Don’t we all like a relaxed word search session? This activity has transcended from being a just for kids game to an all-age entertainment. If you are looking for some DIY word searches and wondering how do I make a word search online? this tutorial will take you through it all.
How do I make a word search online? To make a word search on word online you will first need to insert a table. After the table is inserted customize it so that you have enough space. Put in the words on your list. Fill in the empty boxes. You can either save the document and print it later or send it out digitally.
Making a word search on word online
Here is a step to step guide on how you can make a word search on word online.
- Go to wordonline.com and open a new word document to work on. You can also go to onedrive or office.com and create a new document.
- Once you have the document, it helps to make a list of the words you would like to add in your word search. This can be done on the same document or a seperate one. Having a list of words ready is helpful to navigate the size of the maze.
- Start by clicking on the Home tab you have various options at the bottom
- From among them click on Table. You will now have a grid like structure. move your mouse across the table to select the number of rows and columns you would like to add.
- If you need more columns or rows or both you can go to the Insert Table option. Here you can specify the number of rows and columns you require.
The table inserted will like this. But this does not look quite like what a word search grid looks like.
Read How to insert text box in word online?
Customizing a table to form a word search grid
Follow the steps mentioned below to customize the table inserted in a way that looks like a word search grid.
- Start by typing a letter in the first block of the table. This will serve as a reference for the size of the cells.
- Select the letter you have put in.
- Go to the Home section and change the Font and Font size as desired
- Once you are satisfied by how the letter looks you can move on to the next step.
As the word search grid is full of letters it is important to have uniformity, here is how to achieve it.
- Select the letter in the first cell
- Click on Home and select the Format Painter option. By doing this you will select all the formatting applied to the selected text.
- Now come back to the table > click on the first cell and drag the mouse through the table without releasing the click.
- The step above will ensure that the entire table is formatted similarly.
- Check the formatting by adding a random letter or two.
Check out this article on How to add fonts to word online?
Resizing a table to form a word search grid
Once you have the table in place and the first cell formatted all you need to do is format the table to look more like a word search grid. Here is how it is done.
- Select the table by clicking on the + sign near the first cell.
- Once the table is selected take your mouse to the first column line.
- The shape of the cursor will turn to a standing = sign
- Now left click and move the line without lifting the click.
- Move the line enough to leave space between both the sides of the letter
- Do the same for the bottom to form a square in the frist cell.
- now move the other column and row borders closer. it doesnt have to be perfect just closer together.
- You should be left with an uneven grid that look somewhat like a square.
- While the table is still selcted go to the Table layout section
- Click on Distribute Columns
- Doing this will even out the space between the columns
- Repeat the process for the rows but this time select Distribute Rows.
You should now have a perfect grid. Once the grid is done you can start filling in the words to search.
Check out How to double space in word online?
How to add words in a word search grid?
When it comes to adding words in a word search grid follow the following steps.
- Start with arranging the words from the list you have already prepared.
- The words need to be arranged one letter per box in any direction. Left to right, right to left, top to bottom, bottom to top or diagonal.
- Now fill in the blank cells with random letters.
Note: It is a good idea to take a picture or save a copy before adding in random letters.
Once you are done with creating the word search it should look something like this. you can then leave the gridlines or remove them if you choose to remove the gridlines here is how it is done.
- After the word search grid is complete select the entire table.
- Go to Table Design
- Now click on the Border Selection section
- You can from here choose from the various border styles available or click on No Border to remove all the borders.
The final word search grid will look something like this. You can choose to download the document from one drive. If you are unsure about how to download a file check out our tutorial article on How to save a Microsoft word document online?
How do I make a word search online on my phone?
Making a word search on the phone is not as difficult as it sounds. Here is how you can do it on your android device.
- Open a new document in word online. you can do this by using the application or by logging on office online from the browser.
- You can now choose the editing options by tapig on the edit sign on the top right portion of the screen
- The editing menu will open at the bottom of the screen
- Tap the Home key and you will have an extended menu
- Choose Insert
- Under the insert tab click on table.
- A default table will pop up on the screen.
