What is a word search puzzle?
A word search puzzle (also called word find, word seek, or wordsearch) is a word game where you find hidden words arranged in a grid of letters. Words can be placed horizontally, vertically, or diagonally, and in harder puzzles, they may run backwards. It's one of the most popular word games for all ages, helping improve vocabulary, concentration, and pattern recognition skills.
How do I play word search puzzles online?
To play word search online at PuzzleDepot, simply click and drag across the letters to highlight a word. When you find a word from the list, it will be automatically marked as found. You can use the hint button if you get stuck, and the timer tracks how long you take to solve each puzzle. All progress is saved automatically.
Are these word search puzzles completely free?
Yes! All 27,000+ word search puzzles on PuzzleDepot are 100% free to play. There's no registration required, no subscription fees, and no hidden costs. You can play as many puzzles as you like, use hints, and even print puzzles for free. We believe quality puzzle games should be accessible to everyone.
Can I print these word search puzzles?
Absolutely! Every word search puzzle includes a print button that generates a clean, printer-friendly version. Printed puzzles are perfect for classrooms, waiting rooms, road trips, nursing homes, or anywhere you want offline puzzle fun. The print version includes the puzzle grid and complete word list.
How many words are in each word search puzzle?
The number of words varies by difficulty level. Easy puzzles typically have 10-15 words in a 10x10 grid. Medium puzzles have 15-20 words in a 12x12 grid. Hard puzzles have 20-25 words in a 15x15 grid. Expert puzzles have 25-30+ words in larger grids with more challenging word placements including backwards and diagonal directions.