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Word Search Generator

Turn your own word list into a printable word-search puzzle grid with a solution key. Choose grid size, allowed directions, and a seed for reproducible puzzles.

Paste your words, choose the options, and generate a printable puzzle with a solution key.

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About this tool

The Word Search Generator builds a word-search puzzle from your own list of words — perfect for teachers, parents, and puzzle fans. Paste words separated by new lines, commas, or spaces, and the tool hides each one in a grid, then fills the empty cells with random letters. You get the finished puzzle, a matching solution grid that shows exactly where each word sits, and a tidy alphabetical word list to print alongside.

You control the layout. Leave the size on auto and the generator picks a grid just big enough (growing it automatically if words won't fit), or set a fixed size yourself. Toggle which directions are allowed — horizontal, vertical, diagonal, and whether words may run backwards — and the placer only uses the directions you permit, overlapping shared letters where it can for a denser puzzle. Enter a seed word or number to get the exact same puzzle every time, which is handy for regenerating a worksheet or sharing one with a colleague; leave it blank for a fresh random layout on each click.

Everything is generated entirely in your browser with no server and no dictionary — the words are whatever you supply, so any language using the A–Z alphabet works. Use the copy button to grab the puzzle and word list as plain text for pasting into a document.

Frequently asked questions

How do I enter my words?
Type or paste them into the box separated by new lines, commas, or spaces. Words are uppercased automatically and non-letters are stripped; entries shorter than two letters and duplicates are ignored.
Can I make the same puzzle again?
Yes. Enter a seed — any word or number — and the same words, size, and direction settings will always produce the identical grid. Leave the seed blank to get a new random arrangement each time you generate.
Which directions can hidden words run?
You choose with the checkboxes: horizontal, vertical, and diagonal, plus an option to allow backwards placement. The generator only hides words along the directions you enable, so you can make easy or hard puzzles.
What if my words don't fit?
On auto size the grid grows until everything fits. If you fix a size that is too small for the longest word or too crowded, the tool reports that it can't place them — increase the size or remove some words.

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