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Solar System Word Search

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

0 of 16 words found

AUACRFWRIUAZNBE
TQYMNTXEORBITGS
ELGPERLCFAAAYAR
LMARSATURNEVVLR
LOGEONEPTUNEJAM
CVIAPTVZDSAVRXA
OWQRNOSGRAVITYT
MDOTTRITENNOETL
EHJHOBMYCMROUJJ
THCRATERLSAIIOL
LVASTEROIDRRQHH
NEEYARCSPEDMFRK
GNSAGBUISRLPTWQ
JUPITERMETEORNY
NSAADQYOIPOIYNW

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.

  • ASTEROID
  • COMET
  • CRATER
  • EARTH
  • ECLIPSE
  • GALAXY
  • GRAVITY
  • JUPITER
  • MARS
  • MERCURY
  • METEOR
  • NEPTUNE
  • ORBIT
  • SATURN
  • URANUS
  • VENUS

Sample words. Type or paste your own to replace them.

Tap or click the first letter of a word, then its last letter. Or drag across the word. On a touch screen, hold the first letter for a moment before you drag. On a keyboard, the arrow keys move, Enter marks the first and the last letter, and Escape clears a first letter.

Easy: words go across and down.

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The puzzle changes as you go. See the puzzle

Answer key: Solar System Word Search

AUACRFWRIUAZNBE
TQYMNTXEORBITGS
ELGPERLCFAAAYAR
LMARSATURNEVVLR
LOGEONEPTUNEJAM
CVIAPTVZDSAVRXA
OWQRNOSGRAVITYT
MDOTTRITENNOETL
EHJHOBMYCMROUJJ
THCRATERLSAIIOL
LVASTEROIDRRQHH
NEEYARCSPEDMFRK
GNSAGBUISRLPTWQ
JUPITERMETEORNY
NSAADQYOIPOIYNW

ASTEROID, COMET, CRATER, EARTH, ECLIPSE, GALAXY, GRAVITY, JUPITER, MARS, MERCURY, METEOR, NEPTUNE, ORBIT, SATURN, URANUS, VENUS

Next step Scramble the same word listTurn the list into bingo cards

All 291 starter words

School supplies 16

  • Backpack A bag with two shoulder straps, carried on the back.
  • Binder A stiff cover with rings that holds punched sheets of paper together.
  • Calendar A chart that shows the days, weeks and months of a year.
  • Crayon A stick of colored wax used for drawing.
  • Desk A table made for reading, writing or working at.
  • Eraser A piece of rubber that rubs out pencil marks. British English calls it a rubber.
  • Folder A folded cover of card or plastic that keeps loose papers together.
  • Glue A sticky liquid or paste that joins things together.
  • Marker A pen with a thick felt tip.
  • Notebook A book of blank or lined pages for writing in.
  • Paper Thin sheets, usually made from wood pulp, for writing, drawing and printing on.
  • Pencil A writing tool with a thin graphite core inside a wooden case.
  • Ruler A straight strip marked in inches or centimeters, for measuring and for drawing lines.
  • Scissors A cutting tool with two blades joined at a pivot.
  • Stapler A tool that pushes a thin metal staple through sheets of paper to hold them together.
  • Whiteboard A smooth white board that you write on with dry-erase markers.
Show all 291 starter words (275 more)

Days and months 19

  • April The fourth month, with 30 days.
  • August The eighth month, with 31 days, named after the Roman emperor Augustus.
  • December The twelfth and last month, with 31 days. Decem is Latin for ten.
  • February The second month, with 28 days, or 29 in a leap year.
  • Friday The day after Thursday, named in Old English after the goddess Frig.
  • January The first month of the year, with 31 days, named after the Roman god Janus.
  • July The seventh month, with 31 days, named after Julius Caesar.
  • June The sixth month, with 30 days.
  • March The third month, with 31 days, named after Mars, the Roman god of war.
  • May The fifth month, with 31 days.
  • Monday The day after Sunday. Its Old English name meant Moon's day.
  • November The eleventh month, with 30 days. Novem is Latin for nine.
  • October The tenth month, with 31 days. Octo is Latin for eight.
  • Saturday The day after Friday, named after the Roman god Saturn.
  • September The ninth month, with 30 days. Septem is Latin for seven: the early Roman year is thought to have begun in March.
  • Sunday The day after Saturday. Its Old English name meant Sun's day.
  • Thursday The day after Wednesday, named after Thunor, the thunder god known today as Thor.
  • Tuesday The day after Monday, named in Old English after the god Tiw.
  • Wednesday The day after Tuesday, named in Old English after the god Woden.

