About This Website

This site helps you to create your own customized word search puzzles. 

Simply (1) enter in your words (2) choose your grid size (3) specify which directions words can go 4) write in a title for your puzzle, and (5) choose the shape. Then hit the "Create Puzzle" button and there you have it - an instant wordsearch puzzle of your very own. 

 If you'd like modify the puzzle, use the "Edit Your Wordsearch" button to change words, directions, size, title or shape. You can also choose to "Start a New Wordsearch" from scratch. Either way, the system generates a new puzzle for you each time. To see the solution to a given puzzle, press "See the Solution" ...and don't worry, you can return to the same puzzle via the "Back to Your Wordsearch" button.

This wordsearch puzzle maker is a basic prototype version made available "as is" with no warranties whatsoever.

You are free to use any puzzles you create here for any personal or educational purpose as you see fit. For commercial use, please contact me first to discuss. However, it is your sole responsibility to check the puzzles carefully before use or sharing with others, as there is a small chance that the random letters used to fill in the grid may create other unintended words. By using this site, you accept responsibility for any issues that arise if you use or distribute the puzzles created here. 

If you'd like modify the puzzle, use the "Edit Your Wordsearch" button to change words, directions, size, title or shape. You can also choose to "Start a New Wordsearch" from scratch. Either way, the system generates a new puzzle for you each time. To see the solution to a given puzzle, press "See the Solution" ...and don't worry, you can return to the same puzzle via the "Back to Your Wordsearch" button.

If you like this site, please complete the survey . I'd like to develop a better, more sophisticated version of this website but to do this I need to better understand what you really want from a wordsearch puzzle maker. If you've found this site useful, please take a few minutes to complete our survey. It's a simple online survey and you can remain anonymous if you wish. 

If you'd like modify the puzzle, use the "Edit Your Wordsearch" button to change words, directions, size, title or shape. You can also choose to "Start a New Wordsearch" from scratch. Either way, the system generates a new puzzle for you each time. To see the solution to a given puzzle, press "See the Solution" ...and don't worry, you can return to the same puzzle via the "Back to Your Wordsearch" button.

This website is a hobby project by Xavier Russo. You can contact me here. 

For those who are interested, this wordsearch maker uses an algorithm of my own devising. Although not a programmer by trade, I have learned various programming languages over the years in my studies and as a hobby. The idea for a wordsearch maker started a few years back for a hobby site of word games to help people learn italian. The original version was tested & refined in Excel & VisualBasic and then implemented as an interactive wordsearch in Flash ActionScript, although with a fixed set of words. What you see here today is a much-improved version that has been completely re-designed and written again from scratch in PHP, with a superior word placement algorithm and purpose-built to enable anyone to create their own wordsearch puzzles. The latest update (Nov-14) was a new visual design created with Macaw software, after taking a quick Tuts+ course on Macaw. 

I can think of many possible ways to improve this wordsearch maker, but rather than jumping in and doing what I think might work best, I'd like to get this little hobby project to do double-duty and test out a research methodology which I'm considering using in my real job. Two birds, one stone, that's the plan. Any help would be much appreciated.