRTMNIRIOA

SFBWMENQAKREAAJ

EDIHYEFNGEMRTSB

BILAYRCBNLIYRTN

DAEMFIOLOLNENUR

GNBMSVTULEGPWOL

FIAELETEIRHMNUD

ENYRLROSAPARKSQ

FTSMMONTGOMERYS

MONTGOMERY, BIRMINGHAM, HUNTSVILLE, SELMA, MOBILE BAY, TENNESSEE RIVER, GULF COAST, YELLOWHAMMER, CAMELLIA, PEACH, ROSA PARKS, HELEN KELLER, ROCKET CITY, COTTON, BLUES, MAGNOLIA

Next step Make a puzzle from your own Alabama unit words Scramble the Alabama towns and rivers

All 216 words

Alabama Cities and Towns 39

Anniston City at the foot of the Appalachians, east of Birmingham.
Athens Northern town that shares its name with a city in Greece.
Auburn College town in the east of the state.
Bayou La Batre Fishing village on the coast known for shrimp boats.
Bessemer Steel town southwest of Birmingham, named for an English inventor.
Birmingham City in the hills of the north-central part of the state, built on iron and steel.
Clanton Town in peach country with a water tower shaped like a giant peach.
Cullman City north of Birmingham named for the German settler who founded it.
Decatur City on the Tennessee River, nicknamed the River City.
Demopolis Town where the Tombigbee and Black Warrior rivers meet.
Dothan Wiregrass city that calls itself the Peanut Capital of the World.
Enterprise Town with a monument to the boll weevil.
Eufaula Town of old mansions beside a lake on the Chattahoochee River.
Fairhope Town on the eastern shore of Mobile Bay.
Florence City on the Tennessee River where the Father of the Blues was born.
Fort Payne Northeastern town once called the Sock Capital of the World.
Gadsden City on the Coosa River near Noccalula Falls.

Show all 216 words (199 more)

Alabama Cities and Towns, continued

Gulf Shores Beach resort city on the coast, west of Orange Beach.
Guntersville Town almost surrounded by a lake on the Tennessee River.
Huntsville Northern city nicknamed the Rocket City for its space work.
Mobile Port city on a wide bay of the Gulf coast, founded by the French in 1702.
Monroeville Home town of two famous writers, called the Literary Capital of Alabama.
Montgomery State capital, on the Alabama River.
Muscle Shoals Town on the Tennessee River known for its recording studios.
Old Cahawba First permanent state capital, now a ghost town where two rivers meet.
Opelika Railroad town next door to Auburn.
Opp Small town in the south of the state with a three-letter name.
Orange Beach Coastal resort city close to the Florida line.
Prattville Town near Montgomery that grew up around a cotton gin factory.
Saint Stephens Capital of the Alabama Territory from 1817 to 1819.
Scottsboro Town on the Tennessee River in the northeast corner.
Selma City on the Alabama River where the voting rights marches of 1965 began.
Sylacauga Town known for its white marble.
Talladega Town in the hills east of Birmingham.
Troy College town in the southeast.
Tuscaloosa City on the Black Warrior River that was the state capital from 1826 to 1846.
Tuscumbia Town where Helen Keller was born.
Tuskegee Town of the famous school founded in 1881 and of the airmen who trained there.
Wetumpka Town on the Coosa River beside the remains of an ancient meteor crater.