Feelings 16

  • Angry Feeling strong displeasure because something seems unfair or wrong.
  • Brave Ready to do something hard or frightening even though you feel afraid.
  • Calm Feeling quiet and steady, not upset or excited.
  • Confused Not able to understand something or to think clearly about it.
  • Curious Wanting to find out or learn about something.
  • Excited Feeling eager and full of energy about something that is happening or about to happen.
  • Grateful Feeling thankful for something a person has done or for what you have.
  • Happy Feeling pleased or glad.
  • Lonely Feeling sad because you are apart from other people or have no one to talk to.
  • Nervous Feeling worried and a little afraid about something that is going to happen.
  • Proud Feeling pleased about something you, or someone close to you, has done well.
  • Sad Feeling unhappy, often because of a loss or a disappointment.
  • Scared Feeling afraid.
  • Shy Feeling nervous or uncomfortable about meeting or talking to people.
  • Surprised Feeling sudden wonder because something was not expected.
  • Worried Thinking again and again about a problem or about something bad that might happen.

Jobs in the community 16

  • Baker A person who makes and sells bread and cakes.
  • Builder A person whose job is putting up and repairing buildings.
  • Chef A trained cook, especially the head cook in a restaurant kitchen.
  • Dentist A person trained to care for teeth and gums.
  • Doctor A person trained and licensed to treat people who are ill or injured.
  • Electrician A person who installs and repairs electrical wiring and equipment.
  • Farmer A person who grows crops or raises animals for food.
  • Firefighter A person trained to put out fires and rescue people.
  • Librarian A person who runs a library and helps people find books and information.
  • Mechanic A person who repairs and looks after engines and machines, such as cars.
  • Nurse A person trained to care for people who are sick or injured, often alongside doctors.
  • Paramedic A person trained to give emergency medical care, often working from an ambulance.
  • Pilot A person who flies an aircraft.
  • Plumber A person who fits and repairs water pipes, faucets and drains.
  • Teacher A person whose job is to help others learn.
  • Veterinarian A doctor for animals. The short form is vet.

Fruits and vegetables 16

  • Apple A round fruit with crisp flesh and a core of small seeds. It grows on a tree.
  • Banana A long curved fruit with a thick peel that turns yellow as it ripens.
  • Broccoli A green vegetable whose thick stalks end in tight clusters of flower buds.
  • Carrot A long root vegetable, usually orange.
  • Celery A vegetable with long, crisp, pale green stalks.
  • Cherry A small round fruit, usually red, with a single hard stone inside.
  • Grape A small juicy berry that grows in bunches on a vine.
  • Lemon A sour yellow citrus fruit.
  • Lettuce A leafy green vegetable eaten mostly in salads.
  • Mango A sweet tropical fruit with orange-yellow flesh around one large flat seed.
  • Onion A bulb vegetable made of layers, with a sharp taste and smell.
  • Orange A round citrus fruit with a thick peel and juicy segments inside.
  • Peach A soft fruit with fuzzy skin and a large stone in the middle.
  • Potato A starchy vegetable that grows underground as a tuber.
  • Spinach A plant with dark green leaves that are eaten raw or cooked.
  • Tomato A soft red fruit eaten as a vegetable. To a botanist it is a berry.

Sports 16

  • Archery The sport of shooting arrows at a target with a bow.
  • Badminton A racket sport in which players hit a shuttlecock over a high net.
  • Baseball A bat-and-ball game between two teams of nine, played around four bases.
  • Basketball A game in which two teams of five score by throwing a ball through a raised hoop.
  • Cycling The sport of riding bicycles on roads, tracks or trails.
  • Football In the United States, a game played with an oval ball by two teams of eleven. In most other countries the word means soccer.
  • Golf A game in which players hit a small ball into a series of holes in as few strokes as they can.
  • Gymnastics A sport of exercises that show strength, balance and control, on the floor and on apparatus.
  • Hockey A team game in which players use curved sticks to drive a ball or puck into the other team's goal.
  • Karate A martial art that developed in Okinawa, now part of Japan, using strikes, kicks and blocks.
  • Rowing The sport of racing boats that are moved through the water with oars.
  • Rugby A team game played with an oval ball that may be kicked, carried and passed by hand.
  • Soccer A game in which two teams of eleven try to get a round ball into the other team's goal, mostly with their feet.
  • Swimming The sport of moving through water using the arms and legs.
  • Tennis A racket sport in which players hit a ball over a net on a marked court.
  • Volleyball A game in which two teams of six hit a ball over a high net with their hands.

