How to play Word Search
Word Search hides a list of words in a square grid of letters. The words run in straight lines, and you mark each one as you find it. There is no clock and no penalty for a wrong guess, so it is a calm, gentle find a word game to enjoy at your own pace.
Step by step
Read the theme and the list
Every puzzle has a theme, such as Birds or In the Garden, and a list of words to find. Every word on the list is hidden in the grid exactly once.
Look for a first letter
Pick a word and scan the grid for its first letter. Unusual letters such as K, W or Y are often the quickest to spot.
Follow the line
From that letter, look in every direction for the second letter, then keep going in a straight line to see whether the whole word is there.
Mark the word
Drag from the first letter to the last. Or tap the first letter, then tap the last letter. The word gets a soft coloured band and is crossed off the list.
Ask for a hint if you are stuck
A hint names a word and puts a ring around its first letter. Words found after a hint still count.
Find them all
When every word is crossed off, the puzzle is solved. The daily puzzle is the same for everyone, and a new one arrives each day.
The full rules
What you need
A word search needs only a grid of letters and a list of words. On GamesBento the grid is on screen and you mark words with a finger or a mouse. On paper, you circle each word with a pencil and tick it off the list.
The aim
Find every word on the list. Each word is hidden in the grid exactly once, in a straight line of letters. When the last word is crossed off, the puzzle is solved.
How to play
- Choose a word from the list. Longer words, and words with unusual letters, are often easier to spot.
- Find its first letter in the grid.
- Look all around that letter for the second letter of the word, then follow that direction to see if the rest of the word is there.
- Mark the word. You can do this in two ways:
- Drag from the first letter to the last letter. A coloured line follows your finger.
- Tap the first letter (it is circled in yellow), then tap the last letter.
If the letters you marked are one of the listed words, they get a soft coloured band and the word is crossed off the list. If not, nothing is lost: you will see a gentle message and can try again.
With a keyboard, move around the grid with the arrow keys and press Enter on the first letter and then on the last.
Sizes and directions
- Easy, a 10 by 10 grid: words run across (left to right) and down only.
- Normal, a 12 by 12 grid: words can also run diagonally, corner to corner.
- Hard, a 14 by 14 grid: words can run in all eight directions, including backwards.
The daily puzzle is always Normal size.
Hints and showing the words
Stuck? Press Hint. The game names one of the words you still need and puts a ring around its first letter in the grid. You can take as many hints as you like, and words found after a hint still count.
If you would rather stop, choose Show the words. The words you hadn’t found are marked in grey, and the puzzle ends without being solved.
The daily puzzle
Every day there is a new themed word search, the same for everyone. Finish it to keep your daily streak going. If you find every word without asking to see them, your result can be added to the weekly leaderboard.
Practice
Choose New game and then Practice for as many puzzles as you like. Pick Easy, Normal or Hard, and any of about fifty themes, or let the game choose one for you.
Tips for finding words
- Hunt for rare letters. Words with a J, K, Q, W, X, Y or Z are often the easiest to find, because those letters stand out.
- Look for double letters. Pairs such as LL, EE, OO and SS catch the eye, so words like BALLOON or SHEEP are quick to spot.
- Scan one row at a time. Run your finger along each row looking for the first letter of the word you want, then check around it.
- Turn the puzzle in your head. On Hard puzzles, remember a word might read backwards: look for its last letter too.
- Take a break. A short rest often makes a hidden word jump out when you come back.
Common questions
Is this word search puzzle online free to play?
Yes. Every puzzle on GamesBento is free, with no sign-up. There is a new daily word search every day and as many practice puzzles as you like.
What if dragging is fiddly on my phone or tablet?
Tap the first letter of the word, and it is marked with a yellow circle. Then tap the last letter. The letters in between are filled in for you. Tap the circled letter again to start over.
Can words go backwards or diagonally?
It depends on the size you choose. Easy puzzles (10 by 10) have words across and down only. Normal puzzles (12 by 12), including the daily puzzle, add diagonal words. Hard puzzles (14 by 14) can also have words that run backwards.
Could a word appear twice in the grid?
No. Each grid is checked so that every listed word appears exactly once, and the filler letters are checked so they never spell anything rude.
Do hints stop the puzzle counting?
No. A word you find after a hint still counts. Only choosing Show the words ends the puzzle without it being solved, and then the day’s puzzle does not count towards the leaderboard.
Can I choose the theme?
Yes. In Practice you can pick the size and any theme, from Fruit and Flowers to Space and Sweets and Treats, or let the game surprise you.
Where it comes from
Word search puzzles are generally credited to Norman E. Gibat, whose “Word Square” puzzle appeared in a small Oklahoma newspaper in 1968. They quickly spread to puzzle magazines, newspapers and classrooms around the world, and are now among the best-loved pencil puzzles, enjoyed by children and grown-ups alike.