Alabama Land and Water 32

Alabama River Waterway formed where the Coosa and the Tallapoosa join.
Appalachians Mountain chain of the eastern United States whose southern end lies in Alabama.
Black Belt Band of dark, rich soil across the middle of the state.
Black Warrior River that flows past Tuscaloosa.
Bon Secour Wildlife refuge of dunes and marsh on the coast; its French name means safe harbor.
Cahaba River that flows free through the middle of the state, known for its lilies.
Chattahoochee River that forms part of the border with Georgia.
Cheaha Highest point in the state, a mountain in the east.
Coastal Plain Lowland that covers more than half of the state and slopes gently south to the Gulf.
Conecuh River and national forest in the south of the state.
Coosa River that flows from Georgia down the east side of the state.
Dauphin Island Barrier isle at the mouth of Mobile Bay.
DeSoto Falls Waterfall on Lookout Mountain named for a Spanish explorer.
Dismals Canyon Sandstone gorge where tiny glowing insects light the walls at night.
Gulf Coast Strip of white beaches along the southern edge of the state.
Lake Martin Large reservoir on the Tallapoosa River.
Little River Stream that runs along the top of Lookout Mountain and through a deep canyon.
Mobile Bay Wide inlet of the Gulf of Mexico in the southwest corner of the state.
Monte Sano Mountain on the edge of Huntsville; its name means mountain of health.
Noccalula Falls Waterfall that drops 90 feet into a gorge at Gadsden.
Perdido River and bay on the border with Florida.
Piedmont Rolling upland of the east-central part of the state.
Red Mountain Ridge above Birmingham named for its rust-colored iron ore.
Russell Cave National monument where people sheltered for thousands of years.
Sand Mountain Long sandstone plateau in the northeast.
Sipsey Wilderness of canyons and waterfalls in a national forest of the northwest.
Tallapoosa River of the east that joins the Coosa near Wetumpka.
Tennessee River Waterway that loops across the north of the state through a wide valley.
Tensaw River that gives its name to the great delta above Mobile Bay.
Tombigbee River of the west that joins the Alabama north of Mobile.
Wheeler Lake Reservoir on the Tennessee River behind a dam named for a general.
Wiregrass Southeastern corner of the state, named for a tough native grass.

Alabama State Symbols 28

Bama Soil series named the official state soil.
Basilosaurus State fossil, an ancient whale about 60 feet long.
Black Bear State mammal.
Blackberry State fruit, named with the help of third graders in Fairhope.
Brown Shrimp State crustacean.
Camellia State flower, a garden shrub with glossy leaves.
Cotton State Old nickname of Alabama.
Heart of Dixie Popular nickname of Alabama, though not an official one.
Hematite State mineral, also called red iron ore.
Hydrangea State wildflower, the kind with leaves shaped like those of an oak.
Junonia State shell, home of a sea snail of the Gulf.
Lane Cake State dessert, a layered treat named for the Barbour County woman who created it.
Largemouth Bass State freshwater fish, a favorite of anglers on the state's lakes.
Longleaf Pine State tree, which looks like a clump of grass in its first years.
Marble State rock, used in buildings across the country.
Monarch State insect, an orange and black butterfly.
Peach State tree fruit, grown most of all in Chilton County.
Pecan State nut.
Pine Burr State quilt pattern, made by the quilters of Gee's Bend.
Racking Horse State breed, known for a smooth, fast gait.
Salamander State amphibian, the Red Hills kind, found only in a few Alabama counties.
Square Dance State folk tradition, done by couples to a caller's words.
Star Blue Quartz State gemstone.
Swallowtail State mascot and butterfly, the eastern tiger kind.
Sweet Potato State vegetable.
Tarpon State saltwater fish, a large silver game fish.
Wild Turkey State game bird, wary and hard to spot in the woods.
Yellowhammer State bird, a woodpecker that often feeds on the ground.

