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
cat hat map bag jam van fan ant hand sand lamp flag crab clap glad apple basket rabbit cactus backpack
Twenty words with the short a sound, like cat, jam, flag and backpack. There are 20 words and 83 letters to find. The longest word is "backpack", at 8 letters. No word on the list uses O, Q, W, X, Y and Z.
The words by length
| Length | How many | Words |
|---|---|---|
| 3 letters | 8 | cat hat map bag jam van fan ant |
| 4 letters | 7 | hand sand lamp flag crab clap glad |
| 5 letters | 1 | apple |
| 6 letters | 3 | basket rabbit cactus |
| 8 letters | 1 | backpack |
A shorter puzzle of ten
Choose "10 short words" beside the heading for a smaller grid with these ten: cat, hat, map, bag, jam, van, fan, ant, hand and sand. None has more than 4 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. Backpack, basket and rabbit take up the most room, so they are the easiest to spot.
- 4 words start with C. When you find a C, check it for cat, crab, clap and cactus.
- 3 words start with B. When you find a B, check it for bag, basket and backpack.
- Look for doubled letters. Two of the same letter side by side stand out in a grid: apple and rabbit.
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.
It fits a rainy afternoon at the kitchen table or a quiet ten minutes after reading time. Circle every letter a in red once the words are found, then count the red rings.
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
Short E · Short I · Short O · Short U · Long A · Long E · Long I · Long O · Long U · SH words · CH words · TH words · WH words · Bossy R · Double letters · All word searches · Word search maker
Questions
What words are in the Short A word search?
Cat, hat, map, bag, jam, van, fan, ant, hand, sand, lamp, flag, crab, clap, glad, apple, basket, rabbit, cactus and backpack.
Is there an easier Short A word search?
Yes. Choose "10 short words" for a smaller puzzle with cat, hat, map, bag, jam, van, fan, ant, hand and sand. 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 Short A word search free?
Yes. There are no ads and nothing to sign up for.