From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For the Bible reference software, see WORDsearch.
A word search find bij scender bengaji, word find, word seek, word sleuth or mystery word puzzle is a word game that consists of the letters of words placed in a grid, which usually has a rectangular or square shape. The objective of this puzzle is to find and mark all the words hidden inside the box. The words may be placed horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. Often a list of the hidden words is provided, but more challenging puzzles may not provide a list. Many word search puzzles have a theme to which all the hidden words are related such as food, animals, or colors. The puzzles have, like crosswords and arrowords, become very popular. Also in common with these latter puzzles, have had complete books and mobile applications devoted to them.
Strategies[edit]
A common strategy for finding all the words is to go through the puzzle left to right (or right to left) and look for the first letter of the word (if a word list is provided). After finding the letter, one should look at the eight surrounding letters to see whether the next letter of the word is there. One can then continue this method until the entire word is found.
Another strategy is to look for ‘outstanding’ letters within the word one is searching for (if a word list is provided). Since most word searches use capital letters, it is easiest to spot the letters that stand out from others. These letters include Q, J, X, and Z.
Lastly, the strategy of looking for double letters in the word being searched for (if a word list is provided) proves helpful, because it is easier to spot two identical letters side-by-side than to search for two different letters.
If a word list is not provided, a way to find words is to go row by row. First, all the horizontal rows should be read both backwards and forwards, then the vertical, and so on. Sometimes the puzzle itself will help. The puzzles generated by a computer tend to put words in patterns. Furthermore, the bigger the words and the more words, the easier they are to spot. In some computer-generated puzzles, if the person solving the puzzle sees one word, all they have to do to find more is to look in adjacent rows, columns, or diagonals. The puzzle might use every row, column, or diagonal—or just every other row, column, or diagonal.
History[edit]
The word search puzzle (also known as WordSeek, WordFind, WonderWord, etc.) was originally designed and published by Norman E. Gibat in the Selenby Digest on March 1, 1968, in Norman, Oklahoma, although the Spanish puzzle creator Pedro Ocón de Oro was publishing «Sopas de letras» (Spanish «Soup of Letters») before that date.[citation needed]There is a very likely possibility James Patrick Carr of Villa Grove, Illinois created this puzzle before 1968. Pat Carr had titled the puzzles «Slate R Straight» and was stolen by a copyright/patent company he sent the puzzle idea to. There is proof predating Gibats 1968 of PC’s puzzles in Villa Grove High School sporting event brochures.
Selenby was a small want-ad digest distributed free at Safeway and other stores in the town. The original page size is 8.5 by 5.5 inches.
The puzzle was very popular locally and several more followed this original. Some teachers in the Norman schools asked for reprints to use in their classes. One teacher sent them around the country to various friends in other schools. Undoubtedly one of these scattered copies eventually led somebody to sell the idea to a syndicator.
Word search puzzles have been popular on the internet with Facebook games such as the 2013 Letters of Gold. Other digital and tabletop word search games include A Way with Words, Boggle, Bookworm, Letterpress, Ruzzle, Wonderword, Wordament, WordSpot and Word Streak with Friends.
Secret messages[edit]
Sometimes secret messages are hidden in the word search.[1] In one variation, the secret message is created by all the words that are written backwards in the puzzle. In another variation, the secret message is created by the letters that are not used in any word within the puzzle. This variation is more common in more difficult puzzles where most letters are used. Kappa Publishing is well known for this. Their Magazines are called «The Magazine with the Last Message» or other saying that is related.
Another type of word search puzzle contains a trivia question at the bottom. Like a traditional word search puzzle, words from a word list must be circled or crossed through in the puzzle. There is also one or more extra word or phrase hidden in the puzzle that is not in the word list. This word or phrase usually answers the trivia question at the bottom of the page.
Snaking puzzles[edit]
Some word search puzzles are snaking puzzles, in which the word is not a straight vertical, horizontal, or diagonal line, but «bends» at 90 degrees at any given letter. These are much more difficult than conventional puzzles. The difficulty level is further heightened when the next letter can be at 45 degrees, and using the same letter more than once is permitted, too. Snaking puzzles either hide words in a random fashion, or are designed to trace out a path in a definite shape, like a square, rectangle, horseshoe, or donut.[2]
Teaching[edit]
Word search puzzles are often used in a teaching or classroom environment, especially in language and foreign language classrooms. Some teachers, particularly those specializing in English as a Second Language (ESL), use word search puzzles as an instructional tool. Other teachers use them as a recreational activity for students, instead. They also use them as April Fool’s Day Pranks. The word searches involve no words.