Weather 16

  • Blizzard A heavy snowstorm with strong winds and very poor visibility.
  • Breeze A light, gentle wind.
  • Cloud A visible mass of tiny water droplets or ice crystals floating in the air.
  • Drizzle Light rain made of very small drops.
  • Drought A long period with much less rain than usual.
  • Flood Water that overflows onto land that is normally dry.
  • Forecast A statement of what the weather is expected to be.
  • Frost A thin layer of ice crystals that forms on cold surfaces when water vapor freezes.
  • Hail Balls or lumps of ice that fall from thunderstorm clouds.
  • Humidity Water vapor held in the air.
  • Hurricane A large rotating tropical storm with sustained winds of 74 miles per hour or more.
  • Lightning A giant spark of electricity in the sky, between clouds or between a cloud and the ground.
  • Rainbow An arc of colors seen when sunlight is bent and reflected by water droplets.
  • Sleet In the United States, small ice pellets. In Britain and most Commonwealth countries, a mix of rain and snow.
  • Thunder The sound made when lightning suddenly heats the air around it.
  • Tornado A violently rotating column of air that reaches from a thunderstorm down to the ground.

Solar system 16

  • Asteroid A rocky object, smaller than a planet, that orbits the Sun. Most lie between Mars and Jupiter.
  • Comet A ball of ice and dust that grows a glowing tail when its orbit brings it near the Sun.
  • Crater A bowl-shaped hollow, such as one made when a meteorite hits a planet or moon.
  • Earth The third planet from the Sun and the only one known to support life.
  • Eclipse What happens when one body in space passes into the shadow of another, or hides it from view.
  • Galaxy A huge system of stars, gas and dust held together by gravity. Ours is the Milky Way.
  • Gravity The force that pulls objects toward each other and keeps the planets in orbit around the Sun.
  • Jupiter The fifth planet from the Sun and the largest in the solar system.
  • Mars The fourth planet from the Sun, called the Red Planet because of its rusty dust.
  • Mercury The closest planet to the Sun and the smallest in the solar system.
  • Meteor A streak of light made when a small piece of rock from space burns up in Earth's atmosphere.
  • Neptune The eighth planet, the farthest from the Sun.
  • Orbit The curved path one object in space follows around another.
  • Saturn The sixth planet from the Sun, known for its bright rings.
  • Uranus The seventh planet from the Sun. It is tilted so far that it spins almost on its side.
  • Venus The second planet from the Sun and the hottest in the solar system.

Ocean life 16

  • Anemone A sea animal that looks like a flower and catches food with stinging tentacles.
  • Barnacle A small crustacean that cements itself to rocks, boats and even whales.
  • Coral Tiny sea animals that live in colonies. Their hard skeletons build up into reefs.
  • Crab A crustacean with a broad shell and ten legs, the front pair ending in claws.
  • Dolphin A small toothed whale: a mammal that breathes air through a blowhole.
  • Eel A long, snake-shaped fish.
  • Jellyfish A soft sea animal with a bell-shaped body, stinging tentacles and no bones.
  • Kelp A large brown seaweed that grows in underwater forests.
  • Lobster A large crustacean with a hard shell, long antennae and, in many kinds, big front claws.
  • Octopus A soft-bodied sea animal with eight arms and three hearts.
  • Plankton Tiny plants and animals that drift in the water and feed many larger sea creatures.
  • Seahorse A small fish with a horse-shaped head. The male carries the eggs in a pouch.
  • Shark A fish whose skeleton is made of cartilage, not bone.
  • Squid A soft-bodied sea animal with eight arms and two longer tentacles.
  • Starfish A sea animal, also called a sea star, usually with five arms. It is not a fish.
  • Whale A very large sea mammal that breathes air through a blowhole.

