Can I play Word Search on a phone?
Yes. Drag across a word with one finger. The grid scales to the screen, and the main controls use touch-sized buttons.
Cozy web games
Word Search
Word Search creates a new letter grid from animal, space, nature, or food words. Choose an 8 by 8, 10 by 10, or 12 by 12 puzzle, then drag across each hidden word. Hints, sound, keyboard controls, and local best times are included.
Controls: Drag from the first letter to the last letter in a straight line. Use Hint to show one hidden word briefly.
PCder pick
Word Search is a stable catalog pick.
This page is one of the games PCder is comfortable recommending first: the controls are clear, the source trail is visible, and the game fits a desktop browser session.
Regional page
Play Word Search in Canada
This Canada page keeps Word Search close to the searches Canadian desktop players use. Find the hidden words across, down, backward, and diagonally. The game stays browser based, with no installer or launcher.
Quick answer
word search online
Word Search is a letter grid puzzle. Find every listed word by reading across, down, backward, or diagonally. Drag from the first letter to the last, or use the keyboard to mark both ends. PCder creates a new grid for each game from animal, space, nature, or food words.
- Best for
- Play a free word search puzzle with touch, mouse, and keyboard controls.
- Related searches
- word search online, free word search game, word finder puzzle, mobile word search
How to play
How to play Word Search
- Check the word list Read the words below the grid. The theme changes when you start a new puzzle.
- Find a starting letter Look for the first letter of a word, then check the letters beside it in every allowed direction.
- Select the whole word Drag in a straight line from the first letter to the last. Keyboard players can mark the two ends with Enter or Space.
- Finish the list A found word turns green and crosses out below the grid. Find every word to record a completion time.
Player guide
Scan for unusual letter pairs
Long words and uncommon pairs such as CK, RB, or XY stand out faster than common single letters. Find one pair, then trace the rest of the word in both directions.
- Check horizontal and vertical lines before looking diagonally.
- Medium and Hard puzzles can hide words backward.
- Found words turn green in the grid and cross out in the list.
Finding tip
Look for the least common letters first
A grid may contain many A, E, and S letters. Start with a word that has a less common letter or a distinctive pair. Once you find that part, test the eight straight directions around it.
- Easy words run only from left to right or top to bottom.
- Medium adds diagonals and backward horizontal words.
- Hard can place a word in any of eight directions.
Common questions
Word Search FAQ
Can words appear backward?
Yes on Medium and Hard. Easy keeps words left to right or top to bottom. Hard may use any horizontal, vertical, or diagonal direction.
How does the Hint button work?
Hint briefly highlights every letter in one word that you have not found. It does not mark the word as complete.
Does every puzzle use the same words?
No. Each new puzzle picks a theme and a set of words, places them in a fresh grid, and fills the remaining squares with random letters.
Does Word Search save my progress?
The current puzzle lasts while the page stays open. The game saves only your best completion time for each difficulty in local browser storage.
Is this Word Search game open source?
Yes. It is an original PCder game released under the MIT license. PCder hosts the complete HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
Can I play Word Search on PCder from Canada?
Yes. The Canada page keeps Word Search in a desktop browser format with no installer, clear controls, and source notes. A school, office, or managed network may still block access.