On a more advanced level, word searches are good ways to demonstrate the use of searching algorithms.
See also[edit]
- Wordament
- Word Puzzle
- Word polygon
- Crossword
- Sudoku
References[edit]
- ^ Radadiya, D. «Word Search». Word Search. Net. Retrieved 8 November 2015.
- ^ «Word search shapes».
External links[edit]
Word Search at Curlie
For many years I have enjoyed puzzling over a Word Search. I would curl up on the couch or in bed, or sometimes even sit at the kitchen table, for hours, hunting down the elusive words featured on the puzzle’s list. During those times, I gave little thought to the how and why of Word Search. Its objective and purpose did not mean much to me. All I knew was that it meant hours of quiet enjoyment for me, and that was enough.
I was recently asked about the actual object and purpose of the puzzle and felt it was worth giving it a bit of thought. I discovered the general meaning, objective, purpose, as well as benefits of Word Search.
- Word Search is a word puzzle, invented in 1968 by Norman E. Gibat, that involves searching for words in a grid of letters.
- The objective of Word Search is to locate a list of words hidden on a grid. As each of the words is located, they are circled on the grid and then struck from the list.
- The purpose of Word Search is to be entertained as well as educated. Of course, finding all the words means that the puzzle is “solved”.
There are many benefits of Word Search, from improving spelling and vocabulary to reducing stress and improving context clue fluency.
These are just the summarized points pertaining to what a Word Search is, what its objective is, and what its purpose is. There’s always more to the story, isn’t there? If these points have piqued your interest and you want to learn more about Word Search, simply read on. Below I go into a bit more detail on each of the abovementioned points.
Word Search: What it is all about!
What is doing a Word Search all about? What is the draw, so to speak? Doing a Word Search should be somewhat of a ritual – at least it is for me. How do you make Word Search a ritual, you ask?
You find a comfortable spot. You have the puzzle, your pen/pencil, and quietness all on the ready. You make yourself comfy and fully engross yourself in the task for as long as it takes. For me, that is what a Word Search puzzle is all about. It is about disconnecting from the rest of the world and getting lost in the words. Most of all, it is about expanding my mind while completely relaxing and unwinding. When I was a kid, my parents used to describe this behavior as “being in the Word Search zone” – and they were right!
Ok! You might be wondering, but what exactly is Word Search. Well, it is a word puzzle that came out in the 1960s.
In Spain, it is known as “Sopa de Letras” (which means Soup of Letters), and it was first publicized by Pedro Ocón de Oro in the 1960s. In North America, it was first published by Norman E. Gibat in 1968 in his Selenby Digest. At the time, Gibat hoped that the puzzle would drum up some new interest in his digest, and it certainly did. It was not long before teachers were requesting extra copies of the digest and the puzzle to give to kids in the classroom, and before too long, word of the puzzle had spread. And as they say, “the rest is history”.
Let’s talk about the underlying objective of the Word Search puzzle. Above, I mentioned that the objective of Word Search is to locate a list of words hidden on a grid of letters. The grid consists of what appears to be a selection of jumbled letters, but if you look closely, you will find certain words nestled in between these letters. The more you do Word Search, the easier it seems to be become finding those hidden words.
The main objective of the game is to consult with a list of words supplied with the grid, and find all the words on that list. The puzzle is usually given a theme, and the words on the list typically fit in with this particular theme. Puzzlers must spend time investigating the grid and applying various strategies to locate the words on the grid and circle them.
The strategies are not complex; in fact, they are quite simple. One can methodically look through each row horizontally and vertically as one strategy. Another strategy is to focus on finding words on the grid and then locating them on the list (working in reverse order). Once the words are circled on the grid, they must be marked off on the list.
Of course, when there is a mystery Word Search puzzle at hand, the objective is similar, but not quite the same. Instead of a list of words being provided, the puzzler must focus on the theme of the Word Search and then hunt for hidden words in the grid that pertain to that particular theme. The objective of this particular type of Word Search is not to find listed words, but to find words that are hidden instead.
