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Acrostic Puzzle Generator API

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Create playable acrostic word puzzles from any keyword.

Acrostic Puzzle Generator creates puzzles where the first letters of answer words spell out a hidden keyword.

Try it — live request, no key required

Request
GETapi.apiverve.com/v1/acrostic?word=HAPPY
Query parameters
Verification
Format

No key required to try it. Get a key to use it in your app.

Example
{
  "status": "ok",
  "error": null,
  "data": {
    "keyword": "HAPPY",
    "theme": "positive",
    "lines": [
      {
        "position": 1,
        "letter": "H",
        "answer": "HAPPY",
        "letterCount": 5,
        "clue": "1. Favored by hap, luck, or fortune; lucky; fortunate; successful; prosperous; s..."
      },
      {
        "position": 2,
        "letter": "A",
        "answer": "AMAZING",
        "letterCount": 7,
        "clue": "Causing amazement; very wonderful; as, amazing grace. -- A*maz\"ing*ly, adv."
      },
      {
        "position": 3,
        "letter": "P",
        "answer": "PEACEFUL",
        "letterCount": 8,
        "clue": "1. Possessing or enjoying peace; not disturbed by war, tumult, agitation, anxiet..."
      },
      {
        "position": 4,
        "letter": "P",
        "answer": "PEACEFUL",
        "letterCount": 8,
        "clue": "1. Possessing or enjoying peace; not disturbed by war, tumult, agitation, anxiet..."
      },
      {
        "position": 5,
        "letter": "Y",
        "answer": "YOUTHFUL",
        "letterCount": 8,
        "clue": "1. Not yet mature or aged; young. \"Two youthful knights.\" Dryden.  Also used fig..."
      }
    ],
    "lineCount": 5,
    "html": "<html><head><title>Acrostic Puzzle</title><style>body {font-family: Arial, sans-serif; padding: 20px; max-width: 700px; margin: 0 auto;}h1 {text-align: center; color: #FF5722;}.intro {text-align: center; color: #666; margin-bottom: 30px;}.puzzle {margin: 20px 0;}.line {display: flex; align-items: center; margin: 10px 0; padding: 10px; background: #f5f5f5; border-radius: 5px;}.number {width: 30px; font-weight: bold; color: #FF5722;}.first-letter {width: 40px; height: 40px; background: #FF5722; color: white; display: flex; align-items: center; justify-content: center; font-size: 24px; font-weight: bold; border-radius: 5px; margin-right: 10px;}.blanks {display: flex; gap: 3px; margin-right: 15px;}.blank {width: 25px; height: 30px; border-bottom: 2px solid #333;}.clue {flex: 1; font-size: 14px; color: #666; font-style: italic;}.keyword {text-align: center; margin-top: 30px; padding: 20px; background: #FFF3E0; border-radius: 10px;}.keyword-letters {display: flex; justify-content: center; gap: 10px;}.keyword-letter {width: 40px; height: 40px; background: #FF5722; color: white; display: flex; align-items: center; justify-content: center; font-size: 24px; font-weight: bold; border-radius: 5px;}</style></head><body><h1>Acrostic Puzzle</h1><div class='intro'>Solve the clues. The first letters spell a word!</div><div class='puzzle'><div class='line'><span class='number'>1.</span><span class='first-letter'>H</span><span class='blanks'><span class='blank'></span><span class='blank'></span><span class='blank'></span><span class='blank'></span></span><span class='clue'>1. Favored by hap, luck, or fortune; lucky; fortunate; successful; prosperous; s...</span></div><div class='line'><span class='number'>2.</span><span class='first-letter'>A</span><span class='blanks'><span class='blank'></span><span class='blank'></span><span class='blank'></span><span class='blank'></span><span class='blank'></span><span class='blank'></span></span><span class='clue'>Causing amazement; very wonderful; as, amazing grace. -- A*maz'ing*ly, adv.</span></div><div class='line'><span class='number'>3.</span><span class='first-letter'>P</span><span class='blanks'><span class='blank'></span><span class='blank'></span><span class='blank'></span><span class='blank'></span><span class='blank'></span><span class='blank'></span><span class='blank'></span></span><span class='clue'>1. Possessing or enjoying peace; not disturbed by war, tumult, agitation, anxiet...</span></div><div class='line'><span class='number'>4.</span><span class='first-letter'>P</span><span class='blanks'><span class='blank'></span><span class='blank'></span><span class='blank'></span><span class='blank'></span><span class='blank'></span><span class='blank'></span><span class='blank'></span></span><span class='clue'>1. Possessing or enjoying peace; not disturbed by war, tumult, agitation, anxiet...</span></div><div class='line'><span class='number'>5.</span><span class='first-letter'>Y</span><span class='blanks'><span class='blank'></span><span class='blank'></span><span class='blank'></span><span class='blank'></span><span class='blank'></span><span class='blank'></span><span class='blank'></span></span><span class='clue'>1. Not yet mature or aged; young. 'Two youthful knights.' Dryden.  Also used fig...</span></div></div><div class='keyword'><p>Hidden word:</p><div class='keyword-letters'><div class='keyword-letter'>?</div><div class='keyword-letter'>?</div><div class='keyword-letter'>?</div><div class='keyword-letter'>?</div><div class='keyword-letter'>?</div></div></div></body></html>",
    "image": {
      "imageName": "8b67d4ec-c262-4f7b-9cf1-b8c2766e8c54_acrostic.png",
      "format": ".png",
      "downloadURL": "https://storage.googleapis.com/apiverve/APIData/acrostic/8b67d4ec-c262-4f7b-9cf1-b8c2766e8c54_acrostic.png?GoogleAccessId=635500398038-compute%40developer.gserviceaccount.com&Expires=1766009969&Signature=IBbnpk61J5uW7bsfoqRwceF7weeBO%2Bq63BKH7LZpXLhZJk1vYISzRXy%2BPeZnH0t4h%2FvK%2BIJCv84THbV5ym9KkdLUXJK3wYkh8XoyZz%2FyFsBNJ6YCtFLkb0F3AULXyOGEcJ3F3mz4f2oS9P6Wtx4bX8NKVs3B316pY0aJzKo%2Fm5Lnv81i9y%2BRA7EMc9f7M8N9Nin08T%2F4K3W3LxO%2FJUcwocs7UTAORbhCSTqbSn2eIhJLKAN%2B4gSvDghzigwHT9THBVAD1VHgmkfxPNKMqFcarnah7Lfh78RcZM5Zfubl50YgBLVwwwQ%2Bp0Sxbjgeb0osdEkHwAfXbKP2bmA9%2B3TrLA%3D%3D",
      "expires": 1766009969599
    }
  }
}

