Word Search Tips: Find Words Faster

Word searches are relaxing, but every puzzle has a word or two that just will not show itself. These simple methods help you find them.

1. Look for the unusual letters

Letters like Q, Z, X, J, K and W are rare in a grid, so they stand out. If a word on the list contains one, hunt for that letter first, then check the letters around it.

2. Search for a letter pair, not a single letter

Instead of looking for every “T” in TULIP, look for “TU” together. Your eyes pick up the pair much faster, and there are far fewer of them. Double letters, such as the “LL” in BELL or the “OO” in BOOK, are especially easy to spot.

3. Sweep the grid in order

Run a finger or a pencil along each row from left to right, then down each column. Slow and steady finds more words than jumping around. On Medium and Hard puzzles, sweep the diagonals too.

4. Know which directions to expect

In our puzzles, Easy words only run across and down, Medium adds diagonals, and only Hard puzzles have words that run backwards. On a Hard grid, if a word will not appear, look for it spelled backwards: PILUT for TULIP.

5. Long words first, short words last

Long words are easier to spot and they use up letters, which makes the grid less confusing. Short three-letter words often hide inside other words, so leave them for the end.

6. Use the theme

Every puzzle has a theme, such as Garden or Tea Time. Knowing the topic helps you guess the shape of words before you find them, and our game shows the list in alphabetical order.

Practise

Try a large print word search online, print a puzzle from our printable word search page, or take on today's Daily Word Search. If you get stuck, 💡 Hint circles the first letter of a word.

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Related

• Large Print Word Search
• Printable Word Search
• Word Search for Seniors
• Daily Word Search
• Play Word Search online