Insects 16

  • Ant A small insect that lives in large colonies built around one or more queens.
  • Bee A flying insect that collects nectar and pollen. Honeybees make honey.
  • Beetle An insect with hard front wings that cover its back like a shell.
  • Butterfly An insect with four large, often colorful wings that starts life as a caterpillar.
  • Caterpillar The larva of a butterfly or moth.
  • Cicada An insect known for the loud buzzing song of the males.
  • Cricket A jumping insect whose males chirp by rubbing their wings together.
  • Dragonfly A fast-flying insect with a long body and two pairs of clear wings.
  • Firefly A beetle that makes flashes of light from its abdomen.
  • Flea A tiny wingless insect that jumps and feeds on the blood of animals.
  • Grasshopper A plant-eating insect with long back legs for jumping.
  • Ladybug A small round beetle, often red with black spots. British English calls it a ladybird.
  • Mosquito A small flying insect. The females of most kinds bite to feed on blood.
  • Moth An insect related to butterflies that mostly flies at night.
  • Termite A pale insect that lives in colonies and eats wood.
  • Wasp A narrow-waisted flying insect. Many kinds can sting more than once.

Plants 16

  • Bark The tough outer covering of a tree's trunk and branches.
  • Blossom The flowers of a plant, especially of a fruit tree.
  • Bud A small growth on a plant that opens into a leaf, flower or shoot.
  • Bulb A rounded underground part, as in onions and tulips, that stores food for the plant.
  • Fern A plant with feathery fronds that reproduces by spores, not seeds.
  • Leaf The flat green part of a plant where most of its food is made using sunlight.
  • Moss A small soft plant without true roots that grows in damp, shady places.
  • Nectar A sugary liquid made by flowers that attracts bees and other pollinators.
  • Petal One of the often colorful parts that ring the center of a flower.
  • Pollen A fine powder made by flowers that is needed to make seeds.
  • Root The part of a plant that grows down into the soil, holds it in place and takes in water.
  • Seed The part of a plant that can grow into a new plant.
  • Sprout A new shoot growing from a seed or plant.
  • Stem The main stalk of a plant, which holds up the leaves and flowers and carries water to them.
  • Thorn A sharp woody point on the stem of a plant.
  • Trunk The thick main woody stem of a tree.

Human body 16

  • Ankle The joint that connects the foot to the leg.
  • Artery A blood vessel that carries blood away from the heart.
  • Brain The organ inside the skull that controls thought, memory, movement and the senses.
  • Elbow The joint in the middle of the arm, where it bends.
  • Heart The muscular organ that pumps blood around the body.
  • Kidney One of two organs that filter waste from the blood and make urine.
  • Liver A large organ that cleans the blood, stores energy and makes bile.
  • Lungs The pair of organs in the chest used for breathing.
  • Muscle Body tissue that tightens and relaxes to make movement.
  • Nerve A bundle of fibers that carries signals between the brain and the rest of the body.
  • Rib One of the curved bones that form a cage around the heart and lungs. There are 12 pairs.
  • Skeleton The frame of bones that supports the body. An adult has about 206.
  • Skull The bones of the head, which protect the brain.
  • Spine The column of small bones, called vertebrae, that runs down the back.
  • Stomach The organ where swallowed food is mixed with acid and begins to break down.
  • Vein A blood vessel that carries blood toward the heart.

Landforms 16

  • Canyon A deep, narrow valley with steep sides, often cut by a river.
  • Cliff A high, steep face of rock or earth.
  • Coast The land beside the sea.
  • Delta Land built up from sediment where a river spreads out as it enters a sea or lake.
  • Desert A very dry region that gets little rain.
  • Glacier A large mass of ice that moves slowly over land.
  • Island A piece of land completely surrounded by water.
  • Lake A large body of water surrounded by land.
  • Mountain A landform that rises high above the land around it, higher and steeper than a hill.
  • Peninsula A piece of land almost surrounded by water but joined to a larger piece of land.
  • Plain A large area of flat or gently rolling land.
  • Plateau A large area of fairly flat land that stands high above the land around it.
  • River A large natural stream of water that flows toward a sea, a lake or another river.
  • Valley Low land between hills or mountains, often with a river running through it.
  • Volcano An opening in the Earth's crust through which lava, ash and gas erupt.
  • Waterfall A place where a river or stream drops over a steep edge.

