How to Play
- Choose a theme: Animals, Food, Space, Sports, Nature or Around India.
- Read the list of eight words under the grid. Every one of them is hidden somewhere in the letters.
- When you spot a word, press on its first letter and drag in a straight line to its last letter.
- Prefer tapping? Tap the first letter, then tap the last letter of the word.
- A found word gets a coloured band in the grid and is crossed off the list. Find all eight to stop the clock.
Rules
Each puzzle is a 10×10 grid with eight words from your theme. Words can run in any of eight directions: left to right, right to left, top to bottom, bottom to top, and along all four diagonals. They can cross each other and even share a letter. Every other square is filled with a random letter to keep you guessing.
A selection only counts when it covers a whole word exactly, from its first letter to its last. You can drag from either end, so a word written backwards can be selected forwards. If a line does not match a word on your list, it flashes red and nothing is lost — there is no penalty for trying.
Your score is the time you take, in seconds, to find every word. Lower is better, and your best time is saved separately for each theme.
Tips & Strategy
- Hunt for rare letters first. Letters like J, K, Q, X, Y and Z do not appear often in the filler, so a word containing one of them stands out. Scan for that letter, then check the squares around it.
- Look for pairs, not single letters. Instead of searching for the P in PEACOCK, look for the unusual pair CK. Two letters side by side are much easier to spot than one.
- Sweep row by row. A slow, steady sweep across each row and then down each column catches straight words before you start the harder diagonal search.
- Remember words can run backwards. If a word seems to be missing, try reading it from right to left or from bottom to top. Long words are often hiding in reverse.
- Start with the longest word. Long words have fewer places where they can fit in a 10×10 grid, so they are quicker to find and can reveal letters that help with the short ones.
Game Modes
Word Search is a solo puzzle. Every time you press Play again you get a brand new grid, built from a fresh random pick of words from your chosen theme, so you will not find the same layout twice in a row.
The six themes suit different players. Animals and Food are easy starting points for younger children. Space and Sports bring longer words such as TELESCOPE and BADMINTON. Around India mixes cities, rivers, festivals and music, from DIWALI and RANGOLI to YAMUNA and TABLA — a fun way to explore the country through letters.
Play with Friends
Although only one person searches the grid at a time, it makes a great friendly contest. Pick the same theme, take turns playing on one phone or on your own devices, and compare finishing times. Parents and teachers can use the Animals or Nature themes as a relaxed spelling and focus exercise for children, with the timer adding a gentle challenge.
Word Search FAQ
Can words overlap or cross each other?
Yes. Two words can cross, and they can share a letter when both need the same one in that square. Finding one word never removes letters from another.
Do diagonal and backwards words count?
They do. Words can go in all eight directions, including every diagonal and every backwards direction. Your selection just has to cover the word from one end to the other.
Can I play Word Search with a keyboard?
Yes. Move around the grid with the arrow keys, press Enter on the first letter of a word, then move to its last letter and press Enter again.
Why does the timer keep running while I think?
The clock measures how long the whole puzzle takes, including thinking time. That is what makes each theme a race against your own best score.
Is Word Search good for children?
Very much so. The word lists are friendly and familiar, the grid is large enough for small fingers, and hunting for words builds spelling, patience and pattern spotting.
Last updated: 2026-09-30