About the Acrostic Puzzle Generator API

Returns clues, answers, and the hidden keyword. Send a keyword and the Acrostic Puzzle Generator builds one line per letter: an answer word that starts with that letter, its length, and a dictionary definition to use as the clue. Read down the first letters of the answers and the keyword appears, which is what makes an acrostic work as a vocabulary exercise, a name puzzle for a birthday card or a team newsletter, or a warm-up in an English lesson.

The Free plan returns the full puzzle as JSON: the keyword, each line with its position, letter, answer, letter count and clue, and the number of lines. Answers are drawn from a whole English dictionary, so a puzzle mixes everyday words with unusual ones.

Paid plans add three things. A theme (positive, nature, adventure, friendship or learning) steers answers toward a short curated word list, which keeps puzzles for younger solvers on familiar vocabulary. A rendered HTML version lays out each clue with the first letter shown and blanks for the rest. And a downloadable PNG image of the puzzle can be generated for printing or sharing.

How it works

For each letter of word, the generator picks one answer that begins with that letter and adds it to lines. The keyword is uppercased first, so keyword and every letter come back in capitals. With the default theme of random, the candidates are every dictionary entry made only of the letters a-z and at least three letters long, and one is chosen at random. A named theme first looks in that theme's fixed list of 26 words; when the list has no word for a letter (four of the five themes have none for X, for example), that line falls back to the full dictionary.

Each clue is the dictionary definition of its answer, cut to 80 characters with ... appended when it was longer. If an answer has no definition, the clue reads "A word starting with" and the letter. letterCount is the length of the answer, position is its 1-based line number, and lineCount equals the number of characters in the keyword.

Answers are chosen independently per line, so a keyword with a repeated letter can repeat an answer, especially under a theme. The keyword is not checked for non-letter characters, so send letters only.

On the Free plan the theme parameter is removed before the request runs, so puzzles always use the full dictionary and theme reads random; html and image are null. On paid plans html holds a styled page with each first letter, blanks for the remaining letters, the clue, and the hidden word masked. image=true renders the same layout as a PNG and returns a downloadURL that expires one day later (image.expires).

What people use it for

Education
Create vocabulary puzzles that reveal themed words
Special Occasions
Generate personalized acrostics for names and messages
Word Games
Build acrostic challenges for puzzle apps
Creative Writing
Inspire poetry and creative word exercises

Ways to call it

One endpoint, many ways in — REST with JSON, XML, YAML and CSV, plus GraphQL and an MCP interface for AI agents.

JSON
Default REST response
XML
Markup format
YAML
Human-readable
CSV
Tabular export
Beta
GraphQL
Query language
New
MCP
For AI agents
View all integrations →

Other ways to use Acrostic Puzzle Generator

Same data, same APIVerve account, same credit balance — one key works on all of them.

Give it to an AI agentConnect over MCP and your agent calls it as a native tool — Claude, Cursor, ChatGPT.on VerveKit

Questions.

Common questions about the Acrostic Puzzle Generator API.

Read the docs →
How many puzzles does the Free plan cover?
The Free plan covers 100 puzzle generations per month. Each request uses 2 credits from your 200 monthly credits. If you need higher volume, the Starter plan supports 100,000 puzzles each month, which works out to about $0.30 per 1,000 calls.
Are interactive HTML layouts and downloadable puzzle images included on the Free plan?
No, rendered interactive HTML, downloadable image files, and custom themes require a paid plan. Any paid subscription starting at Starter unlocks those fields. On the Free plan, you receive the raw puzzle data including keyword letters, clue answers, and dictionary definitions.
What keyword lengths and themes are supported?
The generator accepts any keyword between 3 and 15 letters long. On paid plans, you can also assign specific themes such as nature, adventure, friendship, positive, or learning, or leave it set to random.
Can I display the puzzle without building a custom grid interface?
Yes, paid plans return a pre-rendered interactive HTML layout that you can embed directly into your page. If you prefer to design your own interface, every plan supplies the structured line positions, answer words, letter counts, and solving clues.
Do generated puzzle image download links expire?
Yes, on paid plans, generated puzzle images come with a temporary cloud download URL accompanied by an expiration timestamp. If your application needs to serve the puzzle image long-term, save the file to your own storage before the link expires.
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