20 words are hidden in the letters, or ten short ones for a first try. Tap the first letter of a word, then its last letter.
The 20 words
map globe compass north south east west key legend scale symbol route road city state country grid atlas landmark direction
Map words including compass, legend, scale and symbol, the four directions, and places such as city, state and country. There are 20 words and 104 letters to find. The longest word is "direction", at 9 letters. No word on the list uses F, J, Q, V, X and Z.
The words by length
| Length | How many | Words |
|---|---|---|
| 3 letters | 2 | map key |
| 4 letters | 5 | east west road city grid |
| 5 letters | 7 | globe north south scale route state atlas |
| 6 letters | 2 | legend symbol |
| 7 letters | 2 | compass country |
| 8 letters | 1 | landmark |
| 9 letters | 1 | direction |
A shorter puzzle of ten
Choose "10 short words" beside the heading for a smaller grid with these ten: map, globe, north, south, east, west, key, road, city and grid. None has more than 5 letters. On a phone the full puzzle takes twelve of the 20, so the letters stay big enough to tap.
Hints for this puzzle
- Start with the longest words. Direction, landmark and compass take up the most room, so they are the easiest to spot.
- 4 words start with S. When you find an S, check it for south, scale, symbol and state.
- 3 words start with C. When you find a C, check it for compass, city and country.
- Look for doubled letters. Two of the same letter side by side stand out in a grid: compass.
Play it or print it
On the screen, tap the first letter of a word and then its last letter, and the word is crossed off the list. Easy hides words across and down, Medium adds corner to corner, and Hard adds backwards. Press Print for two pages, the puzzle and its answer key, and "New puzzle" for the same words in new places. The word search maker page explains how each grid is made and kept clean.
Use it before a treasure hunt, a road trip, or a walk with a paper map of the neighborhood. Draw a compass rose in a corner and note whether each found word runs north, south, east or west across the page.
The same words on bingo cards and flash cards
The bingo card generator deals these words onto cards, each one a different mix, and the flash cards page prints them eight to a sheet.
More word searches
Continents and oceans · Landforms · Countries · Water cycle · Recycling · Rocks · Volcanoes · Light · Sound · Electricity · Magnets · Life cycles · Habitats · All word searches · Word search maker
Questions
What words are in the maps word search?
Map, globe, compass, north, south, east, west, key, legend, scale, symbol, route, road, city, state, country, grid, atlas, landmark and direction.
Is there an easier maps word search?
Yes. Choose "10 short words" for a smaller puzzle with map, globe, north, south, east, west, key, road, city and grid. On Easy, words only run across and down.
Can I print it with an answer key?
Yes. Press Print for two pages: the puzzle and its answer key. Each press of "New puzzle" makes a different sheet.
Is the maps word search free?
Yes. There are no ads and nothing to sign up for.