--- title: "How to Create a Seed Phrase: Step-by-Step Guide and Examples" url: "https://bip39-phrase.com/create-a-seed-phrase/" language: "en" published: "2024-10-21T00:00:00+00:00" updated: "2026-10-19T00:00:00+00:00" --- [ Seed Phrases ](/topics/seed-phrases/) Published October 21, 2024 Updated October 19, 2026 # How to Create a Seed Phrase: Step-by-Step Guide and Examples ![How to Create a Seed Phrase: Step-by-Step Guide and Examples](/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/create-a-seed-phrase-hero.webp) To create a seed phrase, set up a new wallet and choose to create, not import, a wallet: the wallet draws 128 to 256 random bits, adds a checksum and shows the result as 12 to 24 words from the BIP39 list. Write the words down in order, confirm them when the wallet asks, and check that your copy restores the wallet before you send it real money. A seed phrase, also called a recovery phrase or mnemonic phrase, encodes the secret your wallet derives all of its private keys from, so anyone who holds it controls your funds; if you are new to the idea, start with [what a seed phrase is and how it works](/recovery-seed-phrase-guide/). ## Creating a Seed Phrase at a Glance | Step | What to do | Why it matters | | ------------------------ | ----------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------ | | 1\. Choose the wallet | A hardware wallet for savings, a well-known app for small amounts | The same type of wallet will restore the phrase later | | 2\. Create a new wallet | Pick “Create”, not “Import” or “Restore” | The words must come from the wallet’s random generator | | 3\. Write the words down | On paper, numbered, in the order shown | The order is part of the phrase | | 4\. Confirm the words | Read them from your copy, not from memory | Catches copying mistakes early | | 5\. Test the backup | Run the device’s backup check or a test restore | Proves the copy works before it holds funds | | 6\. Store the copies | Two offline copies in separate places | One copy is a single point of failure | ## What Happens When a Wallet Creates a Seed Phrase? A seed phrase is a way of writing down the random number your wallet is built from. Under the [BIP39 specification](https://github.com/bitcoin/bips/blob/master/bip-0039.mediawiki), the wallet: 1. **Draws the entropy**: 128 to 256 random bits from a secure random number generator. 2. **Adds a checksum**: the first bits of the entropy’s SHA-256 hash, 4 bits for 128 bits of entropy and 8 for 256. 3. **Cuts the result into 11-bit groups** and turns each group into a word from the 2,048-word list, so the last word depends on all the others. You can [see each step bit by bit](/how-bip39-works/) in our entropy-to-words visualizer. The words then become a 512-bit seed through PBKDF2, together with an optional [passphrase](/bip39-passphrase/), and the wallet derives its private keys, public keys and addresses from that seed. That is why the phrase works as a master password for the whole wallet: it restores every account and address, on any compatible device, without passwords or recovery questions. ## Which Wallet Should Create Your Phrase? Any reputable wallet generates the phrase for you during setup. The main choices: - **Hardware wallets** such as [Ledger](https://www.ledger.com/) and [Trezor](https://trezor.io/) create the phrase on the device and keep the keys there; see [hardware wallets explained](/hardware-wallets-explained/). Ledger devices generate 24 words. Trezor’s Safe 3 (since June 2024), Safe 5 and Safe 7 create a 20-word SLIP-39 backup by default, a different standard from BIP39, and offer 12- or 24-word BIP39 phrases as an option ([Trezor](https://trezor.io/learn/security-privacy/personal-security-standards/understanding-trezor-wallet-backups-12-20-or-24-words)). - **Software wallets** such as [MetaMask](https://metamask.io) and [Trust Wallet](https://trustwallet.com/) create a 12-word phrase. MetaMask generates its Secret Recovery Phrase when you first set up the app and warns that it cannot recover your wallet for you ([MetaMask](https://support.metamask.io/start/user-guide-secret-recovery-phrase-password-and-private-keys/)). - **Electrum** creates its own 12-word seed format, which BIP39 wallets cannot restore; see [Electrum seed vs BIP39](/electrum-seed-vs-bip39/). Our 12 vs 24 words guide compares the [default lengths of popular wallets](/12-vs-24-word-seed-phrase/). You can also generate a BIP39 phrase with a standalone tool, such as our [seed phrase generator](/generator-seed-phrase/), and import it into any BIP39 wallet. ## How to Write Down and Confirm the Words - **Start the setup.