Make a crossword puzzle from your own clues
A good crossword starts with good clues, and those are yours to write. This crossword maker handles the fiddly part: it takes your list, tries dozens of layouts, and keeps the one where the most words interlock in the most compact grid. Every word crosses at least one other, the numbering follows the standard reading order, and the clues are split into Across and Down for you.
Write one entry per line as `word | clue`. Answers can be phrases; spaces and punctuation are removed in the grid, and the letter count is printed after each clue. You can paste two columns from a spreadsheet, since a tab works as a separator too.
What the crossword generator does (and does not do)
It builds a freeform, school-style crossword: the white squares form one connected shape, and no two words touch side by side to make accidental extra words. It is not a newspaper-style symmetric grid filled from a dictionary. That kind of puzzle needs thousands of candidate words and does not suit a classroom list.
Sometimes a word cannot be fitted, usually because it shares no letters with the rest, or only awkward ones like Q or Z. When that happens you get a plain message naming the word. You can press New layout to try again, allow a larger grid, or swap the word. We never drop a word silently or print a broken grid.
Tips for a crossword that solves well
Between 10 and 25 words gives the best grids. Mix long and short answers: long words form the backbone and short ones fill gaps. Clues are best when they test one idea ("Gas plants give off" rather than "Oxygen"). For younger solvers, turn on the word bank so the task becomes placing known words.
The puzzle prints with a name line, the grid, and the clues on one page when they fit. If the clue list is long it moves to a second page automatically. The solution prints separately with every answer filled in and listed by number. Nothing is uploaded; your clues stay in your browser.
Questions people ask
How many words should a crossword have?
Ten to twenty-five is ideal. Fewer than eight tends to make a sparse grid; more than thirty makes the grid large and the clues spill onto a second page.
Why was one of my words left out?
It could not cross any other word in a legal way, often because it has uncommon letters. The maker names any word it could not place. Try New layout, choose a larger grid, or add a word that shares letters with it.
Can I make a crossword without clues?
The crossword maker expects clues, and it flags any that are missing. If you just want to fit words into a grid without clues, use the fill-in (kriss-kross) puzzle maker instead.
Is the numbering standard?
Yes. Squares are numbered left to right, top to bottom, wherever an Across or Down answer starts. Where an Across and a Down answer start in the same square, they share the number.
Can I print the answers?
Yes. Print solution gives a separate page with the filled grid and every answer listed under Across and Down.
Does it support other languages?
Letters A–Z only for now. Accented letters are turned into plain letters (é becomes E), which works for most Spanish and French vocabulary but not for other alphabets.
Is it really free?
Yes, with no account and no watermark. It runs entirely in your browser.