Crossword puzzle maker
Type one word per line with its clue after a colon, dash or comma. The tool packs the words into a crossword grid, numbers the squares, lists the across and down clues and adds an answer key. Same words and seed always give the same grid.
Runs in your browser: nothing you enter is sent anywhere.
How to use it
- Type or paste your words, one per line, as
WORD: clue.
- Check the grid and the across and down clues below it.
- Press New puzzle for a different arrangement, or type a seed to get one back.
- Print the page. The answer key is on a separate page.
How it works
The longest word goes first, across. Every next word must cross at least one letter already on the grid, and the squares around it must stay empty so that words never touch side by side. Among the possible positions the one with the most crossings wins; ties are broken with the seed. Squares are numbered row by row, and an across and a down word that start in the same square share a number.
Example
The built-in sample has eight space words (PLANET, ORBIT, COMET, GALAXY, MOON, STAR, TELESCOPE, ECLIPSE) and fits all of them in a 10 by 10 grid for seed 1.
Tips
- Words that share common letters (E, A, R, T, O) connect much better than words with rare letters.
- Give 8 to 20 words for a classroom puzzle. Very short lists make a sparse grid.
- Use the clue text, not the word, for anything with spaces or hyphens you want students to see.
Frequently asked questions
How are the words placed?
The tool tries 40 different orders. In each one it places words so that every new word crosses the grid at as many shared letters as possible, never lying side by side with another word. It keeps the attempt that seats the most words and, among those, the smallest grid. The seed fixes the random choices.
Why was a word not placed?
A word is left out when none of its letters matches a letter already on the grid in a spot where it fits. It is listed under the puzzle so you can add a word that shares letters with it, or press New puzzle to try other orders.
Which letters can I use?
Any letters; spaces, digits and punctuation inside a word are dropped, so ICE CREAM becomes ICECREAM. Words are shown in upper case. The clue text can contain anything.
How do I print the puzzle without the answers?
Untick the answer key option before printing. With it ticked, the key starts on its own page so you can hand out the first page only.