How to use Word Search Puzzle Generator

Type one word per line. Letters only, up to 40 words.
Choose the grid size, the direction set and whether the letters print in upper or lower case.
Turn on the answer key when the puzzle is for a class or a group, then select Create puzzle.
Download the PDF. The puzzle page comes first, and the answer key follows when you asked for one.

Example: Word Search Puzzle Generator

Build a 10 by 10 puzzle from three words with diagonals allowed and an answer key.

You add

Words: CAT, DOG and BIRD, one per line. Grid size: 10. Directions: With diagonals. Letters: ABC. Include an answer key page: on.

You get

A two-page PDF, and a result that says all three words were placed with each word's row, column and direction. The puzzle page shows the letter grid with the three words hidden inside it and lists them underneath; the answer key page repeats the grid with the placed cells shaded. Where each word sits changes on each run.

Supported inputs and limits

Up to 40 words, letters A to Z only, one word per line, and each word from 2 to 30 letters. The grid runs from 8 to 30 squares on each side and grows when the longest word needs more room than the size you chose. Words longer than the grid, repeated words, digits and punctuation are refused before anything is drawn. A word that cannot be placed inside the attempt budget is named in the result and on the puzzle page instead of being quietly left out. There is no built-in dictionary and no word suggestions: every word comes from you. The PDF uses standard fonts and fixed letter spacing, so it is a page to print rather than a document to edit.

Where your input is processed

This tool processes your input in this browser. Your text and files are not uploaded to UseFreeTools. Check this tool's limits for anything it may save on your device.

How a word is placed, and what happens when one will not fit

Placement works word by word. For each word the tool picks a direction from the set you allowed, then a starting square from the runs that keep the whole word on the grid, and checks the letters it would cover. A square already holding the same letter is fine, which is how two words can cross; a square holding a different letter means the attempt fails and another one begins. The budget is deliberately finite so a crowded grid cannot hang the page, and a word that runs out of tries is named in the result so you can see exactly what happened instead of guessing.

Questions about Word Search Puzzle Generator

Why was one of my words reported as not placed?

Every word gets a fixed number of tries in the directions you allowed. On a crowded grid a word can run out of free runs, and it is named rather than hidden. Raise the grid size, allow more directions, or remove a word or two and build the puzzle again.

Can I use accented letters or names with spaces?

No. Each square holds a single Latin letter, so accents, spaces and punctuation are refused. Write the word without the mark, or leave it out of the puzzle entirely.

Can I edit the puzzle after the PDF is made?

The file is a finished page, so change the settings or the word list here and build a new one. The answer key reads from the same placements as the puzzle, so the two pages always match.

Are the letters between the words random?

Yes. Every square that no word needs is filled with a letter from the same secure random source used for placement, so the spare letters do not spell anything on purpose and change from run to run.

Project manager: Tony Hines · Content updated 1 October 2026 · Report a problem

Word Search Puzzle Generator

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