Words Ending With ER
100 wordsThe -ER suffix is one of English's most productive word-building tools, transforming verbs into doers and adjectives into comparatives. This collection spans everything from everyday agents like 'teacher' and 'worker' to specialized terms that reward adventurous players in word games.
2-letter words
13-letter words
24-letter words
35-letter words
216-letter words
407-letter words
188-letter words
109-letter words
211-letter words
212-letter words
1Pattern Guide
Insights and recommendations for these words.
Words ending in -ER offer reliable scoring opportunities and surprising strategic depth across word games.
Vocabulary & Language
Linguistic patterns and usage statistics
The -ER ending serves multiple grammatical functions in English. As an agent suffix, it turns verbs into nouns describing someone who performs an action (write → writer). As a comparative suffix, it transforms adjectives (fast → faster). This dual role explains why -ER words dominate the noun category—most are agent nouns describing people, tools, or things that perform actions.
Total Words
7,111
2.4% of dictionary
Avg Length
8.1 letters
2.9 syllables
Top Scrabble
HEMIDEMISEMIQUAVER
40 points
Longest Word
CHROMOLITHOGRAPHER
18 letters
Parts of Speech
With 90% of these words being nouns, this pattern reflects the suffix's primary role as an agent marker. The average length of 8.1 letters suggests most -ER words are compound formations—a base word plus the two-letter suffix, rather than short root words.
Middle English dominates this pattern's origins, reflecting -ER's deep roots in English word-formation. The suffix itself traces back through Old English -ere and Proto-Germanic, meaning words like LAUGHTER (from Old English hleahtor) show the suffix's ancient presence. Old French and Latin contributions often entered through Norman French influence, bringing words that already had agent suffixes in their source languages.
Word Games
High-value words for board games
Short (2-4)
Medium (5-7)
someone who administers a test to determine your qualifications
Long (8+)
a musical note having the time value of a sixty-fourth of a whole note
disagreeable aftereffects from the use of drugs (especially alcohol)
Short (2-4)
Medium (5-7)
someone who administers a test to determine your qualifications
Long (8+)
a musical note having the time value of a sixty-fourth of a whole note
disagreeable aftereffects from the use of drugs (especially alcohol)
High-value letters score identically in both Scrabble and Words With Friends for most -ER words, making QUIZZER (34/35 pts) and JAZZIER (32/34 pts) top performers in either game. The scoring gap widens with longer words: KATZENJAMMER scores 36 in Scrabble but jumps to 41 in WWF. Short plays like JEER deliver solid returns (11/13 pts) when board space is tight. Look for opportunities to extend existing words with -ER for efficient point gains.
Wordle
5-letter words for daily puzzles
Good Starters (E, A, R, S, T)
WATER and LATER make excellent Wordle starters from this pattern, covering common consonants T and R while testing different vowel positions. AFTER offers similar value with its high-frequency letters.
Length Extremes
Longest and shortest valid words
Longest
Shortest
The 18-letter CHROMOLITHOGRAPHER represents the extreme—a compound of Greek roots describing a specialized printing craftsman. Most -ER words cluster around 6-9 letters because the suffix typically attaches to existing base words rather than forming new roots.
Hidden Gems
Rare but valid words to surprise opponents
someone who admires a young woman
used in the treatment of cancer
"anticancer drug"
someone who tries to bring peace by acceding to demands
"An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile--hoping it will eat him last"
underground bed or layer yielding ground water for wells and springs etc
AQUIFER deserves attention beyond its scientific meaning of an underground water-bearing layer. The Q-without-U formation using QUI- makes it valuable in Scrabble and WWF when you're stuck with a Q tile. It's also a legitimate seven-letter word that most opponents won't challenge.
Popular crossword answers
Words frequently used in crossword puzzles with common clues.