Guide

Tips to find the hidden words

A few simple habits that help you find the words, without rushing.

There is no wrong way to play a word search. These habits make the search easier, especially in a large grid.

Start with a rare letter

Look at the word, and pick its least common letter: a K, a Z, a W, a double letter. There are few of them in the grid. Find them, then look at the letters around each one.

Search for the first two letters

Look for the first letter of the word, then check if the second letter touches it. If not, move on. Two letters side by side are easier to spot than a whole word.

One row at a time

Read the grid line by line, as you read a page, then column by column. Your eyes do not jump around, and you miss fewer words.

One word at a time

A long list is tiring to read again and again. In Scrutix, One word at a time shows only the word you are looking for, in very large letters. The arrows move to the next word when one is too hard.

Keep the hint for last

Scrutix gives one Hint per grid: it reveals one word. Keep it for the word you cannot find at the end.