How to make your own crossword puzzle
Making a crossword is a different puzzle from solving one. You have to fit words together so that every letter works in two directions, then write clues that are fair but not too easy. This guide walks through the process for a small American-style grid, which is the best place to start.
Start small
A standard daily newspaper crossword is 15 squares by 15, and a Sunday puzzle is often 21 by 21. Those sizes take real experience to fill well. For a first attempt, try a 5×5 mini crossword. It is small enough to finish in an evening and uses every skill you need for a larger grid.
Know the conventions
American-style crosswords usually follow a few rules:
- Every letter is checked. Each white square belongs to both an across answer and a down answer.
- Answers are at least three letters long. Two-letter entries are avoided.
- The grid is symmetrical. The pattern of black squares looks the same if you turn the grid upside down (180-degree rotational symmetry).
- The grid is connected. Every white square can be reached from every other without crossing a black square.
- Answers do not repeat. The same word should not appear twice, and an answer should not appear in its own clue.
Mini crosswords sometimes relax the symmetry rule, but it is good practice to follow it.
Step 1: Choose an idea
For a themed puzzle, begin with the theme answers: a set of long entries that share a connection. For a mini, you might instead start with one word you would really like to include, such as a fun five-letter word, and build around it. Write down several options, because not every idea will fit.
Step 2: Place the key answers and the black squares
Put your theme answers or seed word in the grid first. For a larger puzzle, theme answers of the same length should be placed in symmetrical positions. Then add black squares to break the remaining space into slots of workable length. Every black square you add also adds its symmetrical partner. Editors generally prefer fewer black squares, but a beginner is better off with a few more if it makes the grid fillable.
Step 3: Fill the grid
This is the hardest step. Work on the most constrained area first, which is usually the corner or section with the fewest options. A few practical tips:
- Common letters such as E, A, R, S, T and O are easier to cross than rare letters. Save J, Q, X and Z for places where you are confident they will work.
- When you need a word to fit a set of letters, use a pattern search. Entering something like ?A?E into our crossword solver lists every four-letter word with A second and E fourth.
- If a section will not fill, change one of the words that forms its border rather than forcing an obscure entry into the gap.
- Avoid leaning on the repetitive short words described in our guide to crosswordese. A few are unavoidable, but too many make a puzzle feel stale.
Step 4: Write the clues
Good clues are accurate, fair and varied. Some guidelines that most editors share:
- Match the part of speech. A clue for a verb should read like a verb, and a plural clue should lead to a plural answer.
- Match the tense. “Ran quickly” needs a past-tense answer.
- Signal abbreviations and foreign words. Use “abbr.” or “for short” for shortened answers, and a hint such as “in Paris” for French words.
- Use a question mark for wordplay. If a clue relies on a pun, mark it so the solver knows not to read it literally.
- Vary the difficulty. Mix straightforward clues with a few trickier ones so solvers always have somewhere to start.
Step 5: Test-solve
Ask someone else to solve your puzzle without help. Watch where they get stuck. A clue that seemed obvious to you, because you already knew the answer, may be unfair to a fresh solver. Revise those clues, check every answer and its crossing once more, and then share the finished puzzle.
A small example to try
Here is a simple 3×3 word square to practise the idea of checked letters. Each row across reads the same as the matching column down:
C A T A R E T E N
Across: CAT, ARE, TEN. Down: CAT, ARE, TEN. Every letter belongs to two words. Try making your own 3×3 square with different words, then step up to a 4×4 and a 5×5. For clue-writing ideas, read our guide to common clue types, and if you would like to understand the theme answers that anchor larger puzzles, see how crossword themes work.