單字搜尋

Word Search: rules and solving techniques

Find hidden words running horizontally, vertically and diagonally. This guide reflects the controls and win conditions in the current browser build. It is reviewed by the PocketJoy game-testing team and maintained by Long-Term New Media Limited.

How to play

A grid of letters hides every word on the accompanying list. When you spot one, drag from its first letter to its last to mark it. Words may run horizontally, vertically or diagonally, and each direction may be written forwards or backwards, so all eight orientations are in play — the point most often overlooked in this kind of puzzle. The word list in the sidebar shows every target for the current puzzle, striking each one off as you find it, so you always know what remains. Found words stay highlighted in the grid, so completed sections remain visible while you keep searching. Finding them all completes the puzzle, your time is recorded, and your fastest is stored on your device. A new-puzzle button generates a fresh letter grid and word list at any time, with nothing repeating.

Strategy

The most efficient approach is not scanning the grid cell by cell but hunting by word characteristics. Check the list for words containing rare letters such as Q, X, Z, J or K; those letters appear infrequently among the random filler, so scanning for them alone often finds the word immediately. Next, use first-letter scanning: pick one word, look only for its opening letter, and when you find one check the eight surrounding directions for the second letter, moving on if it does not fit. That is considerably faster than comparing against the whole word at once, because you need only hold a single letter in mind. A third technique uses word length: very long words of eight letters or more have very few possible positions, since they need an unbroken line that the grid boundaries do not cut off, so long words are usually easier to find than short ones and worth doing first. Working systematically row by row beats looking around at random, because random searching means rechecking the same region without realising it.

Common mistakes

The most common mistake is forgetting that words may be written backwards. Many players search only left to right and top to bottom, leaving half of the possible orientations unchecked, and then suspect the puzzle is faulty. The second is trying to hold every word on the list in mind while scanning; working memory is limited, and hunting five words at once is far less efficient than concentrating on one, so lock onto a single target and move to the next once it is found. The third is repeatedly rechecking the same area after finding a few — track which regions you have covered and advance systematically, for example by quadrant or by band of rows. The fourth is underestimating short words. Three- and four-letter words are actually the hardest to find, since they can sit anywhere and draw no attention, so leave them until last: once most of the grid is highlighted by other words, the remaining area is much smaller and the short ones become easy.

Who it suits

Good for players who enjoy visual searching and want to unwind, and useful practice for English word recognition — picking meaningful sequences out of scattered letters genuinely helps reading speed, and language teachers often use the format for vocabulary revision. The modern word search is generally credited to Norman E. Gibat, who published one in a free advertising paper in Norman, Oklahoma in 1968; reader enthusiasm led newspapers across the country to adopt it, and it is now a fixture of puzzle pages worldwide. There is no fail state and patience always finds the words, which suits low-pressure moments, while the timer means it can equally be treated as a speed challenge — both ways of playing are valid. Every puzzle is newly generated, grid and word list alike, so nothing repeats.

Features

The word list in the sidebar shows every target for the current puzzle, marking each one off as you find it, so you always know what remains without having to remember — a necessary feature once the list grows, since otherwise you would keep re-searching for words you have already found. The progress panel shows how many you have found alongside a timer, while local records keep your fastest time and give you a definite target. Found words stay highlighted in the grid, so completed sections remain visible while you keep searching, and those highlights actively help with the remaining words by letting you rule out covered ground and shrinking the search area. A new-puzzle button generates a fresh letter grid and word list at any time, with nothing repeating, which keeps records genuinely comparable and makes memorising a layout impossible. Completion shows your total time, and the language button switches the interface between Traditional Chinese and English instantly.

Controls and local records

Press and drag from a word's first letter to its last to mark it, in any of the eight horizontal, vertical and diagonal directions, with mouse and touch following the same logic. The letters currently selected are shown as you drag, so you can confirm the sequence before releasing. A mistaken drag costs nothing — simply release, with no penalty and no loss beyond the time taken — so uncertain sequences can be tried freely. On a phone the letter cells are sized appropriately and the drag detection is forgiving, so you do not need to trace a perfectly straight line. Your fastest time is stored in the browser's local storage on your own device, with no account and nothing uploaded to any server; records do not travel to another device, and clearing browser data removes them. The language button switches between Traditional Chinese and English instantly, updating every panel label and prompt. Once loaded, the game itself plays offline.

Rules FAQ

Reviewed by the PocketJoy game-testing team · Operated by Long-Term New Media Limited · hklongtermad@gmail.com