5-Letter Words Ending With DE

77 words

Five-letter words ending in -DE often describe states of transition—things that fade, glide, or evade. This collection spans everyday vocabulary alongside scientific terms that can catch opponents off guard in word games.

Pattern Guide

Word recommendations for board games.

Word Games

High-value words for board games

Top 5-Letter Words

AZIDE

a chemical compound containing the azido group combined with an element or radical

15 pts
EXODE

a farcical afterpiece in the ancient Roman theater

13 pts
EXUDE

release (a liquid) in drops or small quantities

13 pts
OXIDE

any compound of oxygen with another element or a radical

13 pts
CHIDE

censure severely or angrily

11 pts
EVADE

avoid or try to avoid fulfilling, answering, or performing (duties, questions, or issues)

9 pts
HORDE

a moving crowd

9 pts
SHADE

a quality of a given color that differs slightly from another color

9 pts

AZIDE tops both games at 15 points, making it the go-to power play for this pattern. EXUDE shows meaningful scoring variation—14 points in Words With Friends versus 13 in Scrabble—due to WWF's higher X value. BUNDE appears exclusively in the WWF top scorers at 11 points, while HORDE and SHADE perform better in Scrabble where H carries more weight.

Wordle

5-letter words for daily puzzles

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

TRADEStarter

engage in the trade of

GRADEStarter

assign a rank or rating to

ASIDEStarter

out of the way (especially away from one's thoughts)

SHADEStarter

a quality of a given color that differs slightly from another color

Common Words (likely answers)

TRADECommon

engage in the trade of

GRADECommon

assign a rank or rating to

BRIDECommon

Irish abbess; a patron saint of Ireland (453-523)

ASIDECommon

out of the way (especially away from one's thoughts)

TRADE and GRADE test common consonants T, R, and G while covering the A and E vowels. SHADE adds H into the mix, useful for eliminating frequent English letter combinations.

Hidden Gems

Rare but valid words to surprise opponents

GEODE

(mineralogy) a hollow rock or nodule with the cavity usually lined with crystals

SPODE

English potter who started a pottery famous for its bone china (1754-1827)

DIODE

a semiconductor that consists of a p-n junction

ETUDE

a short composition for a solo instrument; intended as an exercise or to demonstrate technical virtuosity

GEODE names those hollow rocks lined with crystals you've probably seen in museum gift shops. Beyond its visual appeal, it stacks useful letters—G, E, O, D—that appear frequently across word puzzles, making it both memorable and practical.

Popular crossword answers

Words frequently used in crossword puzzles with common clues.

More "DE" Pages

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