What prints with the starting settings
| Paper | US Letter — 215.9 × 279.4 mm (8.5 × 11 in) |
|---|---|
| Words placed | 8 of 8 |
| Grid | 9 × 8 squares |
| Margins | 1/2″ |
| Line weight | 0.18 mm (bold 0.35 mm) |
| Print setting | Scale 100% / Actual size |
Your words, a real crossword
Teachers use crosswords to review vocabulary, families make them for birthdays and quizzes, and anyone can turn a topic into a puzzle. This maker does the hard part: it tries dozens of arrangements of your words, keeps the one where the most words connect in the most compact grid, and numbers it the way printed crosswords are numbered, left to right and top to bottom.
How it works
- Type answers and clues, one per line:
answer | clue. - Add a title and choose whether to include a word bank.
- Check the preview. If a word shares no letters with the rest, or an answer cannot go in the grid, a note under the preview names it so you can change it.
- Download the PDF. Page 1 is the puzzle with the clues; page 2 is the answer key.
Every crossing is checked so no two answers touch side by side and form a stray word, and each clue shows the answer length in brackets.
Tips for good puzzles
- Mix long and short words. Long words give the grid a backbone; short ones fill the gaps and add crossings.
- Use common letters. Words full of E, A, R, S and T cross easily; a word like “jazz” may need help.
- Write clues at the solver’s level: definitions for vocabulary, fill-in-the-blank sentences for younger children.
- Turn on the word bank for beginners and spelling lists.
Ready-made crosswords
Start from a themed puzzle and edit it: a Christmas crossword, a Thanksgiving crossword, a space crossword or an animal crossword for kids. For a blank grid to fill by hand, see the crossword grid.
Printing tips
Print at 100% on Letter or A4. The squares are up to 10 mm across, big enough for handwriting; very large puzzles use smaller squares, so keep to about 25 words for young solvers.
Popular crossword puzzle sheets
Frequently asked questions
How do I make my own crossword puzzle?
Type one answer and its clue per line, separated by a vertical bar, such as "Owl | Bird that hunts at night". The maker fits the words into a grid where each one crosses another, numbers the squares and writes the Across and Down clues. Print the puzzle and the answer page.
How many words can a crossword have?
Up to 40. Eight to twenty words make a good one-page puzzle. Words need shared letters to cross, so a word with unusual letters may not fit; the panel lists any word it could not place.
What does the number in brackets after each clue mean?
It is the length of the answer, a standard crossword convention that helps solvers. Spaces and hyphens are removed, so "ice cream" is entered as ICECREAM (8).
Can I get a different layout?
Yes. Press New puzzle, or change the layout number, to rearrange the same words. Each layout is reproducible, so the same number always gives the same grid.
Is it suitable for kids?
Yes. Switch on the word bank to list the answers under the grid, which turns the puzzle into a matching exercise for younger solvers and spelling practice.
Can I paste clues from a spreadsheet?
Yes. Paste two columns, answers and clues; the tab between them is understood as the split.
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