A free printable name puzzle: type a first name and get its letters as square tiles to cut apart, a row of empty boxes to glue them into in order, and the name written out on guide lines to match.
Class set
One copy for every student: type the first names and get one PDF, with each name on that student's own pages. Every student's pages use the same settings.
Link to this page
Free to link and share. No sign-up, no ads.
Sample sheet
The sheet appears here as you type.
This is the sheet as it prints. Change any option and it updates.
What the puzzle sheet holds
The top of the puzzle shows the whole name on the site's guide lines. Under it is a board with one empty box for each letter, then the tiles inside dashed cut lines. Mixed shuffles the tiles; the shuffle is worked out from the name, so the same name always gives the same order, and it never matches the name's own order when the name has two or more different letters. In order sets the tiles out as the name is spelled, for matching tile to box one at a time. Two a page prints two copies, to cut apart on the middle line.
Three examples
The sample words Your Name in solid print, tiles mixed.
The word First in dotted letters to trace, tiles in order.
Two copies on one A4 page, with dotted tiles.
Sample puzzles to print
These spell My Name or Name, to show the layout; type a first name in the generator above for a real puzzle.
Mixed tiles in print One puzzle a page, tiles shuffled.Download the PDF
Tiles to trace, in order Dotted letters on each tile, set out as spelled.Download the PDF
Two to a page Two small copies of a puzzle for Name, cut apart on the middle line.Download the PDF
Questions and answers
How does a name puzzle work?
Cut the tiles apart on the dashed lines, mix them up, and put them back in the order of the name, checking against the name at the top. Gluing them into the empty boxes keeps the finished name on the page.
Does the site keep the name typed for a puzzle?
Not by the site: the name is sent with the request, drawn into the sheet and dropped. Your own browser remembers the first name for next time, as the form says, and the Forget button clears it.
Does the puzzle keep capital letters?
The tiles show the name as it was typed, so a name typed with a capital first letter gets one capital tile and lowercase tiles for the rest.
How long can the name be?
Up to 24 characters, the limit of every name box on the site. The tiles run eight to a row and wrap to more rows for a longer name, getting smaller so the board and the tiles still fit the page. Spaces are not given tiles.
Can I make puzzles for a whole class?
Yes. Open Class set under the generator and type up to 30 first names; the PDF has one puzzle page for each name, each with its own tiles.
