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Challenge a friend
Races

Word Search for two: same grid, same words

You and your friend get the same letter grid and the same hidden words. Swipe across each word to circle it. Whoever finds them all first wins. Free, no app, no account.

  • 2 players
  • About 5 min
  • Watchable live
  • Free, no sign-up

Challenge a friend

Start the game, then send the link. The first person to accept plays you.

Theme
Level
Clock
The puzzle

Links stay open 48 hours after the last move.

A word search sheet taped to the table, three words circled with highlighter pens

The classic word search, now a race

A word search is the puzzle you remember from magazines and school worksheets: a square of letters with words hidden in it, across, down and on the diagonal. On BeatMe it turns into a duel. You and a friend get exactly the same grid and the same list of words, each with your own clock, and the faster finder wins.

Pick a theme (animals, food, countries, cities, jobs, sports or things) or let us surprise you, choose how hard it should be, and send the link. Play first and send your result as a target, or send the link right away and search at the same time while you watch each other’s count go up.

How to play Word Search

Pick a theme and send the link

Choose a theme and a level, with the 5-minute clock or without it. Play first and send your result, or send the beatme.link link right away.

Start your clock

The grid appears when you tap Start, so nobody can look at it early. The word list shows which words are hidden in it.

Swipe across a word

Drag from the first letter of a word to the last, in any straight line. On a small screen you can also tap the first letter and then the last.

Find them all first

Every word you find gets a coloured band and is crossed off. Find them all faster than your friend, or more of them before the 5 minutes are up.

Watch: rules and 3 tricks to win

Plays from YouTube when you press play. Watch on YouTube

How to play word search

  • The grid: a square of letters, 8 by 8, 10 by 10 or 12 by 12, with the words from the list hidden in it.
  • The words: each one is written in a straight line: across, down or diagonally. On the hard level they can also run backwards.
  • Finding: mark a word by swiping from its first letter to its last. Words can cross and share letters.
  • Accents: the grid uses plain capital letters, so É is written E and Ü is written U. The list shows each word as it is spelled.

Tips for finding words faster

  • Hunt for rare letters. A word with a Z, Q, X, J or K is easy to spot: look for that letter first and check around it.
  • Start with the long words. They have fewer places they can fit, and they are easier to see in a crowd of letters.
  • Scan one direction at a time. Read the rows, then the columns, then the diagonals, instead of jumping around.
  • Look for double letters. Pairs like LL, OO or EE stand out and often belong to a word on your list.

Three levels, two ways to play

Easy is an 8 by 8 grid with 8 words, written only across and down. Normal has 10 by 10 letters, 12 words and diagonals. Hard has 12 by 12 letters, 15 words, and words that run backwards. With the clock, you each have 5 minutes and more words win; without it, the first to find every word wins.

Fair for both players

Both of you get the same grid, made on our server, with every word hidden exactly once. The clock runs on our server from the moment you start. While you play, your friend sees how many words you have found, but not which ones or where, until they are done too.

Word Search FAQ

Can I play word search online with a friend for free?

Yes. Start a game on this page, send the link, and your friend plays the same grid in their browser. Free, no app and no account.

Do we have to play at the same time?

No. Each of you has your own clock, which starts when you tap Start. Play now and send the link, or search together and watch each other’s count. The link stays open 48 hours.

Who wins with the 5-minute clock?

Whoever finds more words before their 5 minutes are up. If you both find the same number, the one who reached it sooner wins. Finding all the words stops your clock early.

What is the puzzle of the day?

Everybody who picks the puzzle of the day gets the same grid for that theme and level on that day, so you can compare results with friends and family.

Which languages can I play in?

Word search works in English, German, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Turkish and Vietnamese. The words come in the language of the page you start the game on.

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