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Crossword — ESL Vocabulary Practice
What is the Crossword game?
Crossword generates a custom ESL crossword puzzle using vocabulary from your selected level and topic. Clues are written as definitions — students must retrieve the correct word from memory and spell it accurately to complete each entry. Intersecting letters provide scaffolding as the puzzle fills in, making it progressively easier to complete.
Puzzles are generated fresh from the ESLe College vocabulary database, so each session produces a different grid with different words across Pre-A1 to C2 level.
How to play
Click on a numbered square to select a clue. Read the definition and type the word into the highlighted squares. Use the crossing letters from completed entries as hints. Click Check to see which entries are correct. Complete all entries to finish the puzzle.
- Filter by level and topic to target specific vocabulary
- Click any numbered square to activate its clue
- Crossing letters help confirm or correct your answers
- Check button highlights correct and incorrect entries
Why crosswords build vocabulary
Crosswords require active recall — students must retrieve a word from memory and produce its spelling, not just recognise it. The definition-to-word direction mirrors the way vocabulary is tested in Cambridge exam writing tasks, where students must select and spell the precise word for a context. The intersecting structure also builds spelling confidence letter by letter.