Spanish Word Searches

Reinforce your core Spanish vocabulary with this fun language game! Take advantage of the full iPad screen to play unlimited interactive Spanish word searches with any combination of the 20+ Spanish vocabulary topics (1,400+ Spanish words) included in the app. With coverage of both Peninsular (Spain) and Mexican Spanish, the app is suitable for learners either side of the pond!

Clues are presented in English and you must find the corresponding Spanish words (or request a prompt if you are unsure). Word searches are constructed at random to suit your chosen vocabulary and options: no two word searches are alike!

TOPIC AND LANGUAGE SELECTION

On starting the app, you are presented with the topic selection screen. Tap a topic to toggle it on/off, or keep the topic pressed for 1 second to select it as the single topic to use. (Use the “Select all topics” button to re-select all topics.)

The background shows you which variety of Spanish you will be playing with: a Spanish flag indicates Peninsular Spanish, and a Mexican flag indicates Mexican Spanish, chosen as a commonly studied example of Latin American Spanish. Tap the flags button towards the bottom right of the screen to toggle between Peninsular and Mexican Spanish.

OPTIONS

On the same screen, you may toggle the following options on/off independently:

-Allow words diagonally: if selected, will allow words diagonally, either up or down. Otherwise, words will only be allowed orthogonally (across and down). If selected on its own, without the following option, then “diagonal” words go either north-east or south-east.

-Allow words backwards: if selected on its own, will allow words across and down, either forwards (left to right and down) or backwards (right to left or up). If selected in addition to the previous option, words will be allowed in all four diagonal directions.

PLAY

Once play has started, you are presented with the letter grid in the main part of the screen along with clues (English translations) at the bottom of the screen, corresponding to the Spanish words hidden in the grid. The grid consists only of capital letters without accents, although Ñ and N are differentiated.

Words can be found in any order.
When you find a word, tap and hold down your finger on the first letter of the word, then drag the “balloon” to the last letter of the word before releasing. If you have correctly identified the Spanish word corresponding to one of the English clues, then that clue will be crossed off in the list and the Spanish word will remain highlighted in the grid.

If you unsure of a particular word, press the “?” in the top-right of the screen. With the “?” flashing, tap the clue in question. The corresponding Spanish word (which you must find in the grid) will appear at the top of the screen.

END OF GAME

If you successfully find all of the hidden words, then the words and accompanying clues will begin to flash red in sequence. At this stage, you can tap any word in the grid to remind yourself of the exact Spanish spelling, complete with accents.