One Word Search
Rate itFind one hidden five-letter word at a time in a small grid, ten times over.
on puzzlist.com
One Word Search is a word search with no word list: a 5x5 grid of letters hides one five-letter word, across, down, diagonal or backwards, and you swipe it when you see it. Each word you find drops out of the grid and fresh letters slide in, until ten words are found. A new numbered search comes each day, with an archive of earlier ones.
About One Word Search
One Word Search turns the newspaper word search inside out. Instead of a long list of words to tick off in a big grid, you get a small square of 25 letters and no list at all: only the knowledge that one five-letter word is hidden there. It might run across, down or diagonally, and it might run backwards.
Because you do not know what you are looking for, the puzzle becomes a scan for anything that reads as a word, with decoy letters that tempt you into near misses. When you swipe the word, its letters leave the grid, the rows shift and new letters arrive, and the hunt starts again. A day's search runs to ten words.
The clock starts when you find the first word but is hidden by default to keep the game relaxed; it can be shown in the settings. At the end you get a star rating and a comparison with other players, and the game keeps your streaks and statistics. Earlier days can be played from the archive.
The game lives on Puzzlist, a small site of daily word puzzles, and is still reachable at onewordsearch.com. It is free to play with no sign-up, with a banner ad below the grid.
How to play One Word Search
- Look over the 5x5 grid of letters.
- Find the hidden five-letter word; it may run across, down or diagonally, forwards or backwards.
- Swipe across its letters in a line to mark it.
- Watch the word drop out and new letters fill the grid, then look for the next word.
- Keep going until all ten words are found, then check your stars and come back tomorrow, or play past days in the archive.
Screenshots
Tips
- Scan each row, column and diagonal both ways rather than hunting for a particular word.
- Look for common endings such as -ER, -ED and -ES and read outwards from them.
- Rare letters like Z, J or V are often decoys placed to tempt you.
- After each word, look first at the new letters: the next word often runs through them.
Questions
How many words are in One Word Search?
Ten a day. Only one five-letter word is hidden at a time; once you find it, new letters come in and another word can be found.
Can the word be backwards or diagonal?
Yes, it can run horizontally, vertically or diagonally, in either direction.
Is it timed?
The clock starts with your first word, but it is hidden unless you turn it on in the settings.
Can I play earlier days?
Yes, past daily searches are in the archive.
Ratings and reviews
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