Mini Crossword Maker

Mini Crossword Maker is a free online tool that turns your own words and clues into a small crossword puzzle that you can solve on screen or print. You type in answers and clues, choose a grid from 5x5 up to 9x9, and the tool builds the grid right in your browser. It works well for a quick 5x5 crossword for kids, a spelling-list puzzle, or a themed mini for a class or group of friends.

The maker tries many layouts in the square you choose, keeps the best one, and shows a numbered grid with Across and Down clues. You can then play the puzzle on screen, print the puzzle sheet, or print an answer key. Everything runs in the browser, and your words and clues are not uploaded or saved.

How to use the Mini Crossword Maker

1. Type a name in the Puzzle title box. It can hold up to 60 characters.
2. In the Words and clues box, enter one word and its clue on each line. Separate the answer from the clue with a comma, tab, colon or semicolon, for example STAMP, Postage item.
3. Use at least 3 lines, and aim for 4 to 10 short words. The tool uses up to 12.
4. Pick a size in the Largest grid selector: 5x5, 6x6, 7x7 (the default), 8x8 or 9x9.
5. Press Make Mini Crossword. The status line reports “best of N layouts tried” and names any words that did not fit, so you can fix them and build again.
6. Solve the grid. Tap a square and type. Tap the same square again or press Space to switch between Across and Down. Tap a clue to jump to its word. The current clue appears above the grid.
7. Use the buttons as needed: Check marks wrong letters in red, Reveal Word and Reveal All show answers, Clear empties the grid, and New Layout gives a different arrangement of the same words.
8. Choose Print Puzzle for a sheet with the title, a Name/Date line, the numbered grid and the clues, or Print Answer Key for the filled grid with the answers by number. Both open your browser’s print dialog.

To see how it works first, select Try an Example. It loads a five-word sample, sets the grid to 5x5 and builds it.

What is a mini crossword?

A mini crossword is a small crossword, usually a 5 by 5 grid, with a short list of answers that cross each other. Each answer is matched to a clue, and any letter where two words cross must be the same in both. The Mini Crossword is a puzzle by The New York Times. This maker is independent and is not affiliated with it.

How do I make a 5x5 crossword?

Set Largest grid to 5x5, then enter words of 5 letters or fewer, each with a clue. The first word is placed, and every word after it must cross a word already on the grid, so choose answers that share letters with each other.

The built-in example shows how this works. STAMP, SALAD, PARTY, DAILY and ALIBI all fit a 5x5 grid with 6 crossings. SALAD runs across the top, ALIBI across the middle and PARTY across the bottom. STAMP runs down the left edge and DAILY runs down the right edge. The engine keeps the layout that fits every word in the smallest square, then the smallest area, then the one with the most crossings.

Why does my mini crossword have black squares and gaps?

Black squares appear wherever no word passes, because the grid is built from your own word list rather than a fixed pattern. Letters only touch where words cross, so two filled squares next to each other are part of the same word. This is why not every square belongs to two words, unlike a newspaper mini.

To reduce gaps, use answers that share common letters such as A, E, R, S and T.

Mini crosswords are quick to solve, often in a few minutes, which makes them handy for warm-ups, classroom starters and party games. Because the grid is small, short answers of three to five letters work best, and clear one-line clues keep the puzzle fair.

Frequently asked questions

Why was one of my words left out?

If the words do not fit in the grid you chose, the maker builds the puzzle without them and tells you which ones were left out. For example, ten words (OWL, NEST, EGG, WING, BEAK, HOOT, TREE, MOON, FLY and PERCH) fit only 4 words in a 5x5 grid. In a 7x7 grid, 7 of the 10 fit, and BEAK, MOON and FLY were left out. Try a larger grid, shorter words, or words that share more letters.

How many words can I use in a mini crossword?

You need at least 3 lines and can use up to 12 words, but the page recommends 4 to 10 short words for a clean grid. A repeated answer is used only once. Each answer must be at least 2 letters and no longer than the grid size you choose.

Can I print a mini crossword?

Yes. Select Print Puzzle for a printable sheet with a title, a Name/Date line, the numbered grid and Across and Down clues. Select Print Answer Key for the filled grid with the answers listed by number. Both use your browser’s print dialog.

Can I solve the mini crossword on screen?

Yes. Tap a square and type, use Space or a second tap to switch between Across and Down, and tap a clue to go to its word. Use Check to find wrong letters, or Reveal Word and Reveal All if you want the answers. A timer starts when you type your first letter and stops when the grid is solved.

Are my words uploaded?

No. The tool runs entirely in your browser, and your words and clues are not uploaded or saved.

Related tools

• Crossword Maker: Use this when you want a full crossword with a bigger grid than a mini.
• Criss-Cross Puzzle Maker: Use this to build a crisscross word puzzle from a word list.
• Word Search Maker: Use this to hide your words in a letter grid for a different puzzle style.
• Crossword Solver: Use this when you are stuck on a crossword clue from another puzzle.
• Word Ladder Maker: Use this to make puzzles where one word changes one letter at a time into another.
• Cryptogram Maker: Use this to make a coded-message puzzle where each letter stands for another.
• Codeword Solver: Use this to work through a codeword puzzle with letters and clues.