WonderWord
Rate itThe long-running daily themed word search with a hidden answer in the leftover letters.
on gocomics.com
WonderWord is a daily themed word search syndicated by Andrews McMeel Universal since 1980 and first published in 1970. You circle the listed words in the letter grid, hidden in every direction, and the letters left over spell the day's WonderWord. It is played on GoComics Puzzles with a subscription and printed in many newspapers.
About WonderWord
WonderWord was created by the Canadian author Jo Ouellet and first entered syndication in Edmonton and Montreal in 1970. Universal Press Syndicate, now Andrews McMeel Universal, has distributed it since 1980, and it runs in hundreds of North American newspapers. On the web it is one of the Puzzle Society games on GoComics.
Each day's grid is a word search on a theme, about 15 letters square on weekdays and larger on Sundays. The Puzzle Society calls it a true test of word-finding savvy: the words are hidden every which way, including upside down, backwards, diagonally and upside-down-backwards-diagonally. In the game's art, PASSERINE runs across, GROUND runs up, and COMICAL reads backwards along the top.
The twist is the ending. When every listed word is circled, the letters you never used, read in order, spell a final answer that fits the theme: the day's WonderWord. That gives the search a goal beyond ticking off the list.
WonderWord is included with a GoComics subscription, beside the Puzzle Society's plainer Universal Word Search.
How to play WonderWord
- Open WonderWord on the GoComics puzzles page and sign in with a GoComics subscription.
- Read the day's theme and its list of words.
- Find each word in the grid, in any direction, and drag across it to circle it.
- When every word is found, read the leftover letters in order to spell the WonderWord.
Tips
- Start with long words and those with rare letters; they are the easiest to spot.
- Check every direction, including backwards and diagonally upwards: WonderWord hides words all ways.
- Before the end, look at the uncircled letters: you may guess the WonderWord early from the theme.
Questions
What is the WonderWord?
The hidden answer spelled, in order, by the letters left over once every listed word has been circled.
Who created WonderWord?
The Canadian author Jo Ouellet; it was first syndicated in 1970 and has been distributed by Andrews McMeel Universal (then Universal Press Syndicate) since 1980.
Is WonderWord free?
On GoComics it is part of the subscription. Many newspapers print it.
Can I play earlier WonderWord puzzles?
Yes. The Puzzle Society says its games on GoComics keep a new level every day along with the whole archive, for subscribers.
Ratings and reviews
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