Alabama History and Civil Rights 36

Africatown Community near Mobile founded by West Africans brought on the last known slave ship.
Battleship Kind of warship; the one named for the state is now a museum at Mobile.
Bienville French leader who built the first fort at Mobile in 1702.
Boll Weevil Beetle that ruined cotton crops and pushed farmers to grow peanuts.
Bus Boycott Protest of 1955 and 1956 in which Black riders of Montgomery stayed off the city's public transit.
Capitol Domed building of state government on Goat Hill in Montgomery.
Cherokee Nation that lived in the northeast of the state before removal.
Chickasaw Nation that lived in the northwest of the state before removal.
Choctaw Nation that lived in the southwest of the state before removal.
Civil Rights Movement for equal treatment under the law, with many key events in Alabama.
Creek Name settlers gave the Muscogee, whose towns stood along the state's rivers.
De Soto Spanish explorer who crossed the region in 1540.
Dexter Avenue Montgomery street of the church where Martin Luther King Jr. was pastor.
Fort Condé French colonial stronghold rebuilt in downtown Mobile.
Fort Morgan Brick fortress that guards the entrance of Mobile Bay.
Fort Toulouse French post of 1717 near the meeting of the Coosa and Tallapoosa.
Freedom Riders Travelers who rode buses through the South in 1961 to test the law against segregation.
Horseshoe Bend Curve of the Tallapoosa River where a battle of 1814 ended the Creek War.
Iron Ore Red rock mined at Birmingham, close to coal and limestone.
Ivy Green Birthplace and childhood home of Helen Keller in Tuscumbia.
Mardi Gras Carnival season of parades and masked balls, a long tradition in Mobile.
Moundville Site on the Black Warrior River with large earthen mounds built by people of the Mississippian culture.
Old Federal Road Early route through Creek country that brought settlers into the region.
Red Tails Nickname of the Tuskegee Airmen, the first Black military pilots of the United States.
Redstone Army arsenal at Huntsville, a center of rocket work.
Rocket City Nickname of Huntsville.
Saturn Rocket Moon launcher of the Apollo program, developed at Huntsville.
Selma March Walk of several days to the state capital in 1965 for the right to vote.
Sloss Furnaces Birmingham ironworks that began making pig iron in 1882, now a historic landmark.
Statehood Reached on December 14, 1819, when Alabama became the 22nd state.
Steamboat Paddle-wheel vessel that carried cotton down the rivers to Mobile.
Steel Metal that made Birmingham grow so fast it was called the Magic City.
Territory What Alabama was from 1817 until it became a state.
Trail of Tears Forced journey of Native nations from the Southeast to the West in the 1830s.
Voting Rights What the marchers of 1965 demanded; Congress passed an act for it that August.
Vulcan Giant cast-iron statue of the Roman god of the forge on Red Mountain.

Famous Alabamians 21

Abernathy Minister born in Linden who helped lead the Montgomery boycott; his first name was Ralph.
Carver Scientist at Tuskegee who taught farmers to grow peanuts and sweet potatoes.
Coretta King Civil rights leader born near Marion, wife of the minister who led the Montgomery boycott.
Handy Composer born in Florence, called the Father of the Blues.
Hank Aaron Baseball home run champion born in Mobile.
Hank Williams Country singer and songwriter born in Butler County.
Harper Lee Novelist from Monroeville who won the Pulitzer Prize in 1961.
Helen Keller Author and speaker, blind and deaf from early childhood, born in Tuscumbia in 1880.
Hurston Writer of the Harlem Renaissance, born in Notasulga; her first name was Zora.
Jesse Owens Runner born in Oakville who won four gold medals at the 1936 Olympics.
Joe Louis Heavyweight boxing champion born near LaFayette.
John Lewis Civil rights leader and congressman born near Troy.
Julia Tutwiler Tuscaloosa-born reformer of schools and prisons who wrote the words of the state song.
Nat King Cole Singer and jazz pianist born in Montgomery.
Percy Julian Chemist born in Montgomery who made medicines from plants.
Rosa Parks Seamstress born in Tuskegee whose arrest on a Montgomery bus in 1955 began a boycott.
Satchel Paige Baseball pitcher born in Mobile.
Shuttlesworth Birmingham minister who led the fight against segregation there.
Truman Capote Writer who spent part of his childhood in Monroeville.
Washington Teacher who opened the school at Tuskegee in 1881; his first name was Booker.
Willie Mays Baseball star born in Westfield.

