The puzzle consists of a grid of letters that is usually a rectangle or square shape, but different shapes are possible, some that even look like an object like a plant or animal. Besides the grid is a list of words. The letters in the word appear in order somewhere in the grid, and can be placed horizontally, vertically or diagonally. A letter in the grid can be used in more than one word, and not all the letters in the grid have to appear in a word.