Colouring NestWord Search Maker
Type your own words and print a word search with an answer key. Easy to hard, large print, lowercase or with pictures. Free PDFs for Letter and A4, no sign-up.
Tip: the PDF has the puzzle on page 1 and the answer key on page 2. Print at 100%.
Text version of the puzzle
Ready-made word searches
Themed puzzles in three levels, large print for seniors, and picture and sight-word puzzles for young children.
All themed word searches → · Large print word searches → · Word searches for kids → · Mazes →
How to use it
Type a title and your words (one per line, or separated by commas), choose a level and print. The maker places every word exactly once, fills the gaps with random letters, and checks that no rude words appear by accident in the filler. The PDF has the puzzle on page 1 and the answer key on page 2.
Easy puzzles use a 10×10 grid with words across and down. Medium adds diagonals on a 13×13 grid, and hard uses a 16×16 grid with words in all 8 directions, including backwards. Large print makes a 9×9 grid with very big letters for seniors and low vision. Custom lets you pick any grid from 6×6 to 20×20.
Extras: lowercase letters for early readers, a picture next to each word for children who can’t read yet (for words such as cat, sun, apple or kite), and a hidden message spelled by the first leftover letters.
Your words stay on your device: the puzzle is made in your browser, and a link you copy keeps the words after the # sign, which browsers don’t send to the website.
Frequently asked questions
Is the word search maker free?
Yes, with no sign-up, no limit on puzzles and free PDF downloads for Letter and A4 paper, including the answer key.
Why didn’t some of my words fit?
A word longer than the grid, or a very full grid, can leave a word out. The maker lists any word that didn’t fit; choose a bigger grid or a harder level (more directions) to fit more.
How many words can I use?
Up to 30. The maker suggests about 12 for a 10×10 grid and 20 for 16×16; extra words are listed so you can make a second puzzle.
Can I make a word search with a hidden message?
Yes. Type a short message (up to 40 letters). It is placed in the first leftover squares, reading left to right and top to bottom, and the puzzle gets a row of boxes to write it in.
Can I share a puzzle?
Yes. “Copy a link” makes a link that opens the same puzzle with the same layout. The words are in the part after #, so they aren’t sent to our server.
Printing tips
- Print at 100% (actual size).
- Print page 2 separately as the answer key, or download the PDF and print only page 1 for each child.
- For spelling practice, use this week’s spelling list and choose lowercase letters.