Horizontal and vertical words are easy to find because our eyes already read in those directions. Diagonals are different. They cut across the grid at an angle our brains are not used to, which is why the last word on the list is so often a diagonal one.
Start from the first letter
Pick the first letter of the word you are looking for and find every place it appears in the grid. Then, for each one, check the four diagonal neighbours for the second letter.
Use a rare letter if you can
If the word contains a less common letter, such as Q, Z, X or J, search for that instead. There are fewer of them in the grid, so you can check each one quickly.
Trace the line with your pencil
When you find a promising pair of letters, rest your pencil along the diagonal and slide it slowly. Keeping a physical guide stops your eye drifting back to the rows.
Remember all four diagonals
Diagonal words can run down to the right, down to the left, up to the right or up to the left. If one direction comes up empty, check the other three before moving on.
Save diagonals for last
Clear the horizontal and vertical words first. Each circled word removes letters from consideration, which makes the remaining diagonals stand out.
Practise on our large print word search books, where clear letters make angled words easier to follow.