- Mores rows and columns can be added to the table by selecting the Insert option in the Table menu.
To create a word search the default table will need to be formatted. The next section takes you through the formatting process.
Before formatting the table it is important to make a list of all the words you would like to add to the word search. This will give you a fair idea of the number of boxes required.
Read How to convert a word file to PDF for free online
Formatting a table on Android devices
Follow these steps to format tables on your android device to make a word search grid.
- The first step towards formatting the table after adding the required number of rows and columns is adjusting the cell size. For this, select the Cell size option under Table
- One you select Cell Size you will get an option to type in the desired size.
- The text alignment in the cells can be changed by selecting the Alignment option under the Table menu. For Word searches it is better to have the text aligned in the centre.
Once you have the table ready, the desired cell size and alignment are in place along with the font size and type. You are ready to add in the data or the words to include in your word search.
Read How to set default font in word online
Adding words to a word search table on an android device
when it comes to adding words in a worse search grid on the phone follow these steps. It is better to have a list of words that you want to add to the grid ready beforehand.
- Start by typing in the words one letter per box. the words can be entered in almost any direction. top to bootm, left to right, bottom to top, right to left or across.
- Once all the words are enterd cross check to see that all the words on your list are covered.
- Now fill in the blank spaced with random letters to complete the grid.
- You can do by goin up and down the keyboard.
- Be careful not to put in letters in boxes that are occupied.
- Now select the entire table and allign the text to the centre if its not done already.
Most word search grids do not have gridlines. Here is how you can edit the table in a way that you do not see gridlines running across the table.
- Select the entire table by clicking on the first cell and moving the blue tabs across the table.
- Go to the Table in your editing menu and select Table styles.
- The Table Styles option will give you various options. You can either choose one that is completely free of gridlines of one that has just the borders. You could also choose one that has different colors and shading options.
once you are done with adding the words and formatting the table you can save it to drive. this can then be either printed or sent out using the link.
Read How to sign a document in Word Online?
How to add a word search grid to word online on iOS device?
To create a word search grid on word online on your iOS follow these steps.
- Open a new document and select the edit option
- Now insert a Table from the insert section. Home > Insert > Table
- You can then add or subract the number of rows and columns to fit in the words you would like to add.
- Format the table using the formatting tools
- You can now add the words to to the table one letter a cell
- Fill in the blank cells with random letters
- Format the table to centre allign the content
- You can also remove the gridlines or add shading and colors to the table
Read How to insert a table of content in word online
Frequently asked questions
Yes, if you do not want to go through the trouble of creating a table and editing it you can create the grid in Excel. Once you have everything on an excel sheet simply copy the content and paste it onto your word online document.
To add a word search gird to a word online document on a Mac OS device open the document > insert a table from the home tab > customize the table as per your requirements > add the letters corresponding to the words you want to include > finally fill in all the remaining cells with random letters.
Yes, after creating a word search on word online you can either print it or share it using the link. To print go to File > Print. You can also save the word search as a PDF using the print option to convert the document. This way you can print the file later if required.
Be sure to print the solved version of the word search and do not forget to include the words to be searched on the same page.
Hope you found this tutorial helpful. It took you through
- How do I make a word search online?
- Making a word search on word online
- Customizing a table to form a word search grid
- Resizing a table to form a word search grid
- How to add words in a word search grid?
- How do I make a word search online on my phone?
- Formatting a table on Android devices
- Adding words to a word search table on an android device
- How to add a word search grid to word online on an iOS device?
- Is there an easier way to add a word search grid to Word?
- How to add a word search grid using Mac OS?
- Can you print word search from word online?
Check out other tutorial articles here
- How to insert a cover page in word online
- How to add borders in word online?
- How to view edit history in word online
My name is Carissa Gudino and I am an expert in word online, using Word Online in my day-to-day tasks. In this blog, I will share with you tips and tutorials on how to use word online to its fullest potential. I work for various clients in various countries like the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, etc. My tutorials are designed to help beginners, as well as more experienced users, learn new tricks and tips on Microsoft word online. Check out more.
