How word searches work
The Valentine's list leans on the objects of the day rather than abstract feeling: a bouquet, a candle, a dinner, a letter. Concrete nouns make for a better word search than emotions do, because they are easier to hold in mind while you scan and they are less likely to share letters with each other.
SWEETHEART is the trap. At ten letters it looks like the easiest word on the list, but it contains a repeated E and a repeated T, and both of those patterns are common in the filler. Hunt CHOCOLATE and ROMANCE first; they are long and their letter sequences are distinctive.
The grid regenerates every time you load the page, so the same theme never gives you the same arrangement twice. Words run in all eight directions including backwards and diagonally, and your fastest completion time for each grid size is saved in your browser.
The Valentine's word list
| Word | Letters | Notable letters |
|---|---|---|
| ROMANCE | 7 | common letters only |
| CUPID | 5 | common letters only |
| FLOWERS | 7 | W |
| CHOCOLATE | 9 | common letters only |
| SWEETHEART | 10 | W |
| ARROW | 5 | W |
| BOUQUET | 7 | Q |
| CANDLE | 6 | common letters only |
| DINNER | 6 | common letters only |
| POETRY | 6 | Y |
| RIBBON | 6 | common letters only |
| KISSES | 6 | K |
| LETTER | 6 | common letters only |
| TEDDY | 5 | Y |
How to find words faster
- Find the longest Valentine's words first. SWEETHEART is the longest entry at 10 letters, and long words have far fewer possible placements than short ones. Clearing them early removes a disproportionate share of the grid.
- Target the uncommon letters in this list. The rare letters present here are K, Q, W, Y. Each one appears only a handful of times in the random filler, so finding the letter usually hands you the word.
- Leave CUPID until last. At 5 letters it is the shortest entry, which means it has the most possible positions on the grid and hides best. Short words are always the least efficient thing to hunt first.
- Read every candidate in both directions. Roughly half the placements in any grid are reversed. If an area looks empty, try reading it backwards before moving on.
Frequently asked questions
How many words are hidden in the Valentine's puzzle?
Fourteen. The list is built around things rather than feelings — cupid, arrows, flowers, a dinner — because concrete words are easier to find and harder to confuse with one another.
Which Valentine's word is hardest to find?
Usually TEDDY. It is short, its letters are common, and the double D reads as filler. SWEETHEART is deceptively awkward too, because repeated letters give you false starts.
Is there a new grid each time?
Yes. The arrangement is generated when the page loads, so you can replay the same list as many times as you like and never see the same board twice. Your fastest time per grid size is saved in your browser.