How to hide a solution word in your crossword
- Enter the words of your crossword, each with a clue, until the grid is complete.
- Type the solution word into the hidden word field and check that every letter got a circled square.
- Print the puzzle with its row of solution boxes and keep the answer key for checking.
Write the puzzle first. Enter your words and clues, one pair per row, until the grid holds everything you want in it. Then type the solution word into the hidden solution word field under the list. It can be up to 20 letters long, and spaces and hyphens are ignored, so a short phrase such as HAPPY HOLIDAYS works too.
The generator now looks through the letters already in the grid and picks one square for every letter of the solution, in order. It prefers squares that belong to a single word, because a crossing letter can be found from two clues and would give the answer away too easily, and it spreads the picks across the whole grid instead of bunching them in one corner. Each chosen square gets a small circled number: 1 for the first letter of the solution, 2 for the second, and so on.
A letter the grid does not have cannot be marked. The editor names any letter that is missing, and a letter that appears twice in the solution needs two squares with that letter. Add a word that contains it, swap one of your words for another, or pick a different solution, and the marks update straight away.
Choosing a good solution word
The solution is the payoff, so make it worth the effort: the topic of next week's lesson, the place where the family is going on holiday, the name of the birthday guest, the code that opens the last box of a treasure hunt. Five to twelve letters suit a grid of eight to fifteen words; a longer solution needs a fuller grid to find all its letters.
Common letters are easy to place, while J, Q, X and Z need a word that contains them. If your solution has a rare letter, write that word into the list on purpose. Avoid using the solution itself as one of the answers, or the puzzle solves itself. A solution that is related to the theme but not obvious from it keeps solvers guessing until the last box.
How solvers find the word, on paper and in the answer key
On the printed puzzle page, a row of empty boxes sits under the grid, one for each letter of the solution and numbered like the circles. Solvers fill in the crossword as usual, then copy each circled letter into the box with the same number. Many will start guessing the word from the first few letters, which is half the fun.
The answer key, which always starts on a new page, shows the filled grid with the circles in place and the solution word written out. Hand out the puzzle and keep the key for checking, or print the key separately for whoever announces the winner. This is the format of the prize puzzles found in magazines and newspapers, and it works just as well for a classroom, a party game or an escape room.
Frequently asked questions
What is a crossword with a hidden solution word?
It is a crossword with a second puzzle inside. Some squares of the grid carry circled numbers, and once the crossword is solved, the letters in those squares, read in number order, spell a word. Puzzle magazines often use it for prize competitions, and in classrooms it is a quick way to check that the whole grid was solved.
How long can the hidden word be?
Up to 20 letters. Spaces and hyphens do not count and get no box, so you can hide two or three short words as one phrase. Every letter needs its own square in the grid, so a long solution works best with a puzzle of ten or more words.
What happens if a letter of the solution is not in my crossword?
The editor tells you which letter has no square, and the rest of the solution stays marked. Add a word that contains the missing letter, replace one of your words, or choose another solution word. The same applies when a letter appears more often in the solution than in the grid.
Can I choose which squares hold the solution letters?
The generator chooses them for you: squares that belong to only one word, spread out across the grid. If you would like the circles somewhere else, press the button for another layout. Your words are arranged differently and the solution letters are picked again.
Does the answer key show the solution word?
Yes. The answer key repeats the circles in the filled grid and writes out the full solution word, so whoever checks the puzzles does not have to work it out again.
Can I make a hidden word crossword in German, Polish or another language?
Yes. Every letter, accented letter or character takes one square, so a solution such as LÖSUNGSWORT or HASŁO is marked letter by letter like any English word. The grid shows capitals according to the rules of the language you write in.