1. Start with the learning goal
Use words from a current lesson, book, topic, or assessed spelling list. A focused set of 8–15 words is usually more useful than a padded list containing unrelated vocabulary. Check every spelling against the source used by the class and keep one English variety consistent.
Remove words learners have not yet been taught unless discovering them is an intentional part of the lesson. A word search provides recognition practice; it does not explain a new word's meaning or pronunciation.
2. Prepare the list
Enter one word or short phrase per line in the maker. Spaces and hyphens remain readable in the displayed list but are removed inside the letter grid. ClearSearch reports duplicates after normalisation so the same answer is not silently included twice.
Check the longest entry. Very long words determine the minimum grid size and may make the whole activity harder. If a phrase is not essential, a shorter equivalent can produce a more balanced sheet.
3. Choose difficulty deliberately
Easy places answers from left to right and top to bottom. Standard adds two downward diagonals. Challenging also allows backwards and upward directions. For first recognition of new spellings, Easy usually keeps attention on the word itself; extra direction changes are more suitable after the vocabulary is familiar.
Grid size, word length, repeated letter patterns, and print size also affect difficulty. Do not choose a higher preset only because older learners are using the worksheet.
4. Generate, inspect, and solve-check
Generate the puzzle and confirm that every intended word appears in the word list. Scan the grid and print preview before class. The generator places all accepted words deterministically and produces an answer view, but a human review still catches an unsuitable list, cramped printout, or instruction that needs changing.
5. Plan the activity after the search
Ask learners to sort the answers, define them, use them in sentences, mark syllables, identify a spelling pattern, or retrieve them later without the visible list. The follow-up should match the original learning goal. Finding a sequence of letters is evidence that the sequence was located, not proof that its meaning or spelling can now be recalled independently.
Privacy and sharing
Avoid pupil names, private assessment information, or sensitive details. Ordinary custom puzzles stay in the browser unless Share is chosen. A share link is unlisted, but anyone who receives it can open it, so a downloaded or printed copy is often the safer classroom format.
Open the word search maker or review how puzzle difficulty works.
Prepared and reviewed by ClearSearch Puzzles · 8 August 2026.