Play word search puzzles.
Find every hidden word.
Free online word search puzzles with three difficulty levels, three hints per game, a live timer and best-time tracking. Find hidden words across horizontal, vertical and diagonal directions — on any device.
Play word search in 3 easy steps.
Pick a Difficulty
Choose Easy for horizontal and vertical words only, Medium to add diagonals, or Hard for reversed words in every direction. Every press of New Puzzle builds a fresh grid.
Find the Hidden Words
Scan the grid for each word from the list on the right. On desktop click and drag from the first letter to the last letter. On mobile, tap the first letter then tap the last letter.
Beat the Clock
The timer starts on your first selection. Found words turn green and get crossed off the list. Complete all words to finish the puzzle — your best time is saved for that difficulty.
Everything you love about word search.
Three Difficulty Levels
Easy uses horizontal and vertical words only. Medium adds diagonals. Hard adds reversed words in every direction — a genuine challenge for experienced solvers.
Eight Directions
Words can run in any of the eight compass directions: left-to-right, right-to-left, top-to-bottom, bottom-to-top and all four diagonals.
Drag or Tap to Select
On desktop, click and drag from the first to the last letter. On mobile, tap the first letter and then tap the last — no precise dragging required.
Three Hints Per Puzzle
Stuck on a hidden word? Each hint reveals the starting cell of one unfound word with a pulsing highlight. Hints cost nothing and don't affect your timer.
Timer & Best Times
The timer starts on your first selection and stops when you find the final word. Your best time is saved per difficulty in your browser.
Live Progress Bar
A subtle progress bar at the top of the grid shows how many words you have found. Found words are highlighted in green and crossed off the list.
Varied Categories
Every New Puzzle draws from a wide pool of themed word sets — animals, fruits, colors, countries, sports, tech, science and more — so grids never feel repetitive.
Mobile Optimised
The grid and word list reflow into a single column on small screens. Cell sizes adjust so the full grid fits comfortably on any phone.
100% Private
No account, no ads inside the game, no tracking of your puzzles. Everything runs in your browser and best times never leave your device.
The Free Online Word Search
A word search is a word puzzle where a list of themed words is hidden inside a grid of letters. The words can run horizontally, vertically, diagonally — and depending on difficulty, backwards too. Your job is to trace each hidden word through the grid and cross it off the list.
Our free word search game generates a brand-new puzzle every time you press the New Puzzle button, drawing from a large library of themed word sets. That means you can play as many puzzles as you want, at any difficulty, without ever seeing the same grid twice. No daily limits, no signups, no ads inside the game.
The game uses the classic eight-direction layout you know from puzzle books and newspapers: left-to-right and top-to-bottom on Easy, all four diagonals added on Medium, and full reversal on Hard. Words are always at least four letters long so grids feel tight and satisfying rather than sparse.
Play with a mouse on desktop — click and drag from the first letter to the last — or with your thumbs on mobile by tapping the first letter and then the last. Every puzzle gives you three hints if you get stuck, and the timer keeps track of how quickly you solve. Your best time per difficulty is saved in your browser so you always have something to beat.
Frequently Asked Questions.
A word search is a word puzzle where a list of words is hidden inside a grid of letters. The words can run horizontally, vertically, diagonally, and sometimes backwards. Your task is to find each hidden word and trace it through the grid. Word searches are popular with kids, language learners and adults looking for a relaxing brain workout.
Choose a difficulty level (Easy, Medium or Hard), then find each word from the list on the right side of the grid. On desktop, click and drag from the first letter to the last letter of a word. On mobile, tap the first letter and then tap the last letter. Correct words get crossed off the list and highlighted in the grid.
On Easy mode, words run left-to-right and top-to-bottom only. Medium adds diagonals (down-right and down-left). Hard adds reversed words in every direction — including right-to-left, bottom-to-top and diagonal backwards. This is the classic "hard mode" in most word search puzzles.
Yes. Each puzzle gives you three hints. Pressing the Hint button reveals the starting cell of one unfound word with a pulsing highlight, which is usually enough to spot the word without fully giving it away. Hints do not affect your timer.
Yes. The word search is fully responsive and touch-friendly. Tap the first letter of a word, then tap the last letter. The grid sizes adapt to fit any phone screen, and the word list reflows below the grid so nothing gets cramped.
No. Every time you press New Puzzle, a fresh word search grid is generated from a large category pool. Play as many puzzles as you like, as often as you like.
Yes. The word search is 100% free with no signup, no download, no ads inside the game and no hidden costs. Your best times and puzzle progress are stored only in your browser.