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
sun bug cup bus mud rug nut hug run fun bun duck drum jump plum truck brush puppy summer umbrella
A list full of the short u sound, with sun, bug, duck, drum and umbrella among the twenty. There are 20 words and 78 letters to find. The longest word is "umbrella", at 8 letters. No word on the list uses I, O, Q, V, W, X and Z.
The words by length
| Length | How many | Words |
|---|---|---|
| 3 letters | 11 | sun bug cup bus mud rug nut hug run fun bun |
| 4 letters | 4 | duck drum jump plum |
| 5 letters | 3 | truck brush puppy |
| 6 letters | 1 | summer |
| 8 letters | 1 | umbrella |
A shorter puzzle of ten
Choose "10 short words" beside the heading for a smaller grid with these ten: sun, bug, cup, bus, mud, rug, nut, hug, run and fun. None has more than 3 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. Umbrella, summer and truck take up the most room, so they are the easiest to spot.
- 4 words start with B. When you find a B, check it for bug, bus, bun and brush.
- Look for doubled letters. Two of the same letter side by side stand out in a grid: puppy, summer and umbrella.
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.
Good for a muddy day indoors or the last few minutes before the bus comes. Underline the u in every word, then draw a duck under an umbrella beside the puzzle.
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 A · Short E · Short I · Short O · 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 U word search?
Sun, bug, cup, bus, mud, rug, nut, hug, run, fun, bun, duck, drum, jump, plum, truck, brush, puppy, summer and umbrella.
Is there an easier Short U word search?
Yes. Choose "10 short words" for a smaller puzzle with sun, bug, cup, bus, mud, rug, nut, hug, run and fun. 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 U word search free?
Yes. There are no ads and nothing to sign up for.