Words Containing D

100 words

The letter D anchors over 30,000 English words, serving as both a versatile starter and a reliable finisher. From quick two-letter plays to medical terminology stretching twenty letters long, D-words offer something for every vocabulary challenge.

2-letter words

1

3-letter words

15

4-letter words

32

5-letter words

25
View all 25

6-letter words

14

7-letter words

6

8-letter words

4

9-letter words

2

10-letter words

1

Pattern Guide

Insights and recommendations for these words.

D sits comfortably in the middle of the alphabet, but its strategic value in word games deserves closer attention.

Vocabulary & Language

Linguistic patterns and usage statistics

D frequently appears in prefixes that reverse or negate meaning—think 'dis-', 'de-', and 'dys-'. These Latin and Greek building blocks create thousands of words describing removal, opposition, or dysfunction. The suffix '-ed' makes D one of the most common word endings in English, turning any verb into its past tense form.

Total Words

30,823

10.3% of dictionary

Avg Length

9.3 letters

3.2 syllables

Top Scrabble

HYPOPHYSECTOMIZED

47 points

Longest Word

ADRENOCORTICOTROPHIC

20 letters

Parts of Speech

Nouns
51%
Verbs
8%
Adjectives
38%
Adverbs
4%

With 56% nouns and 34% adjectives, D-words lean heavily toward naming things and describing them. The average length of 9.3 letters suggests D appears frequently in compound and derived words rather than short root words.

Middle English dominates the origins of D-words, reflecting the letter's deep roots in everyday vocabulary. Latin and French contributions often arrived together, as French itself borrowed heavily from Latin before passing words to English. The word 'admiral' traces a fascinating path from Arabic 'amīr al-baḥr' (commander of the sea) through Old French, showing how maritime trade carried vocabulary across linguistic boundaries.

Word Games

High-value words for board games

Short (2-4)

DOZY

half asleep

17 pts
DIXY
15 pts
DOXY

a woman who cohabits with an important man

15 pts

Medium (5-7)

DIZZILY

in a giddy light-headed manner

29 pts
DRIZZLY

wet with light rain

29 pts
BUZZARD

the common European short-winged hawk

28 pts

Long (8+)

HYPOPHYSECTOMIZED

having the pituitary gland removed by surgery

47 pts
HYDROCHLOROTHIAZIDE

a diuretic drug (trade name Microzide, Esidrix, and HydroDIURIL) used in the treatment of hypertension

44 pts
PARATHYROIDECTOMIZED
43 pts
CHLORDIAZEPOXIDE

a tranquilizer (trade names Librium and Libritabs) used in the treatment of alcoholism

41 pts

The medical giants like HYPOPHYSECTOMIZED score identically in both games at 47 points, but mid-range words reveal strategic differences. BUZZARD jumps from 28 points in Scrabble to 30 in Words With Friends thanks to the boosted Z value. PUZZLED climbs to 31 points in WWF, making seven-letter plays more rewarding. When choosing between similar-length options, prioritize words with H, J, Q, or Z in WWF for the enhanced point values.

Wordle

5-letter words for daily puzzles

Good Starters (E, A, R, S, T)

HEARDStarter

detected or perceived by the sense of hearing

READYStarter

apprehending and responding with speed and sensitivity

DEATHStarter

the time at which life ends; continuing until dead

STANDStarter

put up with something or somebody unpleasant

Common Words (likely answers)

WOULDCommon
COULDCommon
DOINGCommon
WORLDCommon

people in general; especially a distinctive group of people with some shared interest

HEARD and DEATH both test the common E-A vowel pair while checking D's frequent positions. READY adds the versatile Y, while STAND covers S, T, and N—three of English's most common consonants.

Length Extremes

Longest and shortest valid words

Longest

ADRENOCORTICOTROPHIC20 letters
ADRENOCORTICOTROPHIN20 letters
COUNTERDEMONSTRATION20 letters
ELECTROCARDIOGRAPHIC20 letters

Shortest

AD2 letters
DA2 letters
DE2 letters
DI2 letters

Short D-words like AD and DA serve as essential two-letter connectors, while medical terminology pushes toward twenty letters. The prefix 'de-' and suffix '-ed' explain why medium-length words dominate—they're the sweet spot for English word formation.

Hidden Gems

Rare but valid words to surprise opponents

ABRIDGE

reduce in scope while retaining essential elements

"the new law might abridge our freedom of expression"

ABSCESSED

infected and filled with pus

"an abscessed tooth"

ACADEME

the academic world

ACTUATED

moved to action

"a man actuated by unworthy desired"

ABRIDGE means to reduce in scope while keeping essential elements—like editing a novel into a summary. Beyond its practical meaning, it's a seven-letter word with common letters that plays cleanly in both Scrabble and WWF. The word itself models what it describes: compact but complete.

Popular crossword answers

Words frequently used in crossword puzzles with common clues.

More "D" Pages

Browse words by longer letter combinations starting with "D".