About Word Search
The word search needs no introduction. A square of letters, a list of words, and the quiet pleasure of spotting one. This version makes a new grid every time, on one of ten themes, from fruit to musical instruments.
How it works
The six words to find are shown beneath the grid. Selecting a word takes two taps: one on its first letter, which turns yellow, and one on its last. If the letters between them spell a word on the list, the whole word turns green and is crossed off.
Words run from left to right, from top to bottom, or diagonally, either sloping down or sloping up as you read across. They are never written backwards. Words may cross and share a letter.
The spaces between are filled with random letters. When all six are found, the game tells you how long it took.
Searching efficiently
Hunt for unusual letters. If a word contains a J, K, V, W or Z, scan the grid for that letter first. There will only be a few, and one of them is in your word.
Look for double letters. The LL in "yellow" or the TT in "kettle" stands out in a grid.
Scan in lines. Run your eye along each row for the first letter of the word you want, and check the neighbours of each one you find. It is slower than waiting for inspiration and much more reliable.
Do the long words first. They have fewer places to hide, and once found they remove a lot of letters from consideration.
Check the diagonals deliberately. Most people see across and down easily and miss the slanted words.
For a relaxing five minutes, few HTML5 games do the job as well as a word search.