How to use Word Search Solver: Solve Any Word Search Puzzle Instantly, step by step
- Paste your letter grid. Paste or type your word search grid, one row per line.
- List the words to find. Type or paste the words you're hunting for, separated by commas or line breaks.
- Click Solve Word Search. Every match is highlighted on the grid, with its direction and coordinates listed below.
A word search solver scans a grid of letters in every direction, horizontal, vertical, and diagonal, both forward and backward, looking for the exact words on your list. Paste your grid and your word list above, and every match gets highlighted directly on the grid.
How to use the word search solver
Paste your letter grid into the first box, one row per line, either with spaces between letters or run together. Paste or type your word list into the second box, separated by commas or line breaks. Switch Allow backward words and Allow diagonal words on or off to match how your specific puzzle hides its answers, then click Solve Word Search.
What is a word search puzzle?
A word search puzzle, sometimes called a word find or word seek, is a grid of letters with a list of words hidden somewhere inside it. Words can run left-to-right, right-to-left, top-to-bottom, bottom-to-top, or along either diagonal, and the unused letters around them are just filler meant to disguise where each word sits.
A worked example
Take this small grid:
PLANE ASTAR TRACE HOUSE SPACE
PLANE, STAR, TRACE, HOUSE, and SPACE all sit horizontally, one per row. Read straight down the first column and you'll also find PATHS: P, A, T, H, S. That's six words hiding in a grid of just 25 letters, which is exactly the kind of overlap a solver catches instantly that's easy to miss by eye.
Searching in eight directions
Classic word search puzzles hide words along any of eight straight-line directions through the grid. Two toggles control which ones this tool checks:
| Direction | What it means | Toggle needed |
|---|---|---|
| Left to right | Standard forward reading across a row. | Always on |
| Top to bottom | Standard forward reading down a column. | Always on |
| Right to left | A row read backward. | Allow backward words |
| Bottom to top | A column read backward. | Allow backward words |
| Diagonal, down-right / down-left | Slanting downward across rows and columns. | Allow diagonal words |
| Diagonal, up-right / up-left | Slanting upward, the backward version of each diagonal. | Allow diagonal words and Allow backward words |
This tool doesn't check a dictionary
Every other tool on this site checks results against our word list. This one is different: it searches your grid for the exact words you typed, real or not, since a puzzle's word list is already decided by whoever made the puzzle. If you're not sure a word is real, Check Dictionary can confirm it separately.
Word Search Solver versus Word Unscrambler, which one to use
Different problems entirely. Word Unscrambler takes a jumbled set of letters with no fixed order and tells you every real word hiding inside them. This tool takes a fixed 2D grid and a specific list of words, then tells you exactly where each one sits. Use Word Unscrambler when you have loose letters; use this one when you already have a grid in front of you.
Word Search Solver versus Boggle Solver, which one to use
Both work on a letter grid, but the search rules are different. Boggle Solver finds words by chaining adjacent letters together, including turns and changes of direction, the way Boggle itself is actually played. This tool searches in a straight, unbending line, which is how classic word search puzzles hide their answers. A word search grid won't solve correctly as Boggle, and a Boggle board isn't built for straight-line word search rules.
Common mistakes that waste a search
The most common one is pasting a grid with a row missing or mistyped, even one wrong letter can hide a word that's genuinely there. The second is leaving Allow diagonal words off for a puzzle that actually uses diagonals, most puzzle books do, so it's worth leaving both toggles on unless you know your specific puzzle restricts them. The third is typing a word with a space or hyphen still attached, strip it down to plain letters before adding it to your word list.
Every word game tool on Words Unscrambler
Word Unscrambler
Every word hidden in a jumble of letters.
Word Descrambler
Same engine, tuned for reordering a near miss.
Unscramble Letters
Turn any set of letters into every real word they spell.
Letter Unscrambler
Board hook filters for a rack of up to 15 letters.
Word Finder
Search words by starting, ending, or contained letters.
Anagram Solver
True anagrams that use every tile.
Word Scramble
Turn any word into a puzzle to solve.
Wordfeud Helper
Built for a 7 tile Wordfeud rack.
Jumble Solver
Unscramble any word from the classic Jumble puzzle.