What is the Purpose of Word Search?
You might be wondering if there is any real purpose to Word Search puzzles and other word puzzles too. The truth is that there is – which is good news, right? It is not just about passing the time, but also about deriving some enjoyment and benefits from it. Just like many other games and puzzles, there is always a purpose. Most of these word games and puzzles are designed to provide entertainment, but that is not all. Other purposes included:
- Creating the opportunity for families and peers to bond.
- Educating people or teaching a new skill.
Of course, Word Search puzzles cater to both of these purposes. Generally speaking, the purpose of Word Search is to entertain, educate, and bring people together. I can quite confidently say that it has done each of these things in my life.
What are the Benefits of Word Search?
Are there any benefits to doing Word Search puzzles on a regular basis? Yes, there is, but the catch is that you do actually have to solve them or work on them regularly in order to enjoy these benefits.
Something that has been noticed is that people who do Word Search puzzles, both young and old, enjoy a variety of benefits. These benefits are simply undeniable, and if you are looking to add value to your life, doing regular Word Search puzzles is the way to go. You can solve them alone, with your partner, or even as a family or group of friends. It can be something done in quiet time, or it can be a social activity – Word Search is quite versatile in that way. Doing Word Search puzzles is always fun.
Below are a few of the benefits of regularly solving Word Search puzzles:
- You enjoy a sense of achievement or accomplishment when all the words are found.
- Time spent doing Word Search puzzles is time away from screens and social media. If you want less screen time for yourself or the kids, Word Search is the way to go.
- You get to expand your mind by learning new words (bigger vocab) and learning how to spell them. A bigger vocab and better spelling skills mean good things for your future prospects.
- You get to relax, unwind, and minimize stress levels.
- You get to have fun.
- The more Word Search puzzles you do, the more advanced your context clue fluency will become. You will be able to tie concepts, ideas, and conversations together with greater ease. This means that Word Search puzzles actually improve communication.
These are just a few of the benefits of doing Word Search puzzles. If you take the time to really delve into the benefits, especially for kids, you might find that it gives them something to look forward to and is a good confidence booster too.
Last Word
As an avid puzzler, it is easy for me to say that Word Search is the obvious choice for those looking for a word game or puzzle.
The best thing to do, now that you know the objective, purpose, and benefits, is to get your hands on a Word Search or two, and try it out for yourself. You will find a variety of Word Search puzzles online free to download and print. Alternatively, you can buy a puzzle book or even download an app on your mobile device from your relevant app store. Whichever way you get your Word Search to test, just focus on relaxing and enjoying it. Good luck!
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Rules: Locate the given words in the grid, running in one of eight possible directions horizontally, vertically, or diagonally.
Answer String: Varies by puzzle. There may be an unused word or a message hidden another way to discover related to the puzzle. Enter this word/message, in ALL CAPS and without spaces or other punctuation. This example has the key “CERES”.
(Brief) History of Word Searches: Descended from observational puzzles. The American word search was first published in 1968 in the Selenby Digest in Norman, Oklahoma. The original creator was Norman E. Gibat. (Note: puzzles in Spanish called “Sopas de letras”/”Soup of Letters” were created earlier but were unlikely to have influenced Gibat.) The idea circulated slowly until finally picked up by some newspaper syndicators. Word Searches are now in most major newspapers and puzzle magazines.
History of this example: This planetary word search was written for a puzzle seminar by Thomas Snyder soon after the demotion of “Pluto” as a planet.
Other sources: More Word Search puzzles can be found from a variety of sources, including some future publications from Grandmaster Puzzles.
Design rules for contributors: A Grandmaster Word Search will have a unique solution that can be reached by observation alone. Words should be interlinked (cross at letters) and a large majority of the letters in the grid should be crossed by words. The words should be linked thematically, although the word list need not be provided. Standard variations, including missing letters, rebus clues, or bending words, are also encouraged.
Have you ever wondered what is a word search? The simple definition is that it is a puzzle activity where you look for specific words hidden within a grid of letters. Composed by professional puzzle makers, a word search typically is made by hand and not created by artificial intelligence by a computer program.
