Words Containing AI
100 wordsThe letter pair AI appears in nearly two thousand English words, from the simple AID to the elaborate ACQUAINTANCESHIP. This combination captures one of English's most common vowel sounds, appearing in everyday vocabulary and specialized terminology alike.
2-letter words
13-letter words
54-letter words
245-letter words
186-letter words
127-letter words
208-letter words
129-letter words
510-letter words
111-letter words
113-letter words
1Pattern Guide
Insights and recommendations for these words.
Words with AI offer reliable scoring opportunities across word games while revealing interesting patterns about English spelling conventions.
Vocabulary & Language
Linguistic patterns and usage statistics
The AI pattern frequently appears in words borrowed from French, where it often represents a long 'a' sound as in CERTAIN or MAINTAIN. Many AI words cluster around specific suffixes: -AIN (TRAIN, BRAIN), -AIL (TRAIL, DETAIL), and -AIT (WAIT, BAIT). This consistency makes AI one of the more predictable vowel combinations in English spelling.
Total Words
1,924
0.6% of dictionary
Avg Length
8.7 letters
2.6 syllables
Top Scrabble
ACQUAINTANCESHIP
34 points
Longest Word
PHOTORECONNAISSANCE
19 letters
Parts of Speech
Nouns dominate at 66%, with adjectives claiming 20%—a notably high adjective percentage. The average length of 8.7 letters suggests AI appears more often in compound and derived words than in basic vocabulary.
Middle English contributes the largest share of AI words, reflecting how French influence reshaped English spelling after the Norman Conquest. The etymology chain for CERTAIN illustrates this pathway perfectly: from Vulgar Latin through Old French and Middle English, each stage leaving its mark. French and Old French together rival Middle English's contribution, underscoring how thoroughly Romance languages shaped this spelling pattern.
Word Games
High-value words for board games
Short (2-4)
an outer garment consisting of a large piece of white cloth; worn by men and women in northern Africa
Medium (5-7)
Long (8+)
a relationship less intimate than friendship
a morbid fear of the number 13
with firmness and conviction; without compromise
a garment similar to a jacket that is used to bind the arms tightly against the body as a means of restraining a violent person
Medium (5-7)
Long (8+)
a relationship less intimate than friendship
a garment similar to a jacket that is used to bind the arms tightly against the body as a means of restraining a violent person
JAIL scores identically in both games at 14 points, but the real strategic difference emerges with consonant-heavy AI words. QUAICH scores 20 in Scrabble but benefits from WWF's different tile values. BAIZING and ZEBRAIC both hit 22 points in WWF versus 19-20 in Scrabble, making Z-based AI words particularly valuable in Words With Friends. Look for opportunities to combine AI with J, Q, or Z tiles where the scoring differences matter most.
Wordle
5-letter words for daily puzzles
Good Starters (E, A, R, S, T)
Common Words (likely answers)
RAISE and TRAIN make excellent Wordle openers, each testing the common consonants R, N, and T while confirming the AI combination. SAINT offers an alternative that checks S placement, useful if you suspect a plural or S-initial word.
Length Extremes
Longest and shortest valid words
Short AI words like AID and AIM represent core English vocabulary, while longer specimens like TRISKAIDEKAPHOBIA (fear of the number 13) show how Greek and Latin roots combine with this spelling pattern in technical terminology.
Hidden Gems
Rare but valid words to surprise opponents
an airfoil that controls lateral motion
a gun that propels a projectile by compressed air
lacking seriousness; given to frivolity
motion sickness experienced while traveling by air (especially during turbulence)
AILERON deserves attention—it's the movable surface on an airplane wing that controls rolling motion. Beyond its aviation meaning, this French-derived word scores well in both games and uses common tiles. It's legitimate, memorable, and likely to catch opponents off guard.
Popular crossword answers
Words frequently used in crossword puzzles with common clues.