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Printable Sudoku puzzles for beginners

Start with either of these two original 9 × 9 puzzles. Each has a full-page grid, a separate answer sheet, and three hints that explain a move instead of just naming a number. Open a hint below when you want help, or print the explanations to keep beside your puzzle.

Download both puzzles · US Letter PDFDownload both puzzles · A4 PDF

Free, no email or account. Each PDF has two pages, one puzzle per page. These are fixed sheets for pencil play, with no editable fields. Print page 1 or page 2 if you only want one.

Each puzzle has 35 printed numbers. Both can be solved by finding a square with only one possible number, or a number with only one possible square in a row, column or box. Neither requires guessing.

Puzzle 1: preview and first moves

The first three hints complete the top row, starting with its rightmost square. Try the rest of the grid yourself before opening the answer sheet.

Actual puzzle 1 sheet: a nine by nine Sudoku grid with 35 clues, bold three by three box boundaries and outside row and column numbers.
Page 1 of the actual US Letter puzzle PDF. A4 contains the same grid and clues.
Read puzzle 1 numbers as rows

“Blank” means an empty square. Columns run from 1 to 9 in each row.

  • Row 1: blank, 7, blank, 4, 3, 5, 8, 6, blank.
  • Row 2: blank, blank, blank, blank, 2, 6, 1, 7, 9.
  • Row 3: blank, blank, blank, blank, blank, blank, 4, blank, blank.
  • Row 4: blank, blank, blank, blank, 8, blank, 6, blank, blank.
  • Row 5: blank, blank, blank, 6, blank, blank, blank, 9, 4.
  • Row 6: blank, 2, 1, 7, blank, 9, blank, 3, 8.
  • Row 7: blank, 1, 7, blank, 5, 4, blank, blank, blank.
  • Row 8: 9, 4, blank, 3, blank, blank, 2, blank, 7.
  • Row 9: blank, blank, blank, 2, blank, blank, 9, 4, blank.

Open one hint at a time

Use these in order from the untouched puzzle. The second hint assumes you placed the first number; the third assumes you placed both. If you already filled other squares, a list of numbers may differ from your sheet.

Hint 1: row 1, column 9

This row already has 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. This column already has 4, 7, 8, 9. This 3 × 3 box already has 1, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9.

Those numbers cannot go in this square. Its only candidate is 2, so write 2 there.

Hint 2: row 1, column 1

This row already has 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. This column already has 9. This 3 × 3 box already has 7.

Those numbers cannot go in this square. Its only candidate is 1, so write 1 there.

Hint 3: row 1, column 3

This row already has 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. This column already has 1, 7. This 3 × 3 box already has 1, 7.

Those numbers cannot go in this square. Its only candidate is 9, so write 9 there.

Puzzle 2: preview and first moves

The second puzzle has a different arrangement of clues. Its hints begin in the top row too, but use different squares and exclusions.

Actual puzzle 2 sheet: a nine by nine Sudoku grid with 35 clues, bold three by three box boundaries and outside row and column numbers.
Page 2 of the actual US Letter puzzle PDF. A4 contains the same grid and clues.
Read puzzle 2 numbers as rows

“Blank” means an empty square. Columns run from 1 to 9 in each row.

  • Row 1: 6, blank, 8, blank, 9, blank, blank, 4, 7.
  • Row 2: 4, blank, 1, blank, 6, 8, 2, blank, blank.
  • Row 3: 9, 3, 2, blank, blank, 1, blank, 6, 5.
  • Row 4: 8, blank, 7, 9, 2, blank, blank, blank, blank.
  • Row 5: 1, 4, blank, blank, blank, blank, blank, blank, blank.
  • Row 6: blank, blank, 5, blank, blank, 3, 7, blank, 6.
  • Row 7: 5, blank, blank, blank, blank, blank, 4, blank, 8.
  • Row 8: 3, 1, 9, blank, blank, blank, blank, 5, blank.
  • Row 9: blank, blank, blank, blank, blank, blank, 9, blank, 1.

Open one hint at a time

Use these in order from the untouched puzzle. The second hint assumes you placed the first number; the third assumes you placed both. If you already filled other squares, a list of numbers may differ from your sheet.

Hint 1: row 1, column 2

This row already has 4, 6, 7, 8, 9. This column already has 1, 3, 4. This 3 × 3 box already has 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9.

Those numbers cannot go in this square. Its only candidate is 5, so write 5 there.

Hint 2: row 1, column 6

This row already has 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. This column already has 1, 3, 8. This 3 × 3 box already has 1, 6, 8, 9.

Those numbers cannot go in this square. Its only candidate is 2, so write 2 there.

Hint 3: row 1, column 4

This row already has 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. This column already has 9. This 3 × 3 box already has 1, 2, 6, 8, 9.

Those numbers cannot go in this square. Its only candidate is 3, so write 3 there.

How to start without guessing

Every row, column and outlined 3 × 3 box must contain the numbers 1 through 9 exactly once. The small numbers outside the printed grid are coordinates for the hints, not puzzle clues. Row 1 is at the top; column 1 is at the left.

Choose an empty square in a row or box that already has several numbers. Begin with 1 through 9 and cross off any number present in its row, column or box. What remains is that square’s candidate list. If only one number remains, place it. If two or more remain, leave the square blank and try another.

After a placement, check its row, column and box again. A number you just added may leave another square with only one possibility. You can also look for a missing number that fits in just one empty square within a row, column or box. That square gets the number even if it has other candidates.

You don’t have to begin in the top-left corner or solve a whole row at once. Small pencil notes can hold candidates while you look elsewhere. When a placement rules one out, erase that note. The printed clues stay as they are.

If you get stuck, use the next explained hint or compare a row with the separate answer sheet. A repeated number in a row, column or box means something needs correcting; adding more guesses will make it harder to find the earlier mistake.

Print the puzzles, keep help separate

US Letter is 8.5 × 11 inches; A4 is 210 × 297 millimeters. Choose the edition that matches your paper and print in portrait at Actual size or 100%. Each square is a little over half an inch wide. The dark grid and heavier box outlines work in black and white. Check your print preview for clipped edges.

The hints PDF has one page for each puzzle and explains the same moves as the disclosures above. Keep the page covered and reveal the next explanation when you need it. Later explanations include the earlier placements.

Download explained hints · US Letter PDFDownload explained hints · A4 PDF
Show the hint-sheet preview
Actual puzzle 1 hint page, with three named squares and the row, column and box exclusions that explain each placement.
Page 1 of the hints PDF. Page 2 explains puzzle 2.
Open complete answer sheets and preview

Each answer PDF has two pages. The shaded squares were printed clues; unshaded squares are the answers you fill in. Match the puzzle number before checking.

Download answers · US Letter PDFDownload answers · A4 PDF
Actual complete answer sheet for puzzle 1, with all 81 numbers and the original clues shaded.
Page 1 of the separate answer PDF. Page 2 is the matching puzzle 2 key.

Downloading again gives you the same two puzzles. The preview images show the sheets; use the PDFs for full-size printing.

One square to begin

Puzzle 1 Sudoku grid with its first explained placement, a circled 2 in the top-right square, and the words Sudoku starts here.
A worked view of puzzle 1’s first hint. The download leaves that square blank. You may reuse this image; please link back to this page.
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Try another paper game

If you’d rather look for words, choose a sports word search. For a game with another player, print the dots and boxes boards. More games and household sheets are in the printable library.

Published October 8, 2026.