A word search or word seek puzzle is a generic word game that consists of seemingly random letters arranged in a square or rectangular grid. The object of the game is to find all of the words hidden in the grid as quickly as possible. Words may be hidden vertically, horizonatly or diagonally within the grid. Words are normally arranged so that they can be read from left to right or top to bottom, rather than the opposite. Sometimes a list of hidden words is provided, but more challenging puzzles may let the player figure them out. Most word seek puzzles also have a common theme to which all the hidden words are related.

Word searches are commonly found in daily newspapers and newstand puzzle books. Some teachers use them as educational tools for children.