Words Containing ES

100 words

The letter pair ES appears in over 11,000 English words, making it one of the most common two-letter combinations in the language. From simple plurals to complex medical terms, this pattern spans everyday vocabulary and specialized jargon alike.

3-letter words

1

4-letter words

11

5-letter words

19
View all 19

6-letter words

20

7-letter words

22

8-letter words

10

9-letter words

8

10-letter words

4

11-letter words

2

12-letter words

1

13-letter words

1

14-letter words

1

Pattern Guide

Insights and recommendations for these words.

The ES combination offers surprising strategic depth across word games, with options ranging from quick two-letter plays to vocabulary-crushing long words.

Vocabulary & Language

Linguistic patterns and usage statistics

ES serves triple duty in English: as the plural suffix for words ending in certain consonants (boxes, wishes), as a verb conjugation marker (he goes, she tries), and as a core component of countless roots. The Latin root 'esse' meaning 'to be' threads through words like essence, essential, and quintessence. Many ES words also derive from the Greek suffix '-esis' indicating a process or condition, as seen in genesis, synthesis, and nemesis.

Total Words

11,300

3.8% of dictionary

Avg Length

10.2 letters

3.3 syllables

Top Scrabble

HYPERCHOLESTEROLEMIA

35 points

Longest Word

HYPERCHOLESTEROLEMIA

20 letters

Parts of Speech

Nouns
74%
Verbs
6%
Adjectives
17%
Adverbs
3%
Other
0%

With 74% nouns dominating the pattern, ES words lean heavily toward naming things rather than actions. The average length of 10.2 letters suggests this combination appears frequently in compound words and technical terminology rather than simple vocabulary.

Middle English dominates words containing ES, reflecting how this letter pair became embedded in the language during its formative centuries. The journey from Persian 'shah' through Old French to become the English word CHESS shows how ES words often carry surprising travel histories. Latin and Ancient Greek contribute heavily through academic and scientific vocabulary, while Old English preserves the pattern in the language's Germanic foundations.

Word Games

High-value words for board games

Short (2-4)

ZEST

a tart spicy quality

13 pts
11 pts
ESKY
11 pts

Medium (5-7)

QUIZZES
34 pts
FRIZZES
28 pts
FEZZES
27 pts

Long (8+)

HYPERCHOLESTEROLEMIA

the presence of an abnormal amount of cholesterol in the cells and plasma of the blood; associated with the risk of atherosclerosis

35 pts
PHOTOSYNTHESIZE
35 pts
QUINQUAGESIMAL
35 pts
ZIGZAGGEDNESS
35 pts

Both Scrabble and Words With Friends reward QUIZZES as the top medium-length scorer, but the games diverge on longer plays. QUINQUAGESIMAL scores 41 points in WWF versus 35 in Scrabble, thanks to WWF's higher Q value. For quick plays, JESS outscores ZEST in WWF (13 vs 13) despite ZEST's Z, because WWF values J at 10 points. Keep ESKY in mind for Scrabble—this Australian cooler term earns 11 points from just four letters.

Wordle

5-letter words for daily puzzles

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

THESEStarter
TIMESStarter

an arithmetic operation that is the inverse of division; the product of two numbers is computed

DRESSStarter

cultivate, tend, and cut back the growth of

RULESStarter

Common Words (likely answers)

THESECommon
GUESSCommon

an estimate based on little or no information

TIMESCommon

an arithmetic operation that is the inverse of division; the product of two numbers is computed

COMESCommon

THESE makes an excellent Wordle starter, testing two vowels (E twice) plus the common consonants T, H, and S. DRESS and RULES offer alternative approaches, each checking different high-frequency letters while confirming the ES ending pattern.

Length Extremes

Longest and shortest valid words

Longest

HYPERCHOLESTEROLEMIA20 letters
INCOMPREHENSIBLENESS20 letters
MICROELECTROPHORESIS20 letters
ANTIREVOLUTIONARIES19 letters

Shortest

ES2 letters
BES3 letters
ESS3 letters
EST3 letters

The shortest ES words are simple two-letter plays like ES itself, while the longest reach 20 letters with medical terms like HYPERCHOLESTEROLEMIA. This extreme range reflects how ES functions both as a basic grammatical unit and as a component in scientific compound words.

Hidden Gems

Rare but valid words to surprise opponents

ABSCESSED

infected and filled with pus

"an abscessed tooth"

AIRSICKNESS

motion sickness experienced while traveling by air (especially during turbulence)

ANALGESIA

absence of the sense of pain without loss of consciousness

ANOPHELES

malaria mosquitoes; distinguished by the adult's head-downward stance and absence of breathing tubes in the larvae

ANOPHELES names the genus of mosquitoes responsible for transmitting malaria—those distinctive insects that rest with their heads pointed downward. Beyond its scientific importance, this 9-letter word scores well in word games and catches opponents off guard. It's the rare word that combines genuine educational value with strategic utility.

Popular crossword answers

Words frequently used in crossword puzzles with common clues.