Countries Word Search
A geography word search with 10 countries from five continents, plus two fixed printable puzzles: eight short country names for beginners and a 15 x 15 challenge with 16 longer ones.
Two printable countries puzzles
These two puzzles are fixed: the grid is the same every time, so you can print identical sheets for a class or a party. Each has a word list, a Show answers button, a Print button and a printable answer key. Download both as a PDF (with answer keys)
Countries Word Search 1: Short Country Names
A 10 x 10 puzzle for beginners. Eight short words, hidden across, down and diagonally down to the right only.
Name: ____________________ Date: ______________
Countries Word Search 1: Short Country Names: answer key
- CHINA: row 2, column 2, across to the right
- CUBA: row 3, column 1, across to the right
- FIJI: row 3, column 5, across to the right
- GHANA: row 1, column 2, diagonally down and to the right
- ITALY: row 3, column 6, down
- LAOS: row 5, column 5, across to the right
- MALI: row 5, column 2, diagonally down and to the right
- PERU: row 9, column 2, across to the right
Countries Word Search 2: Countries Challenge
A 15 x 15 puzzle with sixteen longer words, hidden in every direction, including backwards and up.
Name: ____________________ Date: ______________
Countries Word Search 2: Countries Challenge: answer key
- ARGENTINA: row 1, column 2, diagonally down and to the right
- AUSTRALIA: row 3, column 10, diagonally down and to the left
- ECUADOR: row 7, column 15, diagonally down and to the left
- ESTONIA: row 1, column 15, across to the left
- GERMANY: row 8, column 12, up
- ICELAND: row 4, column 7, across to the left
- JAMAICA: row 9, column 15, diagonally down and to the left
- MOROCCO: row 9, column 11, up
- NIGERIA: row 5, column 2, down
- POLAND: row 9, column 1, up
- PORTUGAL: row 11, column 8, across to the left
- SWEDEN: row 2, column 5, down
- TANZANIA: row 1, column 13, down
- THAILAND: row 12, column 8, across to the left
- TURKEY: row 14, column 9, diagonally up and to the right
- VIETNAM: row 12, column 9, up
About this countries word search
A countries word search is a quick way to practice the spelling of places that students meet on a map or in the news. The ten default words, France, Japan, Brazil, Canada, Egypt, Kenya, Spain, Norway, Mexico and India, come from five continents: Europe, Asia, Africa, North America and South America. Nothing from Oceania is in the default list, which gives teachers a ready question: which continent is missing?
The easy puzzle uses short names that are quick to spot, such as Peru, Cuba and Fiji, while the challenge puzzle brings in longer names such as Argentina, Tanzania and Australia, so it does cover Oceania. A good routine is to solve the puzzle with an atlas open and locate each country as it is found, or to ask students to write the capital next to each word on the answer key.
Country names with two words, such as New Zealand or Sri Lanka, appear in the grid as one run of letters, and accents are dropped, so Mexico, Norway and Spain are straightforward but names with special characters will be simplified. Build your own list with the generator for a region, such as the countries of Africa, or the members of an organization you are studying.
Word notes
- Brazil: the largest country in South America, where Portuguese is the main language.
- Canada: the second largest country in the world by area.
- Egypt: in north-east Africa, with part of its territory in Asia; home to the Nile.
- Kenya: an East African country that the equator passes through.
- Japan: an island nation in East Asia made up of thousands of islands.
- Norway: a northern European country with a long coastline of fjords.
- Spain: occupies most of the Iberian Peninsula in south-west Europe.
Vocabulary tip
Capitals make a good second step: ask students to write the capital city of each country beside the word once they have found it. For a harder task, give them the capitals first and ask them to find the countries.
Difficulty guide
- Generator (default list). The 10 words run from 5 letters (japan, egypt, kenya, spain and india) to 6 letters (france, brazil, canada, norway and mexico), 5.5 letters on average and 55 letters in all, which fills about 28% of the default 14 x 14 grid. On the default Medium setting, words can run in five directions. Choose Easy for across, down and diagonal-right only, or Hard to add backwards and upwards.
- Easy puzzle. 8 words of 4 to 5 letters in a 10 x 10 grid, with nothing hidden backwards or upwards.
- Challenge puzzle. 16 words of 6 to 9 letters in a 15 x 15 grid, with 12 of them hidden backwards or upwards. Argentina and Australia, at 9 letters, are the longest names in the challenge, and Thailand, Poland and Iceland all end in -AND, so a row can look right before it is.
Ways to use it
- Solve with an atlas open and mark each country on a blank map as it is found.
- Have students sort the ten countries by continent, then add one more country from each.
- To use your own list, edit the words in the box at the top of the page and press Generate puzzle, or press New layout, same words for a fresh grid. Print it with Show answers ticked to add a separate answer page.
- Which continents are in the default countries puzzle?
- Five: Europe (France, Spain, Norway), Asia (Japan, India), Africa (Egypt, Kenya), North America (Canada, Mexico) and South America (Brazil). None is from Oceania or Antarctica.
- Is there a country from Oceania on this page?
- Yes. Australia is in the 15 x 15 challenge puzzle, and Fiji is in the easy puzzle.
- How are countries with two words handled?
- Spaces are removed, so New Zealand becomes NEWZEALAND in the grid. You can type the name with or without the space.
- Can I make a word search for one continent?
- Yes. Type the countries you want, one per line, and press Generate puzzle. A 12 x 12 grid is enough for most country names.
FAQ
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