Free printable number search puzzles

Number Words Word Search

Pick a list of number words, choose what the clue list shows, then find the words on screen or print the word search with its answer key.

A number words word search is a letter grid with spelled-out number words hidden in it, such as ONE, TWO and THREE. This number word search runs in your web browser. It is free, needs no sign-up, and nothing you make is uploaded or sent to a server.

Children practise reading and spelling number names as they search for each word. You can choose English 1-10, 1-20 or 1-100, English ordinals, numbers on a clock, math number words, or Spanish and French lists. Set the grid size and difficulty, then play online or print a puzzle with an answer key. Use it as a number word find for a classroom warm-up, a numbers word search for home practice, or a number word search generator that makes a new puzzle each time.

  1. Open the Word list menu and pick a list. English 1-10 is the default.
  2. For the 1-100 lists, set How many words between 3 and 30. The words are picked at random.
  3. Choose The list shows: The word (seven), The number (harder) (7, so the child must spell the word), or Number and word (7 – seven, the default).
  4. Set the Grid size from 8x8 to 18x18. If you leave it alone, the grid grows with the list.
  5. Choose a difficulty. Easy is the default.
  6. To play, click or tap the first letter of an answer, then the last letter. A found answer is circled and crossed off the list. Keep an eye on the Found x of y line and the timer.
  7. Press Reveal one if you are stuck. Press Show answers to see them all, then Hide answers to turn them off.
  8. To print, pick Letter or A4, then Print puzzle + answer key or Print puzzle only. Choose Save as PDF in the print window if you want a file.

The arrow keys move around the grid. Press Enter or Space to mark the first and last character, and Esc to cancel. Copy link copies the page address, which holds all your settings, so anyone with the link gets the same puzzle. The game is saved in this browser, so reloading the same link continues it.

The words come from the list you choose. English 1-10 hides ONE to TEN, while English ordinals hide FIRST to TWENTIETH. Other lists cover tens such as TWENTY and NINETY with HUNDRED, a clock list with ONE to TWELVE plus O’CLOCK (hidden as OCLOCK), HALF, QUARTER, MINUTE and HOUR, and math words such as ZERO, DOZEN, THOUSAND, EVEN and ODD.

In the grid, words are written in capitals without spaces, hyphens or accents. Spanish treinta y uno is hidden as TREINTAYUNO, and French quatre-vingt-dix-neuf as QUATREVINGTDIXNEUF. The list keeps the correct spelling, so the child can check how each word is written. Words can also sit inside other words, such as NINE in NINETEEN or SIX in SIXTEEN. Every word still appears once where it was placed on its own.

Yes. Choose Spanish 1-20, Spanish 1-100, French 1-20 or French 1-100 from the Word list menu. The 1-100 lists pick words at random, so use How many words to set how many appear. The spellings follow standard forms. In Spanish, 16 is dieciséis, 21 is veintiuno and 100 is cien. In French, 17 is dix-sept, 21 is vingt et un, 70 is soixante-dix, 80 is quatre-vingts and 100 is cent.

Accents and spaces are removed only in the grid, so the list still shows the accents that a learner needs to copy.

How do I make a number word search harder?

Change several settings together. Difficulty sets the directions the answers can run. Easy runs only left to right and top to bottom, and answers never overlap. Medium adds the two diagonals that go right. Hard uses all eight directions, including backwards, and answers may cross.

Next, set The list shows to The number (harder), so the child must spell out the word from a numeral. Then use a bigger grid, or pick English 1-100 with 20 or more words. Words with no numeral, such as quarter or fraction, always show as a word, so they stay the same on every setting.

Frequently asked questions

Can I print the number word search with the answer key?

Yes. Choose Print puzzle + answer key to get the puzzle page and then an answer page with the answers circled. Choose Print puzzle only if you want the grid alone.

Is the number word search free?

Yes. It runs in your browser, is free, and needs no sign-up. Nothing you create is uploaded or sent to a server.

Which list is easiest for young children?

Start with English 1-10, Easy difficulty and Number and word. The numerals next to each word help children link the digit with its name. When that feels easy, move to English 1-20 and then to Medium difficulty.

Can I come back to the same puzzle later?

Yes. Use Copy link to save the address, which holds all your settings and a seed, so it opens the same puzzle again. The game is also saved in this browser, so reloading the same link continues it, though only one saved game is kept at a time.

What does “Found x of y” mean?

It shows how many answers you have found out of the total in the puzzle. When every answer is found, the tool shows “Puzzle complete” with the time in mm:ss.