How to play word search

Word search, also called word find, is a classic puzzle for one player. A grid of letters hides a short list of words, and your job is to find every one of them. Press on the first letter of a word, drag across the letters to its last letter and let go. When you are right, the word is marked with a colored stroke and crossed off the list. When all the words are found, the puzzle is solved.

Words always run in a straight line. On the first levels they go across or down. As you move up they start to run diagonally, and later they can also read backwards and upwards, so a word you are looking for may be spelled right to left. The size of the grid grows too, from a small six by six board to ten by ten.

Tips for finding words faster

Do not read the grid line by line. Pick a word from the list and scan for its first letter, then check the letters around it in every direction. Start with the long words, because they stand out, and keep an eye out for rare letters such as Q, X, Z and J, which usually give a word away at once. The theme above the grid helps too: when the puzzle is about coffee shops, you know to look for latte and mocha, not for cats.

If a word refuses to show up, try reading the grid the other way round. Turn your head, or look for the last letter of the word instead of the first, because backwards words are easiest to see from the end. And if you are really stuck, a hint shows where a word starts.

Easy to hard word search: levels that grow with you

The first levels are an easy word search: a small six by six board, a handful of short words and every word running across or down. It is an easy word search for kids and for anyone new to the puzzle. Level by level the board grows up to ten by ten, the words get longer, and they begin to run diagonally, backwards and upwards, so the later levels are a proper hard word search, the kind that can swallow twenty quiet minutes. You never have to pick a difficulty: the game raises it for you, one level at a time, and there is no time limit.

That makes it a good word search for adults too. It is calm, it asks nothing of you and you can stop whenever you like, or keep climbing to the difficult levels when you want a challenge.

Holiday word search puzzles for every season

Every puzzle has a theme and all its hidden words belong to it. Some themes are cozy and everyday: Sweet Treats, Cozy Home, Garden Party, Ocean Breeze, Cute Animals, Coffee Shop, Fairy Tale, Sky and Space, Pastel Colors, Travel Dreams, Bookish Nook and Self-care Sunday. And there is a holiday word search for almost every time of the year, which the daily puzzle follows through the calendar.

Christmas word search

The Merry Christmas theme is a festive Christmas word search full of reindeer, mistletoe, snowflakes, stockings, ornaments and candy canes. From the start of December most daily puzzles are Christmas word search puzzles, so a new one is waiting every morning until the holiday.

Halloween word search

Spooky Cute is a Halloween word search with ghosts, cauldrons, bats, potions and pumpkins, spooky but never scary. Through October most daily puzzles turn into a Halloween word search.

Thanksgiving word search

Thanksgiving Feast is a Thanksgiving word search with turkey, cranberry, pecan, stuffing and harvest words. From the second week of November most daily puzzles are Thanksgiving puzzles, and a cozy fall word search with pumpkins, maple leaves, cider and scarves, also called an autumn word search, stays in the game all year.

Valentine's Day word search

Valentine Hearts is a sweet Valentine's Day word search with hearts, roses, cupid, chocolate and love letters. In the first half of February most daily puzzles are Valentine's puzzles, and it works as a gentle love word search on any other day too.

Easter word search

Easter Basket is an Easter word search with bunnies, eggs, chicks, tulips and jelly beans. It appears in the daily puzzle from late March until mid-April. Spring Morning is a spring word search of blossoms, robins and rain puddles that you can play whenever you like.

Summer, winter and birthday word search

Sunny Picnic is a summer word search with lemonade, watermelon, sandals and kites. Winter Wonderland is a winter word search with snowflakes, mittens, cocoa and sleds. Birthday Party is a birthday word search with balloons, cake, candles and confetti, a nice one to play on someone's big day.

Daily puzzle, gems and backdrops

Every day there is a new daily puzzle, the same for everyone that day. Solve it daily to build a streak. For every puzzle you earn up to three gems: three for a puzzle solved without hints, two for one or two hints, one for more. The more gems you collect, the more calm backdrops open up for the game, from soft Butter Cream to a cozy Midnight Study. You can leave in the middle of a puzzle and come back to it later, because your progress is saved automatically.

