Generate a word search from any PDF.
We lift the key vocabulary out of your document and hide it in a letter grid — across, down and diagonally. Drag across a word to find it, or print the puzzle as a worksheet.
✓ Free✓ No sign-up✓ File never leaves your device
Step 1 — add a document
No file handy? Try a sample
Step 2 — pick a game
How it works.
- 01
Add your PDF or paste the text.
- 02
Single-word key terms are chosen and placed in a 10×10 to 14×14 grid.
- 03
Drag from the first letter to the last to circle a word.
- 04
Print the grid with its word list for class.
Why play your notes?
Spelling & recognition
Hunting for “TRANSPIRATION” letter by letter fixes the spelling of long technical words.
Printable
One click gives a clean black-and-white worksheet sized for A4 or Letter.
Best for
- Teachers making a vocabulary worksheet
- Younger learners
- Spelling of technical terms
Six ways to play a document.
Questions.
Q1Can I print the word search?
Yes. Press “Print worksheet” — only the grid and word list are printed.
Q2Why are some terms missing?
Only single words with letters A–Z between 4 and 11 characters fit a grid cleanly, so multi-word phrases and numbers are skipped.
Q3Is my PDF uploaded to a server?
No. The PDF is opened by PDF.js inside your browser tab, the text is analysed on your device, and the game is built locally. Nothing is sent to PDFGame or anyone else, and closing the tab forgets it.
Q4Which PDFs work best?
Text-based PDFs: lecture notes, textbook chapters, articles, manuals, study guides. Scanned pages that are only images contain no text to read, so run them through OCR first. Plain .txt files and pasted text work too.
Q5Is it free?
Yes. There is no account, no limit on files and no watermark. The site is supported by ads on the page, never inside the game.