Word Ladder Solver
Find the shortest chain between two words.
Letter Boxed Solver
Solve any Letter Boxed puzzle in seconds.
Wordle Solver
Narrow today's answer guess by guess.
Quordle Solver
Four boards, tracked side by side.
Spelling Bee Solver
Every word your 7 letters can spell.
Boggle Solver
Find every word hiding in a letter grid.
Boggle With Friends Solver
Find every word on a Boggle With Friends board.
Crossword Pattern Solver
Fill in the blanks in any word pattern.
Crossword Solver
Pattern search plus an optional clue keyword match.
Cryptic Crossword Solver
Hidden word, reversal, and container tools for cryptic wordplay.
Word Search Solver
Paste a grid and a word list to highlight every hidden word.
Wordscapes Solver
Find every word for your Wordscapes level.
Word Chums Cheat
Find every word your Word Chums rack can play.
Text Twist Solver
Every word hiding in a Text Twist round.
Scrabble Word Finder
Find every playable word for your Scrabble rack.
Words With Friends Cheat
Find every word your Words With Friends rack can play.
Random Word Generator
Pull random words by length.
Check Dictionary
Is it a real, playable word?
Frequently asked questions
Jump to a question (14 total)
- How does the word search solver work?
- Can it find diagonal and backward words?
- Is there a limit to the grid size I can solve?
- What if my letter grid has spaces or extra lines?
- Does this check whether my words are real dictionary words?
- Why didn't it find a word I know is in the puzzle?
- Can two words overlap on the same letters?
- Does capitalization in my grid or word list matter?
- Is this word search solver free?
- Is my grid and word list stored or sent anywhere?
- Can I search for words longer than my grid?
- Does the grid need to be a perfect square?
- Can I paste a grid directly from a PDF or website?
- What's the difference between this and the Boggle Solver?
How does the word search solver work?
Paste your grid, one row per line, and list the words you're hunting for. The tool scans every cell in eight directions, horizontal, vertical, and both diagonals, forward and backward, looking for each word's exact letter sequence.
Can it find diagonal and backward words?
Yes. Switch on Allow diagonal words and Allow backward words to include those directions, or turn either off to match a puzzle that only hides words left-to-right and top-to-bottom.
Is there a limit to the grid size I can solve?
It handles grids up to 50 rows or 50 columns, well beyond the size of a typical puzzle book page or newspaper grid.
What if my letter grid has spaces or extra lines?
The parser strips extra spaces and blank lines automatically. Paste your grid with letters separated by spaces, like a typical puzzle book layout, or run together with no spaces, either works.
Does this check whether my words are real dictionary words?
No. Unlike the rest of this site, this tool doesn't check any word list, it simply searches your grid for the exact letters you typed, whether that's a real word, a name, or anything else.
Why didn't it find a word I know is in the puzzle?
Double check your grid was pasted correctly, row by row, with no missing letters. Also check the Allow backward and Allow diagonal toggles, some puzzles only hide words in specific directions, and a word placed diagonally won't show up if that toggle is off.
Can two words overlap on the same letters?
Yes, that's common in real word search puzzles. Overlapping words are each highlighted in their own color, and a shared cell shows a blended color where they cross.
Does capitalization in my grid or word list matter?
No, upper or lower case both work identically for the grid and for your word list.
Is this word search solver free?
Yes, completely free, with no account or download required.
Is my grid and word list stored or sent anywhere?
No, everything runs locally in your browser and nothing is sent to a server.
Can I search for words longer than my grid?
No, a word can only be found if it actually fits within the grid's dimensions in a straight line, the tool won't wrap a word around an edge or bend it.
Does the grid need to be a perfect square?
No, rectangular grids work fine, and rows don't even need to be exactly the same length.
Can I paste a grid directly from a PDF or website?
Usually, yes. The parser is tolerant of extra whitespace and line breaks, though very unusual formatting may need a quick manual cleanup first.
What's the difference between this and the Boggle Solver?
Boggle Solver finds words by chaining adjacent letters in any direction, including turns. This tool searches for words you already know in a straight line, horizontal, vertical, or diagonal, which is how classic word search puzzles actually hide their words.