Questions

Is word search free to play here?

Yes. It is free to play, there is nothing to download and you do not need an account. Your gems, levels and daily streak are saved automatically.

How do you play word search?

Find the words from the list in the grid of letters. Press on the first letter of a word, drag to its last letter and let go. If you would rather not drag, tap the first letter and then the last one. Found words get colored and crossed off the list.

Is there an easy word search and a hard word search?

Both. The first levels are an easy word search with a small board and words only across and down. Later levels turn into a hard, difficult word search with big boards and words in all eight directions, backwards included. You never pick a difficulty yourself: the game raises it for you, one level at a time.

Can the words go backwards or diagonally?

Yes, but not right away. The first levels hide words only across and down, then diagonals join in, and later levels hide words backwards and upwards too. A new rule is announced when it first appears.

Is there a Christmas word search?

Yes. The Merry Christmas theme has words like reindeer, mistletoe and snowflake, and from the start of December most daily puzzles are Christmas word search puzzles too.

Is there a Halloween word search?

Yes. The Spooky Cute theme is a Halloween word search with ghosts, bats, cauldrons and pumpkins. Through October most daily puzzles use it, and it never gets too scary.

Is there a Thanksgiving word search?

Yes. The Thanksgiving Feast theme has turkey, cranberry, pecan and stuffing, and from the second week of November most daily puzzles are Thanksgiving puzzles. A cozy fall word search with pumpkins and maple leaves is part of the game all year.

Is there a Valentine's Day word search?

Yes. The Valentine Hearts theme is a Valentine's Day word search with hearts, roses, cupid and chocolate, and in the first half of February most daily puzzles use it. It also works as a gentle love word search on any day.

Is there an Easter word search?

Yes. The Easter Basket theme has bunnies, eggs, chicks and tulips, and it shows up in the daily puzzle from late March until mid-April. The Spring Morning theme is a spring word search you can play at any time.

Are there summer, winter and birthday word search puzzles?

Yes. Sunny Picnic is a summer word search, Winter Wonderland is a winter word search and Birthday Party is a birthday word search. Each one has its own set of hidden words.

Is there a daily word search puzzle?

Yes. A new daily puzzle appears every day, the same for everyone that day, and it comes with its own theme, often a holiday one when a holiday is near. Solve it each day to grow your streak.

Are there different themes?

Yes. Every puzzle has a theme such as sweet treats, coffee shop, garden party, fairy tale, cozy autumn or Merry Christmas, and all the hidden words belong to it. The theme is written above the grid, so it is a clue as well.

Is this a cute, aesthetic word search?

That is the idea. The board is soft and pastel, found words are marked with highlighter-colored strokes and gems unlock calm backdrops such as Butter Cream, Matcha Latte and Lilac Haze. It is made to feel like a cozy break, not a test.

Is it a word search for adults or for kids?

For both. Adults can use it as a calm few minutes and climb to the hard levels. Kids can start with the first small, easy levels, where the words are short and only go across and down.

Can I print these word search puzzles?

Not at the moment. This is a game made to be played on screen: you swipe across the letters, get hints and collect gems, so there is nothing to print or download.

What if I am stuck?

Press Hint and the first letter of one of the words you have not found lights up. Press it again to see where that word ends. Hints cost gems: a puzzle with no hints earns three gems, one or two hints earn two, and more earn one.

Is there a time limit?

No. A clock runs while you play so you can beat your own best time, but nothing runs out, and it stops when you open a menu or leave the page. Take as long as you like.

Is word search a good brain game?

It is a gentle one. Scanning for letter patterns trains attention and visual search, and spelling words in your head helps vocabulary. Many people simply enjoy it as a calm few minutes with no pressure.

Does it work on a phone?

Yes. It works on phones, tablets and computers. On a phone you swipe across the letters with your finger, and you can leave at any time and continue later.