ANDREW STINSON & CURIFOLD Thoughtful books. Curious minds.
Andrew StinsonAUTHOR & BOOK COLLECTIONSGet in touch

CURIFOLD PUZZLE SCHOOL · LESSON 10

Find word-search patterns systematically

Search a letter grid systematically and verify every letter of a match.

← Curifold Puzzle School · 7 minutes ·

Find MAP, KEY and PEN in the five-by-five grid. Words run right, down or diagonally down-right in straight lines. There are no backwards words or bends. Try a repeatable search method rather than moving your eyes at random.

  1. Scan for the first letter
  2. Trace one allowed direction
  3. Verify letters and endpoints

The idea

Choose one word and scan rows from top to bottom for its first letter. At each candidate, test only the allowed directions for the second letter, then continue along the same line. Reject a candidate when a letter fails. Record start and end coordinates and check the whole word again. The exercise has no timer: being able to resume after an interruption matters more than speed.

Try it yourself

The clues

  1. Find MAP, KEY and PEN.
  2. Allowed directions: right, down, diagonally down-right.
  3. Count rows top-to-bottom and columns left-to-right from 1.

Find: MAP, KEY, PEN. Rows and columns start at 1.

M
A
P
X
Z
Z
K
Q
R
P
Z
X
E
X
E
Z
Z
Z
Y
N
A
B
C
D
E

Hint 1

MAP starts in the first row. PEN starts at the right edge.

Hint 2

KEY begins at row 2, column 2 and runs down-right.

Where is KEY?

Read all responses and explanations

(2,2) to (4,4)
The down-right diagonal is K, E, Y. Row and column both increase by one per step.

(2,2) to (4,2)
Down column 2 gives K, X, Z, which does not spell KEY.

(3,3) to (5,5)
The starting cell is E, not K, so the first letter already fails.

The third letter is wrong. What next?

Read all responses and explanations

Bend toward a matching letter.
Bends are forbidden by this exercise’s rules.

Reject that candidate and resume the scan.
Every letter and the straight-line direction must match; move to the next candidate.

Accept a partial match.
A partial match is a lead, not a found word.

Reveal the complete solution

MAP: (1,1)–(1,3), right. KEY: (2,2)–(4,4), down-right. PEN: (2,5)–(4,5), down. Each occurs exactly once in the permitted directions.

Make it your own

On paper, lightly mark tested starting letters. Compare a row-by-row scan with your first attempt. Decide how you will record your restart point when interrupted, without treating a partial match as complete.

Your takeaway

  1. List the target words
  2. Write the allowed directions
  3. Record each start and end
  4. Verify every letter
  5. Choose a restart point
Open printable worksheet

No account required. Completion is saved only on this device. Answers and notes disappear when you leave or reload this page. The printable sheet is blank for your own notes.

Original fictional educational practice, separate from the puzzles sold in the books. Use the stated rules; there is no speed target or score.

Read the related journal guide · Continue exploring the lessons

Original educational content by Andrew Stinson Books, developed with AI assistance. Our editorial approach.