Alabama Farms, Food and Music 23

Banana Pudding Layered dessert of custard, cookies and sliced fruit.
Banjo Stringed instrument with a round body like a drum.
Barbecue Slow-smoked meat, a favorite across the state.
Biscuits Soft, flaky quick breads.
Blues Music of the South that W. C. Handy wrote down and made famous.
Boiled Peanuts Soft, salty snack sold at roadside stands.
Catfish Whiskered fish raised in ponds on Alabama farms.
Collards Leafy greens cooked low and slow.
Cornbread Quick bread made from cornmeal.
Cotton Crop that once ruled the state's farms.
Fiddle Stringed instrument of old-time dances.
Gee's Bend River community in the Black Belt known for its quilts.
Gospel Church music with strong harmonies.
Grits Dish of ground corn boiled until thick.
Gumbo Thick stew of the coast, often with shrimp and okra.
Kudzu Fast-growing vine from Asia that covers trees and fields.
Okra Green pod that is fried or put in gumbo.
Oysters Shellfish gathered from reefs in the bays of the coast.
Poultry Chickens raised for meat and eggs, a leading farm product of the state.
Satsuma Small, sweet, easy-to-peel orange grown near the coast.
Soybeans Bean crop of the state's fields.
Timber Wood cut from the pine forests that cover much of the state.
White Sauce Tangy barbecue topping made with mayonnaise, a specialty of northern Alabama.

Alabama Wildlife and Plants 37

Alligator Large reptile of the swamps and the delta.
Armadillo Insect-eater in a bony shell that digs with strong claws.
Azalea Flowering shrub of spring gardens.
Bald Eagle Large bird of prey with a white head and tail.
Blue Crab Shellfish with paddle-shaped back legs for swimming.
Bluebird Small thrush with a blue back and a rusty breast.
Bobcat Spotted wild cat with a bobbed tail.
Bream Southern name for a bluegill or other sunfish.
Cahaba Lily Rare white flower that blooms on river shoals in May and June.
Cardinal Songbird whose male is bright red.
Crappie Panfish that anglers catch in the state's lakes.
Crayfish Small freshwater cousin of the lobster.
Cypress Swamp tree with knees that rise from the water.
Darter Tiny, colorful fish of the state's streams.
Dogwood Small woodland tree that blooms white in spring.
Dolphin Sea mammal that swims in the bay and along the coast.
Firefly Beetle that blinks with light on warm evenings.
Goldenrod Yellow wildflower that was the state flower before the camellia.
Gopher Tortoise Land reptile that digs long burrows in sandy soil.
Heron Tall wading bird of marshes and river banks.
Honeysuckle Vine with sweet-smelling flowers.
Live Oak Wide-spreading evergreen tree of the coast.
Magnolia Tree with large white flowers.
Manatee Slow, plant-eating sea mammal of warm coastal waters.
Mockingbird Gray songbird that copies the songs of others.
Mullet Jumping fish of the bay and the Gulf.
Mussel Freshwater shellfish that filters river water.
Opossum Pouched mammal that carries its young on its back.
Osprey Fish-eating hawk.
Pelican Big bird of the coast that dives for fish.
Pitcher Plant Bog flower that traps insects in a tube-shaped leaf.
Raccoon Ring-tailed mammal with a black mask.
Red Snapper Rosy fish of the Gulf reefs.
Sea Turtle Ocean reptile that nests on the state's beaches.
Spanish Moss Gray plant that hangs from tree branches.
Sweetgum Tree with star-pointed leaves and prickly seed balls.
Tupelo Swamp tree whose blossoms make prized honey.

