5-Letter Words Ending With IC

97 words

The -IC ending is one of English's most productive suffixes, turning nouns into adjectives that describe qualities and properties. These five-letter words range from everyday terms like TOXIC and CIVIC to scientific vocabulary that rewards players who know their chemistry and biology.

Pattern Guide

Word recommendations for board games.

Word Games

High-value words for board games

Top 5-Letter Words

XYLIC
17 pts
AZOIC

before the appearance of life

16 pts
TOXIC

of or relating to or caused by a toxin or poison

14 pts
XERIC

being deficient in moisture

14 pts
CIVIC

of or relating to or befitting citizens as individuals

12 pts
CYNIC

someone who is critical of the motives of others

12 pts
HEMIC

relating to or containing or affecting blood

12 pts
HUMIC

of or relating to or derived from humus

12 pts

XYLIC leads both games, scoring 17 in Scrabble and 18 in WWF. The real strategic difference shows in words with C: CIVIC jumps from 12 points in Scrabble to 15 in WWF, where C is worth 4 instead of 3. Similarly, CUBIC and MUCIC score 15 in WWF but only 11-12 in Scrabble. If you're holding multiple C tiles in WWF, these -IC words become more valuable plays than their Scrabble equivalents suggest.

Wordle

5-letter words for daily puzzles

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

ARTICStarter
SERICStarter

Common Words (likely answers)

MUSICCommon

punishment for one's actions

MAGICCommon

an illusory feat; considered magical by naive observers

PANICCommon

sudden mass fear and anxiety over anticipated events

BASICCommon

reduced to the simplest and most significant form possible without loss of generality

SERIC tests the common consonants S and R alongside two vowels, making it a solid diagnostic opener. ARTIC covers similar ground with A and I, though neither word appears in standard dictionaries—they're valid guesses for process of elimination.

Hidden Gems

Rare but valid words to surprise opponents

BORIC

of or relating to or derived from or containing boron

"boric acid"

DORIC

the dialect of Ancient Greek spoken in Doris

CONIC

(geometry) a curve generated by the intersection of a plane and a circular cone

"conical mountains"

ANTIC

ludicrously odd

"Hamlet's assumed antic disposition"

ANTIC means ludicrously odd or playful—think of the wild antics of a clown. Beyond its everyday use, it's a reliable Scrabble word that avoids uncommon letters while placing well on the board. The familiar meaning makes it easy to remember under time pressure.

Popular crossword answers

Words frequently used in crossword puzzles with common clues.

More "IC" Pages

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