Word List Love
Another important aspect of a word search is the puzzle word list has a common familiarity. Meaning if you read the word list, you might have an idea of the word search. It could be a puzzle describing all the elements of a salad or the names of United States Presidents. The uniqueness of every puzzle is how the words are gathered to relay a particular topic. It’s the job of a puzzle maker to make the word search exciting and relevant to the subject.
Why a Square or Rectangle?
The typical word search grid of letters is seen in a square or rectangle box. However, you might see other word search puzzles that are shapes. Diamonds, flowers and even circles are great objects for a letter grib search. The choice of the shape is decided by the puzzle maker.
What Are Word Search Puzzles Called
Word searches have different names, depending on where you find the puzzles. Some people call the puzzles circle and find, search-a-words and even word puzzles. All of the different terms mean the same thing: Word search puzzles.
Circle or Line?
Do you play a Word Search by circling the letters to make the word or drawing a line down the middle of the letters? Good question! Depending on who plays the puzzle, you will see both ways of finding words. There is no incorrect way to locate the letters. The only difference is how you feel about the puzzle after completion. And if you draw a line down the center of the letters to make the words, you will notice after finding all the words it is a little messier than circling the words.
What is a Word Search Puzzle?
A word search puzzle is basically find a combination of words placed in a grid. Those set of words can be placed horizontally, vertically or diagonally. Purpose of this puzzle is to find words that are hidden in the jargon of other words.
Most of the times the words that need to be searched are written at the bottom of the puzzle.
Benefits of playing Word Search Puzzles
Hard to believe but games and puzzles play an important part in keeping up our mental health. Such puzzles stimulate the brain activities, this helping us stay focused and increased concentration.
They are helpful for kids and adults to learn and memorize new vocabulary words, historical events, popular destinations, interesting characters and so much more.
Word Search Generator Tool
You can create your own custom word search puzzles with this Word Search Puzzle Generator. You can use variety of options to create such puzzles. Follow these steps to create your custom words search puzzles:
- Input the Title of the puzzle
- Create and input your Words List
- Select the Grid Size, like 10×10, 15×15, 20×20 etc
- Select the Font Style.
- Select the Difficulty Level of Easy or Normal
- Select the theme of your choice, if you wish.
- If you wish, you select to show cell borders or not.
- Lastly, select the color of Title, Grid and Words.
- Once all the options are set, click on “Generate New”.
- Select “Show Answers” button to see the answers.
- Once generated, download the puzzles as PDF or JPG formats.
- You can also Download Preview before actually downloading the puzzles.
- To see the existing word search puzzles, click on the “Brose Gallery” button.
- Print the puzzles and start playing.
What Kind of Word Search Puzzles Should I Make?
When you are customizing a word search puzzle, it is entirely up to you to include the type of words you want to use in your word search puzzle.
To keep the players interested, make sure to use the words that are not too long in length. Try to avoid phrases that can get mixed up easily with other words.
Avoid words that require special characters, punctuation marks or numbers.
PLEASE NOTE: After you create your puzzle, proofread carefully to make sure that offensive or unintended words are not used. If you happen to come across any, you can generate another puzzle by following the steps above.
Using games and puzzles in your class is always a hit with the students. Whether you use
them as an introduction for a new chapter, as a practice break in the middle of a section,
or to end a class, puzzles are a useful and fun way to add some interactivity to your class.
One type of puzzle that is easy to apply in about any class is a Word Search Puzzle.
Let’s have a look at some examples. Afterward, you will see how to make your own word search puzzle games and the additional feature that Bookwidgets provides.
- Language Word Search Puzzles
- Science Word Search Puzzles
- History Word Search Puzzle
- Word Search Puzzles for Kids
- Breaking the Ice With Word Search Puzzles
💡 Good to know: all the ready-to-use word search activities are created with BookWidgets. You can easily duplicate an activity for free, edit it if needed, and share it with your students. You can do so in the examples separately, or you can find all the word search examples in the BookWidgets Blog group folder.
Language Word Search Puzzles
Languages are all about words, so it’s pretty obvious that a word search puzzle is a perfect
fit here.
Let’s start with an easy one for teaching foreign vocabulary. We put English words in a
column as clues, and let the student find the Spanish translation :
There are different ways to change the difficulty of a word search puzzle.
