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Crossword Puzzle Maker
Type your words and clues, and the maker fits them into a compact crossword grid automatically. Solve it right here, send it to friends or students as a link, or print a clean copy with a separate answer key.
Format
One word per line, then its clue. Separate them with a dash, colon, equals sign, comma or tab:
OCEAN - Huge body of salt water
river: Flows to the sea
ice cream, Cold sweet dessert
Spaces and hyphens in answers are removed. Use 2–60 words.
Across
Down
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How to use the Crossword Puzzle Maker
- Enter one word and its clue per line, separated by a dash, colon, comma or tab, for example JUPITER - Largest planet in our solar system.
- Press Create crossword. The maker places as many words as possible into a compact, connected grid and numbers it automatically. Press Shuffle layout for a different arrangement.
- Play it online: click a square or a clue and type. Press the same square again (or Space) to switch between Across and Down.
- Check your answers or reveal a letter, a word or the whole puzzle.
- Print or share. Print gives a clean puzzle page plus an optional answer key; Copy share link creates a link that opens the same puzzle for anyone.
Tips for a great crossword
- Use 10 to 25 words. Fewer words give a sparse grid with few crossings; more words make a denser, more satisfying puzzle.
- Mix word lengths. A few long words (8–12 letters) form the backbone, and shorter words fill in around them.
- Prefer common letters. Words rich in E, A, R, I, O, T and N cross easily. Words with Q, X, Z or J are hard to fit, so add other words that share their letters.
- Write clues that point to one answer. Give the number of letters (shown automatically) and avoid using the answer itself in the clue.
- Try several layouts. Shuffle layout gives a new arrangement each time; keep the one you like best before printing or sharing.
Accepted input formats
| Format | Example |
|---|---|
| Word, dash, clue | PHOTOSYNTHESIS - How plants make food from sunlight |
| Word, colon, clue | mitochondria: Powerhouse of the cell |
| Comma or semicolon (CSV) | nucleus, Control center of the cell |
| Tab (pasted from a spreadsheet) | osmosis⇥Movement of water through a membrane |
| Equals sign | enzyme = Protein that speeds up reactions |
Answers are converted to capital letters and anything that isn't a letter or digit is removed, so "x-ray" becomes XRAY and "ice cream" becomes ICECREAM. Accented letters such as É or Ñ are kept. Lines that start with # are ignored, so you can leave notes in your list.
How crossword numbering works
Squares are numbered from left to right, row by row, starting at the top. A square gets a number when an answer starts there, going across, down or both. When an Across and a Down answer start in the same square, they share the number (for example 1 Across and 1 Down).
Frequently asked questions
How does the crossword maker build the grid?
It sorts your words, places the longest one in the middle and then adds each word where it can cross a matching letter of a word already on the grid, without touching other words side by side. It repeats this with hundreds of different orders and keeps the layout that fits the most words in the smallest, most interlocked grid.
Why were some of my words left out?
A word can only be placed if it shares a letter with another word in a position that doesn't clash. Words with unusual letters (like Q, X or Z) or very short words are the hardest to fit. Try Shuffle layout, add a few more words, or change the word that was left out.
How many words can I use?
Between 2 and 60 words. Most good puzzles use 10 to 25 words of 3 to 12 letters. Spaces, hyphens and apostrophes in answers are removed, so ICE CREAM becomes ICECREAM, as in printed crosswords.
Can I share the crossword with students or friends?
Yes. Copy share link stores the words and clues inside the link itself (nothing is uploaded to a server). Anyone who opens the link sees the same puzzle, ready to solve, with the answers hidden.
How do I print a crossword with the answers?
Tick Include answer key and press Print. The first page has the empty grid and the numbered clues; the answer key with the filled grid is printed on a separate page. In the print dialog you can also choose Save as PDF.
Is this crossword maker free for classroom use?
Yes. It is completely free, needs no account and has no limits, so teachers can make as many vocabulary or review crosswords as they like and print or share them.
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