Word Search: Find the Hidden Words
Eight hidden words in a fresh 10x10 grid.
Each round gives you a 10 by 10 grid of letters with eight words hidden inside it. They run across, straight down, or diagonally toward the lower right, and the rest of the grid is filled with letters that are there purely to slow you down. To claim a word, tap or click its first letter and then its last one; the line between them lights up and the word is crossed off your list. The hidden words are everyday English nouns of five to eight letters, things like GARDEN, PLANET, SILVER and MARKET, so the challenge is your eye rather than your vocabulary. Every grid is generated fresh, which means you can play again straight away and get an entirely new puzzle with a new word list. It runs in your browser on phone, tablet and desktop, and your progress stays on your own device. When you want a break from searching, the word unscrambler and anagram solver on wordling are a short click away.
Common questions
Which directions can the words run?
Three: left to right across a row, top to bottom down a column, and diagonally from upper left to lower right. Every word reads in the normal direction, so once your eye catches one you can read it straight off the grid.
How do I select a word I have found?
Tap the first letter, then tap the last letter. The tool checks the straight line between the two points, and if it spells one of the hidden words the whole run is highlighted and struck from the list. Tapping a wrong pair simply clears the selection so you can try again.
How do I get a new puzzle?
Start a new round and a fresh grid is built on the spot with a new set of eight words. Since each grid is generated rather than pulled from a fixed stock, the same layout is very unlikely to come around twice.
Is a word search good for your brain?
It gives visual scanning, pattern recognition and sustained attention a workout, and it is a calm, self-paced way to spend ten minutes. Many teachers also use word searches to reinforce spelling and vocabulary with younger readers.