- Instead of just having horizontal and vertical words, also place words diagonally
or even in a reverse direction. - Leave out the clues
- Make the word search bigger
For example, the following English word search puzzle contains words in all directions,
and doesn’t have any clues (except that you have to look for objects from the kitchen):
A word search also allows you to practice new learning topics. Have you just taught the days and months to your students? Take some time to practice it with a days and months words search puzzle.
Perhaps the holidays are approaching? Or are you going skiing with your school? A fun ‘lesson starter’ could be a word search where your students need to find the different ski equipment that is covered.
Science Word Search Puzzles
Most science subjects come with a lot of terminology to learn. Word search
puzzles are perfect for the job of introducing scientific words in an
interactive way.
Let’s take Biology, for examples: not only do you have a long list of plants,
animals, and other organisms to learn, but each of these consists of lots of
other parts with hard-to-remember names. For every level of terminology, we can
make nice word search puzzles:
How about geography? Names of continents, countries, cities,
rivers, mountains, … All great candidates to put in a word list,
and get your students enthusiastic during class:
In elementary school, you might work around the theme ‘water’ during the world orientation lessons. Wouldn’t it be fun to include small assignments between lessons like the example below?
History Word Search Puzzle
During history classes, you might bring up the subject ‘Greek mythology’. Below there is an example of a fun lesson starter where your students should look for the main characteristics of a Greek hero. FYI: It is a real challenge!
There’s nothing the youngest like doing more than learning by playing.
Word search puzzles can be a great way to teach young kids to read.
An easy way to start off is by letting them search for simple words
(such as the ones from the
Dolch word list),
from a list:
They can match the letters from the description list with the letters
from the center to get to know the letters and words.
You can make things a little bit harder by removing the words from the
list, and replace them by emoji, giving them the chance to learn the
letters by heart:
Word search puzzles can also help with their first steps in math:
learning the numbers and how to write them:
Breaking the Ice With Word Search Puzzles
If you’ve been reading our blog, you know that we’re fans of
using games as ice breakers in the classroom.
Word search puzzles can also be used as a fun way to get to know each other’s names at the start of
the school year.
You can, for example, use descriptions of the student as clues, and let them find first names in the word
search; or, you can list the first names in a list, and leave the last names to be
searched in the word search:
Are you looking for something more (inter)active? You can use this one! The idea is that students need to look for names of other students in the class. If they find one, they need to get up and start a conversation. So, it is the perfect way of getting to know each other.
Creating your own Word Search Puzzles
I could go on and on about ways to use word search puzzles in the class, but I’m
guessing I don’t have to: by now, you’re probably thinking of some fun
word search puzzles you can use in your class.
So, how to make your own word search puzzles? Well, BookWidgets has you covered with the word search puzzle maker. You can quickly and easily create your own puzzles. All you have to do is enter some words (and optionally, their
descriptions), and BookWidgets takes care of fitting the words together into a nice-looking interactive word search puzzle. You can instantly send to your students’ iPads,
Chromebooks, or PCs.
Don’t have devices in your classroom, or do you like to play it old-school?
Then you can just print BookWidgets’ word search puzzle straight from your browser.
Ready to give it a shot? Just hit the button below, sign up, and start creating
word search puzzles (and many other widget types with a free
BookWidgets trial.
Monitoring live in Word Search Puzzles
With Bookwidgets, you have the opportunity to follow-up the progress of your students live when they are completing the digital word search activity. This, of course, has several advantages. For starters, you can see how far along the students are in their word search. In addition, it is also possible to detect where certain difficulties are. Did you know you could also use it in a playful way? Turn the word search in a contest, and show the results on the board indicating how many words they have already found. The challenge is up to them to solve the word search the fastest. This is how you will see it:
The live widgets function also gives you some handy statistics so you can closely follow up on your students. In this example, student 1 has a harder time finding words. You can notice this from how much time has passed between the last activity and now. In addition, student 1 also found far fewer words compared to student 2.
Wrap up
You now have many different examples of digital word search activities, the explanation of how to create one, and an explanation of the live monitoring feature. So, why are you still reading?😉 It’s time to get started yourself!
Join our Facebook Group to share your own creations with other teachers and let us know on Twitter what you think of the live monitoring.
Create your own word search puzzles with this word search generator tool. Create random puzzles using your own words list with solutions.
What is a Word Search Puzzle?