Shapes and solids 16

  • Angle The amount of turn between two lines that meet at a point, measured in degrees.
  • Circle A round flat shape. Every point on its edge is the same distance from the center.
  • Cone A solid with a circular base that narrows to a point.
  • Cube A solid with six equal square faces.
  • Cylinder A solid with two equal circular ends joined by a curved surface.
  • Hexagon A flat shape with six straight sides.
  • Octagon A flat shape with eight straight sides.
  • Oval A flat, rounded shape like a stretched circle or an egg.
  • Pentagon A flat shape with five straight sides.
  • Pyramid A solid whose base is a polygon and whose other faces are triangles that meet at a point.
  • Rectangle A four-sided flat shape with four right angles.
  • Rhombus A four-sided flat shape whose sides are all the same length.
  • Sphere A perfectly round solid, like a ball.
  • Square A flat shape with four equal sides and four right angles.
  • Trapezoid In American usage, a four-sided flat shape with a pair of parallel sides. British English calls it a trapezium.
  • Triangle A flat shape with three straight sides and three angles.

Math words 16

  • Addition Putting numbers together to find their total.
  • Decimal A number written with a decimal point, such as 2.5.
  • Digit Any of the ten symbols from 0 to 9 used to write numbers.
  • Divide To split a number into equal parts or groups.
  • Equation A number sentence with an equals sign, showing that two amounts are the same.
  • Estimate A careful guess at an amount, close enough to be useful.
  • Factor A whole number that divides into another exactly. 3 is a factor of 12.
  • Fraction A number that names part of a whole, such as one half.
  • Multiple The result of multiplying a number by a whole number. 12 is a multiple of 3.
  • Multiply To find the total of equal groups. 4 multiplied by 3 is 12.
  • Pattern A set of numbers or shapes that repeats or grows by a rule.
  • Product The answer when two or more numbers are multiplied.
  • Quotient The answer when one number is divided by another.
  • Remainder The amount left over when a number does not divide exactly.
  • Subtract To take one number away from another.
  • Sum The answer when two or more numbers are added.

Grammar words 16

  • Adjective A word that describes a noun, such as tall or blue.
  • Adverb A word that tells more about a verb, an adjective or another adverb, such as quickly.
  • Antonym A word that means the opposite of another word. Hot is an antonym of cold.
  • Comma A punctuation mark that shows a short pause or separates items in a list.
  • Conjunction A joining word, such as and, but or because.
  • Noun A word that names a person, place, thing or idea.
  • Paragraph A group of sentences about one main idea.
  • Plural The form of a word that means more than one.
  • Prefix Letters added to the start of a word to change its meaning, like un in unhappy.
  • Pronoun A word that stands in for a noun, such as she, it or they.
  • Sentence A group of words that expresses a complete thought.
  • Suffix Letters added to the end of a word to change its meaning or its job, like ful in helpful.
  • Syllable A beat in a word, with one vowel sound. Water has two.
  • Synonym A word that means the same, or nearly the same, as another. Big is a synonym of large.
  • Verb A word for an action or a state of being, such as run or is.
  • Vowel One of the letters a, e, i, o and u, and sometimes y.

Story elements 16

  • Author The person who wrote a book, story or article.
  • Chapter One of the main sections a book is divided into.
  • Character A person, animal or creature in a story.
  • Conflict The problem or struggle that drives a story.
  • Dialogue The words characters say to each other.
  • Fable A short story, often with animal characters, that teaches a moral.
  • Fiction Writing about made-up people and events.
  • Genre A category of writing, such as mystery, fantasy or biography.
  • Legend An old story handed down over time, often about a hero, that may be partly based on real events.
  • Myth A traditional story, often about gods or heroes, told to explain nature or a people's beliefs.
  • Narrator The voice that tells the story.
  • Plot The chain of events that makes up a story.
  • Poem A piece of writing arranged in lines, often with rhythm and sometimes rhyme.
  • Setting Where and when a story takes place.
  • Theme The main idea or message of a story.
  • Title The name of a book, story or poem.

Music 16

  • Beat The steady pulse of a piece of music.
  • Cello A large string instrument, played sitting down with the instrument between the knees.
  • Choir A group of singers who perform together.
  • Chord Three or more notes sounded together.
  • Drum A percussion instrument played by striking a skin stretched over a hollow frame.
  • Flute A woodwind instrument played by blowing across a hole near one end.
  • Guitar A string instrument, usually with six strings, played by plucking or strumming.
  • Harmony Notes sounded together to support a melody.
  • Melody The tune: a line of single notes that you can sing or hum.
  • Note A single musical sound, or the symbol that stands for it.
  • Orchestra A large group of musicians playing string, woodwind, brass and percussion instruments.
  • Piano A keyboard instrument in which hammers strike strings. Most modern pianos have 88 keys.
  • Rhythm The pattern of long and short sounds in music.
  • Tempo The speed of a piece of music.
  • Trumpet A brass instrument with three valves and a bright, high sound.
  • Violin The smallest and highest string instrument of the orchestra, played with a bow.

