Words Ending With EY

100 words

Words ending in -EY form a distinctive corner of English vocabulary, blending everyday terms with nautical songs and medieval horses. This collection spans from the simple three-letter BEY to compound creations like BLINDSTOREY, offering word game players both familiar options and surprising discoveries.

3-letter words

6

4-letter words

8

5-letter words

23
View all 23

6-letter words

47

7-letter words

14

8-letter words

2

Pattern Guide

Insights and recommendations for these words.

The -EY ending creates a satisfying blend of common vocabulary and obscure gems that reward players who look beyond the obvious choices.

Vocabulary & Language

Linguistic patterns and usage statistics

The -EY suffix often serves as a variant spelling of -Y, appearing in words where the preceding letter requires visual separation. Many -EY words derive from occupations and objects—JOCKEY, CHIMNEY, LATCHKEY—reflecting their concrete, everyday origins. This ending also appears frequently in informal or playful words like DOOHICKEY and MALARKEY, suggesting a linguistic pattern where -EY softens or casualizes nouns.

Total Words

246

0.1% of dictionary

Avg Length

6.0 letters

2.1 syllables

Top Scrabble

OUTJOCKEY

25 points

Longest Word

BLINDSTOREY

11 letters

Parts of Speech

Nouns
70%
Verbs
6%
Adjectives
22%
Adverbs
1%
Other
1%

Nouns dominate this pattern at 70%, with adjectives claiming 22%—a distribution that reflects -EY's role in naming things and describing sticky, hazy, or otherwise modified states. The average length of 6.0 letters sits comfortably in the sweet spot for word games.

Middle English and Old English together form the backbone of -EY words, pointing to deep Germanic roots in English vocabulary. The journey of CHIMNEY illustrates how words traveled through multiple languages: from Late Latin's camināta through Old French before settling into Middle English. Irish contributes a notable presence, bringing words that carry Celtic character into everyday English usage.

Word Games

High-value words for board games

Short (2-4)

QUEY
16 pts
14 pts
WHEY

the serum or watery part of milk that is separated from the curd in making cheese

13 pts

Medium (5-7)

JOCKEY

defeat someone through trickery or deceit

22 pts
CLIQUEY
21 pts
LACQUEY
21 pts

Long (8+)

OUTJOCKEY
25 pts
DOOHICKEY

something unspecified whose name is either forgotten or not known

22 pts
LATCHKEY

key for raising or drawing back a latch or opening an outside door

20 pts
PAMPHREY
20 pts

QUEY delivers identical 16-point returns in both games, but JOCKEY illustrates the strategic split—scoring 22 in Scrabble versus 24 in Words With Friends thanks to WWF's boosted J value. OUTJOCKEY becomes even more attractive in WWF at 28 points compared to Scrabble's 25. When building off existing tiles, remember that LACQUEY and CLIQUEY both leverage the Q without requiring U to follow, making them valuable plays in either game.

Wordle

5-letter words for daily puzzles

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

MATEYStarter

(used colloquially) having the relationship of friends or pals

JASEYStarter
SAMEYStarter

Common Words (likely answers)

MONEYCommon

the most common medium of exchange; functions as legal tender

HONEYCommon

a beloved person; used as terms of endearment

ALLEYCommon

a narrow street with walls on both sides

RILEYCommon

United States poet (1849-1916)

MATEY offers a strong opening with two vowels and the common consonants M and T. SAMEY provides similar vowel coverage while testing S, one of the most frequent starting letters in English.

Length Extremes

Longest and shortest valid words

Longest

BLINDSTOREY11 letters
INTERVALLEY11 letters
MULTISTOREY11 letters
UNDERSTOREY11 letters

Shortest

BEY3 letters
DEY3 letters
FEY3 letters
GEY3 letters

Short -EY words like BEY and FEY pack meaning into minimal letters, while longer formations like BLINDSTOREY emerge from compound construction. The pattern accommodates both extremes because -EY functions as either a root ending or an attachable suffix.

Hidden Gems

Rare but valid words to surprise opponents

CHANTEY

a rhythmical work song originally sung by sailors

PALFREY

especially a light saddle horse for a woman

BLARNEY

flattery designed to gain favor

GLUEY

having the sticky properties of an adhesive

CHANTEY—a rhythmical work song originally sung by sailors—brings maritime history to your word game arsenal. Also spelled SHANTY, this variant catches opponents off guard while scoring respectably. Its nautical origins make it a fitting companion to other seafaring vocabulary.

Popular crossword answers

Words frequently used in crossword puzzles with common clues.