The world's capitals in one grid
Every country has its standout city, and this word search gathers capitals from across the globe. You'll track down European classics like LONDON, PARIS and ROME, far-flung capitals from TOKYO to NAIROBI, and a few that catch people out, like CANBERRA and BRASILIA.
Each puzzle pulls a fresh selection from the list, so the itinerary changes every time you play — gentle on Easy, and a Hard-mode grand tour once the diagonals and backwards words appear.
What makes a city a capital?
A capital is the city where a country runs its government — where the leaders meet and the big decisions are made. It's usually a famous, important place, but it isn't always the biggest city, which is what trips people up. Australia's capital is CANBERRA, not Sydney; Brazil's is BRASILIA, not Rio; Canada's is OTTAWA, not Toronto.
Some capitals were even built from scratch on purpose. BRASILIA was constructed in the 1950s in the middle of the country to draw people inland, and CANBERRA was planned and built as a compromise between rival cities. Others, like ATHENS and ROME, have been important capitals for thousands of years.
A classroom and quiz-night favourite
Capital cities are a staple of geography lessons and quizzes alike, and a word search is a fun way to commit them to memory. It pairs perfectly with our Countries puzzle for a full world tour — match each capital to its nation as you go.
Build your own tour
Studying one continent or region? Use our Make Your Own tool to enter just those capitals and print matching copies for the class. Play online for a quick quiz, or download a printable PDF pack with answer keys.
Frequently asked questions
Which capital cities are in the word search?
Capitals from around the world — London, Paris, Tokyo, Cairo, Canberra and many more. Each puzzle uses a fresh selection.
How does this differ from the Countries puzzle?
Capitals hides the cities — LONDON, PARIS, CANBERRA. The separate Countries puzzle hides the nations themselves. Play both for a full world tour.
Are the tricky capitals included?
The ones that catch people out are here — CANBERRA (not Sydney), BRASILIA (not Rio) and OTTAWA (not Toronto).