How this list was compiled: Eighteen starter lists written for this site from vocabulary commonly taught in elementary and middle grades: 17 lists of 16 words and one list of the 19 days and months. Every entry is a single word of 3 to 12 letters with no spaces, hyphens or apostrophes, so all of it fits a 12 by 12 grid or larger, and no word appears in two lists. The definitions are our own plain-language wording for readers of about 7 to 12 and can be checked in any student dictionary. Facts with a number or a surprise in them were checked on 2026-09-18: planet order, sizes and Venus as the hottest planet (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planet), the 74 mph hurricane threshold (nhc.noaa.gov/aboutsshws.php), the two meanings of sleet (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_pellets), about 206 adult bones and 12 pairs of ribs (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_skeleton), the octopus's eight arms and three hearts (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Octopus), the male seahorse's pouch (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seahorse), 88 piano keys (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piano), karate's origin in Okinawa (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karate), and the day and month names (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Names_of_the_days_of_the_week and en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_calendar). Spelling is American. Where British English uses a different word, the definition says so. Licence: own work

How it works

This word search maker turns any list of words into a puzzle you can print or solve on screen. Type or paste your own words, or start from one of 18 school lists, from the solar system to story elements. The grid grows to fit; choose how hard the directions are. The answer key prints on a second page, and no word is ever left out without telling you.

Read the full guide

Start with the word list

Type or paste your words, or pick one of the 18 starter lists in the Start from a list row and edit it. They run from school supplies and feelings for the youngest classes to grammar words and story elements for older ones. Each has 16 words, apart from days and months with 19, and no word is longer than 12 letters.

Grid size and directions

The grid grows by itself when your words need room. The grid must be at least as wide as your longest word, with room left over to hide the rest. Easy places words across and down only, always reading forward, which suits early readers. Medium adds diagonals. Hard adds backwards words too, which turns the same list into an extension sheet. If a word cannot be placed, the tool names it. The filler letters are random, but they are checked against a blocked-word list so that nothing rude appears by accident.

Print it, play it or send it

Type a title such as Weather, Week 3 over the one above the grid, then press Print or save as PDF for Letter or A4. The answer key comes out on a second page. On a tablet or a classroom board, pupils can solve it on screen: tap a word's first and last letters, or drag across it, and each found word is struck off the list. The puzzle is saved in this browser for next time.

  • A grid has no spaces. For a two-word term, use a one-word form (sleet, not ice pellets) or tell pupils that the words run together.
  • For vocabulary practice, fold the word list under and read out meanings as clues. Every starter word has a one-line meaning in the list below the tool.
  • Put the unit and the week in the title line, so the sheet is easy to file and find again.
  • When the search is done, paste the same words into the word scramble maker for a second sheet from one list.
  • Look over the grid before you copy it: random letters can still spell a short word by chance.

Questions and answers

What size grid should I use for my grade?

For kindergarten and first grade, try about 10 by 10 with 6 to 8 short words and the easy directions. For second and third grade, 12 by 12 holds 10 to 12 words. From fourth grade up, 15 by 15 gives 225 squares, enough for 15 to 20 words with the hard directions. If pupils finish in two minutes, add words or press Hard before you make the grid bigger.

What happens if a word does not fit?

The tool tells you which word it could not place and leaves the choice to you. A word longer than the side of the grid can never fit, and a small grid full of long words runs out of room. Shorten the list, or swap the word for a shorter one. Every word printed in the list is in the grid, so no pupil hunts for a word that is not there.

Can I make a word search from my students' names?

Yes, and it suits the first week of school, when pupils are still learning names. Type first names only. The names stay in this browser and are never sent to us.

Does the same list always make the same puzzle?

No. Each puzzle is laid out from a random seed, so pressing New puzzle with the same words gives a different grid. That is useful when neighbors should not copy each other. For the identical grid for everyone, print one puzzle and copy it.

Do word searches help children learn?

They give practice in looking closely at how a word is spelled, and they make a calm task for the start of a lesson or for early finishers. Finding a word does not teach what it means, though. Pair the puzzle with a meaning task: read out definitions as clues, or ask pupils to choose three found words and use each one in a sentence.

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