Do you love to sit down and do word search puzzles? If so, you should keep on doing them for as long as you possibly can!
Doing word puzzles is a fantastic way to keep your mind sharp. Even if you only do an easy word search every now and then, it’ll be better for your mind than you might think.
The better you are at figuring out how to solve word searches fast, though, the more good they’re going to do you. It’s why you should learn all about how to find words in a word search so that you’re able to complete them on the quicker side.
Today, we’re going to set you up with seven word search tips that will make your word search puzzles even more fun than they already are. Take a look at these tips below and begin putting them to good use right away.
1. Avoid Looking at the Word List for a Word Search Puzzle Right at First
When you first sit down to do word search puzzles, you might be tempted to turn your attention to the word lists for them first. It’s typically the first thing that people look at when they’re getting ready to start word search games.
It’s not going to be the end of the world if you do this. But you should try to resist the urge to do it and see which words you can find in a word search puzzle without the list.
When you start scanning through a word search puzzle without knowing any of the words in it, you might stumble upon quite a few of them right away without any effort on your part.
2. Scan Each Line in a Word Search Puzzle From Left to Right and From Top to Bottom
When you’re trying to finish a word search puzzle fast, you might try to rush through looking for the words in it. As a result, you might overlook some words that are staring you right in the face.
Rather than rushing, you should approach word search puzzles very systematically. You’re going to want to start at the top left of the word search puzzle and work your way across and then down.
You’ll get better results when you take this approach as opposed to just haphazardly looking all over the place for words. You’re going to be able to find the bulk of the words in a word search puzzle by taking your time and letting the words come to you.
3. Look Out for Any Strange Letters in a Word Search Puzzle
Do any of the words on the word list for a word search puzzle have, say, a “Q,” “Z,” or “X” in them? If they do, you shouldn’t have too much trouble tracking them down.
These strange letters are only going to appear in a word search puzzle a couple of times at most. If you’re able to locate them, you should be able to find the words that contain them.
4. See If You Can Find Any Letter Pairs in a Word Search Puzzle
In addition to looking for strange letters in a word search puzzle, you should also look for certain letter pairs like “TH,” “ST,” and “PR.” It’s often easier to find letter pairs versus individual letters when you’re on the hunt for them.
A “T” is only going to be connected to an “H” so many times within a word search puzzle. This should make it a little simpler for you to find a word with “TH” in it.
5. Use Your Fingers to Focus In on Specific Letters in a Word Search Puzzle
Regardless of how often you do word search puzzles, your eyes aren’t ever going to get used to processing a big block of letters all at one time. You’re going to have better luck trying to break a puzzle down into smaller blocks of letters that are easier to consume.
You should get into the habit of using your finger to focus in on different letters in a word search puzzle. It’ll allow your brain to process all of the letters that you’re seeing more effectively.
6. Remember to Cross Off Any Words You Find in a Word Search Puzzle
Is there anything worse than spending several minutes trying to find a word in a word search puzzle only to realize that—d’oh!—you already found the word but just forgot to cross it off the list? It can be infuriating.
You can steer clear of having this happen to you by being diligent about marking off the words that you find in a word search puzzle. You should cross them off your list right after you find them to avoid forgetting.
7. Take a Break From a Word Search Puzzle and Come Back to It Later When Necessary
When you reach the tail end of a word search puzzle, you’ll only have one or two words left to find. But those one or two words might take you longer to find than all the other words on your list!
If you’re stuck and just can’t find a word no matter how hard you try to look for it, you should take a break from a word search puzzle and revisit it in a little while. You’ll be able to clear your mind so that you can conduct a more thorough search later.
Utilize These Tips to Finish Word Search Puzzles Faster
Doing word search puzzles shouldn’t feel like a race to you. You don’t want to rush through them and fail to have any fun.
But at the same time, you will get some satisfaction out of finishing word search puzzles fast. It’s why you should put some of the word search tips found here to the test. They’ll have you hurrying your way through word search puzzles in no time at all.
Want to find out about some other things you could be doing right now to keep your mind sharp? Learn about them by browsing around on our blog.