A word search puzzle is basically a combination of meaningful letters in a grid. These set of words can be found horizontally, vertically or diagonally. Goal of the players is to find the list of words hidden in the grid with other letters. Most of the times the words that need to be searched are listed at the bottom of the puzzle. But sometimes more challenging puzzles may not have the list of words. These puzzles can have a theme like find the words associated with food, birds, colors, months of the year etc.
Why play Word Search Puzzles?
Puzzles like word search have benefits for children as well as adults. For kids, these are great way to learn new words and their spelling. They also help strengthen their concentration and memory skills. For kids and adults, they play an important part in keeping up with mental health and brain activity.
These also help with learning and memorizing new vocabulary words, historical events, interesting characters, famous destinations and so much more.
Word Search Generator Tool for Commercial Use
Now you can create your own custom word search puzzles with this Word Search Puzzle Generator. You can use this tool for Personal as well as Commercial Use. Create number of printable puzzles to create a custom workbook. You can either print these and use these for personal and educational use. You can also brand these as your own and sell on Etsy, Amazon KDP, Ebay and other similar marketplaces. These are a great way to start making money and generating passive income.
How to create custom Word Search Puzzles?
You can use variety of options to create such puzzles. Follow these steps to create your custom words search puzzles:
- Input the Title of the puzzle
- Create and input your Words List
- Select the Grid Size, like 10×10, 15×15, 20×20 etc
- Select the Font Style
- Select the Direction of the words
- If you wish, you select to cell borders color and style
- Select the color of Title, Grid and Words
- Once all the options are set, click on “Generate New”
- Select “Show Answers” button to see the answers
- Once generated, download the puzzles as PDF formats
- You can also Download Preview before actually downloading the puzzles
- Print the puzzles and start playing. Or create a workbook and start selling
- Note: Only English letters are supported. Any other NON-English characters or European accented characters may cause unexpected results.
What Kind of Word Search Puzzles Should I Make?
When you are customizing a word search puzzle, it is entirely up to you to include the type of words you want to use in your word search puzzle.
To keep the players interested, make sure to use the words that are not too long in length. Try to avoid phrases that can get mixed up easily with other words.
Avoid words that require special characters, punctuation marks or numbers.
PLEASE NOTE: After you create your puzzle, proofread carefully to make sure that offensive or unintended words are not used. If you happen to come across any, you can generate another puzzle by following the steps above.
School Word Search Puzzles
Why do school word search puzzles bring so much fun?
Doing a school word search puzzle is a type of activity that is recognized by many as bringing so much joy and fun. This is because there is an attraction in the form of a challenge to solve what has been started in the word search puzzle game. Moreover, doing a word search puzzle while at school can provide a moment of pleasure after receiving a lesson which is quite brain-draining.
What a school word search puzzle contains?
In school word search puzzles, when it is done by children who feel they are in school, it will recall memories of activities that have been done and also objects found around the school. This will be the material or word that must be looked for in a school word search puzzle. Because it is familiar, it is not that difficult for children to do. Not only children, even adults who have passed the school level can also do this because it can leave a nostalgic impression. Each of these elements will be connected and everyone will experience the same experience when faced with the school word search puzzle content.
How many words in a school word search puzzle?
The number of words in the puzzle to be completed is uncertain. This will always change due to the size of the sheet used to put the school word search puzzle and also the desire of the creator who made the word search puzzle. In some puzzles, a list of words to look for in scrambled letters is provided. On some others, you will not find a clue how many words are in the school word search puzzle. It doesn’t really matter how many words are there if you enjoy the process of searching for them.
Back to School Word Search Puzzles Printable
School Word Search Printable
School Word Searches
High School Word Search Puzzles Printable
Sunday School Word Search Puzzles Printable
Printable Word Search Puzzles For High School Students
Back To School Word Search Puzzle Answers Printable
Free Printable Word Search Puzzles For Middle School Students
Educational Word Search Puzzles For High School Printable
Is school word search a puzzle kind of learning tool?
Although it can be played at school and contains content that is familiar with kinds of school things, it is very rare to find school word search puzzles used as the main learning tools. This puzzle is more appropriate to be used as ice-breaking after learning. However, for several levels of education such as preschool and kindergarten, the method of using a word search puzzle is quite balanced with other learning methods. The factor behind that is because of the age of preschoolers and kindergarteners, who are very young kids who still really like games.