** When you set the wallet up for the first time, choose to create a new wallet. It generates a random 12- to 24-word phrase and shows it on screen. - **Write each word down** in the order shown, numbered, on paper or a metal plate. Check every word letter by letter: restoring the wallet later requires these exact words in this exact order. - **Confirm the words** when the wallet asks for some of them, reading from your copy rather than from memory, so that a copying mistake shows up now. - **Don’t photograph the screen** or copy the words into a notes app, an email or a cloud drive. Here is what a 12-word phrase looks like written down (an official BIP39 test vector: public, so never use it for real funds): ```text 1. ozone 2. drill 3. grab 4. fiber 5. curtain 6. grace 7. pudding 8. thank 9. cruise 10. elder 11. eight 12. picnic ``` Then test the backup while the wallet is still empty: run the device’s backup check if it has one, or reset the wallet, restore it from your written copy and compare the first receiving address with the one you noted. [How to restore a wallet from a seed phrase](/restore-wallet-from-seed-phrase/) walks through the restore in each popular wallet. ## What Does a Valid Seed Phrase Look Like? Here are two more official BIP39 test vectors. Every word is on the BIP39 list and the last word carries the checksum, so wallets accept them. They are public: never send funds to a wallet created from them. ```text Example 1 (12 words): legal winner thank year wave sausage worth useful legal winner thank yellow ``` ```text Example 2 (24 words): hamster diagram private dutch cause delay private meat slide toddler razor book happy fancy gospel tennis maple dilemma loan word shrug inflict delay length ``` More examples with their entropy are collected in [seed phrase examples](/mnemonic-words-examples-for-crypto-security-bip39/). ## How Should You Store the New Phrase? Keep your seed phrase offline: write it on paper or [stamp it into metal](/metal-seed-phrase-backup/), keep copies in separate safe places, and never photograph it or save it on a phone, computer, email or cloud drive. Our guide on [how to store a seed phrase](/store-a-seed-phrase/) compares paper, metal and other backup methods in detail. ## Mistakes to Avoid - **Choosing the words yourself.** A phrase you pick, or a generated one you edit, is far easier to guess than one the wallet created; see [why you should never create your own seed phrase](/why-you-should-never-create-your-own-seed-phrase/). - **Using a phrase that came with the device.** A hardware wallet that arrives with words already printed or written in the box was prepared by someone who kept a copy, one of the common [seed phrase scams](/seed-phrase-scams/). - **Storing it digitally.** Photos, notes, email and cloud drives sync to every device and server tied to the account. - **Sharing it.** Nobody legitimate, wallet support included, ever needs your phrase; only the people in your recovery plan should know where it is kept. - **Keeping a single copy.** If that copy is lost or destroyed, so are your funds. - **Skipping the recovery test.** A backup you have never restored from is unproven. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### Can I change my seed phrase? No. A seed phrase cannot be changed once it has been generated. If you suspect it has been compromised, create a new wallet with a new phrase and transfer your funds to it. ### Can I use the same seed phrase in several wallets? Yes, if they all support BIP39: the same phrase restores the same keys, although wallets may scan different derivation paths. For separate purposes it is safer to use [different seed phrases](/bip85/), which BIP85 can derive from one master seed. ### What happens if I lose my seed phrase? As long as the wallet still works, nothing is lost yet: write down a new backup or move the funds to a new wallet. If the device or app fails too, you won’t be able to restore the wallet and its funds, which is why you keep at least two copies in secure places. ### Is a 12-word seed phrase less secure than a 24-word one? On paper, yes: 128 bits of entropy against 256\. In practice [both lengths are beyond brute force](/12-vs-24-word-seed-phrase/), and the keys of a Bitcoin wallet offer about 128-bit security either way; 24 words help mainly when part of a backup could be seen. ### Can hackers guess my seed phrase? Not if a proper random generator created it: a 12-word phrase is one of 2¹²⁸ possibilities. Phrases have been cracked when a wallet’s random number generator was flawed or when people chose the words themselves; see [whether a seed phrase can be guessed](/can-you-guess-a-seed-phrase-probability-and-real-risks/). ### Should I laminate my paper backup? Lamination protects paper from water and wear, but not from fire. Keep the sheet in a secure place such as a fire-resistant safe, or use a metal backup for long-term storage. **Try it yourself:** generate a 12–24 word phrase with our free [BIP39 seed phrase generator](/generator-seed-phrase/) — everything runs in your browser. [ Back to Blog ](/blog/)