How to Play Word Search
Word Search is the one everybody already knows. Ten words are hidden in a grid of letters, and your job is to find every one of them.
Words run in any straight line: across, down, diagonally, forwards or backwards. There is no clock and nothing to lose, so it is the puzzle to reach for when you want something to think about quietly.
Play Word SearchHow to play Word Search
- Read the list beside the grid. Those are the words hidden in it.
- When you spot one, drag from its first letter to its last.
- Let go and the word lights up on the grid and gets struck off the list.
- A drag has to be a straight line, so across, down or diagonally, in either direction.
- Find all ten and the puzzle is done. The counter above the grid tracks how many are left.
The rules in short
- Ten words, hidden in a ten by ten grid.
- Words run in eight directions, including backwards and up.
- Words can share letters where they cross.
- Everything else in the grid is filler.
- A new puzzle every day, and you can replay any earlier one.
Tips that find them faster
Go after the rare letters. If a word has a J, a Q, an X or a Z, find that letter in the grid first and the rest of the word is right next to it.
Hunt one direction at a time. Read every row left to right, then every column top to bottom, then the diagonals. Sweeping the whole grid at once is how words get missed.
Look for double letters. A word with two of the same letter in a row is easy to spot from a distance, long before you can read the letters around it.
Save the backwards words for last. Most people find the forwards ones quickly, and whatever is left on the list is usually hiding in reverse.
Check the first letters. Scanning for just the opening letter of each remaining word turns a big grid into a handful of places worth reading properly.
Frequently asked questions
Which directions can words run?
All eight. Across, down, both diagonals, and any of those backwards, so a word can read right to left or bottom to top.
Do words overlap?
Yes, they can cross and share a letter. A letter you have already used for one word can still belong to another.
Is there a timer?
No. Take as long as you like, and the puzzle remembers what you have found if you come back to it later.
What are the other letters for?
They are filler, drawn mostly from the letters in the hidden words so they blend in rather than standing out.
Can I play an older puzzle?
Yes. The calendar button under the grid opens the previous puzzles, and every puzzle has a number you can share with someone else.