How this list was compiled: Own work. Words and names about the state of Alabama for grades 2 to 8: seven themed lists (cities and towns; land and water; state symbols; history and civil rights; famous Alabamians; farms, food and music; wildlife and plants), Alabama Favorites, an easy list of every word of 3 to 5 letters and a hard list of every word of 8 letters or more. Entries have 3 to 14 letters once spaces, hyphens, apostrophes and accents are dropped, and inside one list no word sits inside another, forwards or backwards. Clues are our own wording for readers of about 8 to 13; no clue repeats a word of four letters or more from its own entry. The grid keeps only the letters A to Z: Gee's Bend is hidden as GEESBEND. No brand, team or living person is listed; the people named are figures of the state's past. The official symbols follow the Emblems and Symbols table of the Alabama Department of Archives and History (https://archives.alabama.gov/research/guidance/Fast-Facts.aspx) and the Quick Facts page of the Encyclopedia of Alabama (https://encyclopediaofalabama.org/quick-facts), both read 16 October 2026; the two give different years for some adoptions, so no clue gives one, and the state spirit and the state Bible are not entries. Places, people, animals and plants were checked the same day against the English Wikipedia article for each entry (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alabama, license CC BY-SA 4.0). Dates and firsts were checked in a second work, the Encyclopedia of Alabama (https://encyclopediaofalabama.org); where it did not confirm one, the clue leaves it out. Unofficial and not affiliated with the State of Alabama; an educational puzzle, so check an official source before you rely on a fact. Licence: own work

How it works

This Alabama word search opens on 16 favorites, Birmingham, Huntsville, Tennessee River, Rosa Parks and Helen Keller among them. Seven lists go further: cities, land and water, state symbols, history and civil rights, famous Alabamians, farms and food, and wildlife.

Read the full guide

A civil rights list for a history unit

Alabama History and Civil Rights holds Bus Boycott, Selma March, Freedom Riders, Voting Rights, Dexter Avenue and Red Tails, the nickname of the Tuskegee Airmen. Famous Alabamians adds Rosa Parks, John Lewis, Coretta King, Abernathy and Shuttlesworth. Open More options and tick Show clues, not words, and the sheet becomes a quiz.

Five capitals, one of them a ghost town

Alabama Cities and Towns holds all five places that have been the capital. Saint Stephens led the Alabama Territory from 1817 to 1819, and Huntsville hosted the convention that wrote the first state constitution in 1819. Old Cahawba, the first permanent state capital, is a ghost town today. Tuscaloosa served from 1826 to 1846, before Montgomery.

Easy Alabama has the 18 words of 3 to 5 letters: Selma, Troy, Opp, Coosa, Peach, Pecan, Bama, Blues, Grits, Okra and Kudzu among them.
Huntsville is Rocket City: the Saturn rocket of the Moon landings was developed there.
Boll Weevil is in the history list because Enterprise raised a monument to the beetle that pushed farmers toward peanuts.

Questions and answers

Is the Alabama word search printable with an answer key?

Yes. Print or save as PDF prints the puzzle with a Name and Date line, and the answer key follows on a second page. New puzzle draws 16 of the 28 favorites again, so neighbors get different grids.

What is a Yellowhammer in the Alabama word search?

The state bird: Alabama's name for the northern flicker, a woodpecker. It is in the first grid with Camellia, the state flower, and Peach, the state tree fruit. Alabama State Symbols goes on to Longleaf Pine, Black Bear, Monarch, Tarpon, Junonia and the Bama soil.

Is Mobile Bay in the Alabama word search?

Yes, in the first grid with Gulf Coast. Alabama Land and Water adds the Alabama, Coosa, Tallapoosa, Cahaba, Tombigbee, Black Warrior and Chattahoochee rivers, Cheaha, the highest point in the state, Dauphin Island and Noccalula Falls.

Who are the famous Alabamians in the puzzle?

Twenty-one figures of the state's past, among them Helen Keller, Hank Williams, Nat King Cole, Jesse Owens, Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Harper Lee, Carver and Handy. Each clue names an Alabama place in the person's story.

All 216 words

Alabama Cities and Towns 39

Alabama Cities and Towns, continued

Alabama Land and Water 32

Alabama State Symbols 28

Alabama History and Civil Rights 36

Famous Alabamians 21

Alabama Farms, Food and Music 23

Alabama Wildlife and Plants 37

How it works

A civil rights list for a history unit

Five capitals, one of them a ghost town

Questions and answers

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