Word Search Maker

Type your own words, pick a level, and get a large print word search to print or save as a PDF. Everything happens in your browser, so the words you type are never sent anywhere.

Bigger grids give longer word lists more room.

One word per line, or separate them with commas. Each word needs 3 to 10 letters, with no spaces or punctuation.

Our Family Word Search

Easy level, 10 × 10 grid, 8 words. Look across to the right and down.

STTUFZPKTIGRSFTAEAYXRVMJCBBMUQALTSXCDNPFCARLOSFGJIELLAYHGTVNIIDDBWRBENOCAYMWOPADHENRYVNODYVSAJOLOKRAEasy Our Family Word Search word search

Words to find

  • ALICE
  • BEN
  • CARLOS
  • DANA
  • ELLA
  • FINN
  • GRACE
  • HENRY

bigletterpuzzles.com — free for personal, classroom and senior-center use

How the maker works

Enter between 5 and 20 words, either one per line or separated by commas. Every word needs 3 to 10 letters with no spaces, numbers or punctuation. Accents are removed for you, so JOSÉ becomes JOSE. Choose a level, then press Make my word search. The program places each word in the grid, fills the empty squares with random letters, and checks that the filler does not spell anything unsuitable.

If you do not like the layout, press Different layout to shuffle the words into new positions. Show answers highlights every hidden word in yellow. Print this puzzle opens your browser’s print window with just the puzzle and the word list on one Letter page. Download PDF gives you a two-page file: the puzzle on page one and the answer key on page two.

Ideas for your word list

  • Family names. The first names of grandchildren and great-grandchildren make a personal puzzle for a birthday or holiday card.
  • A club or group. Use a name for each member of a choir, book club or walking group, and hand the page out at the next meeting.
  • A trip. List the towns, landmarks and foods from a vacation, or the stops on a road trip you are planning together.
  • Hometown memories. Streets, shops, schools and local events. Ask each person at a table to contribute one word.

Tips for a puzzle that fits

A mix of short and long words fits more easily than a list where every word has ten letters. For the easy level, 8 to 12 words is a comfortable amount. If the maker says the words could not fit, remove a few of the longest ones or switch to the hard level, which has a larger grid. Looking for ready-made puzzles instead? Browse the word search themes, or read how to run a puzzle hour for ways to use a custom puzzle with a group.