Words Ending With LE
100 wordsWords ending in -LE form one of English's most versatile patterns, spanning simple everyday terms to complex scientific vocabulary. This collection ranges from the compact ALE to the sprawling NONINTERCHANGEABLE, offering options for casual conversation and competitive word games alike.
4-letter words
165-letter words
186-letter words
317-letter words
118-letter words
99-letter words
510-letter words
611-letter words
212-letter words
113-letter words
1Pattern Guide
Insights and recommendations for these words.
The -LE ending appears across virtually every word length, making it valuable territory for word game players to explore.
Vocabulary & Language
Linguistic patterns and usage statistics
The -LE suffix often creates adjectives meaning 'capable of' or 'tending to' (as in arguable, excitable), deriving from Latin -bilis. Many -LE words also feature the diminutive or frequentative pattern, where the ending suggests repeated action—think crumble, dribble, or frizzle. This dual function makes -LE unusually productive in English word formation.
Total Words
3,658
1.2% of dictionary
Avg Length
9.2 letters
3.5 syllables
Top Scrabble
SCHEMOZZLE
35 points
Longest Word
NONINTERCHANGEABLE
18 letters
Parts of Speech
This pattern skews heavily toward adjectives at 51%, well above typical dictionary distributions. The average length of 9.2 letters reflects the prevalence of -ABLE and -IBLE formations, which tend to build on longer root words.
Middle English dominates this pattern's origins, reflecting how the -LE ending was already productive when English was crystallizing as a language. Latin influence appears strongly through the -bilis suffix that became English -ble. The chain from AMIABLE shows this path clearly: Latin amīcābilis traveled through Old French before settling into Middle English, a journey many -LE words share.
Word Games
High-value words for board games
Medium (5-7)
wear away by rubbing
curl tightly
any of various tall frothy mixed drinks made usually of rum and lime juice and sugar shaken with ice
Long (8+)
(Yiddish) a confused situation or affair; a mess
capable of undergoing hydrolysis
Medium (5-7)
wear away by rubbing
curl tightly
prevent from speaking out
Long (8+)
(Yiddish) a confused situation or affair; a mess
not causing disapproval
SCHEMOZZLE delivers the pattern's highest Scrabble score at 35 points, and jumps to 37 in Words With Friends where Z scores 10 instead of Scrabble's equivalent. For shorter plays, JOLE exploits WWF's higher J value (10 points versus 8) to outscore AXLE despite lacking the X. The -ZZLE cluster proves especially valuable: FRAZZLE, FRIZZLE, and MUZZLE all score 28-29 points and offer flexibility when a double-Z draw appears.
Wordle
5-letter words for daily puzzles
Good Starters (E, A, R, S, T)
TABLE offers an excellent starting position with three vowels and the common consonants T and B. SCALE provides backup coverage, testing S, C, and L—three of English's most frequent letters.
Length Extremes
Longest and shortest valid words
Longest
Shortest
The shortest -LE words like ALE are ancient monosyllables, while the longest tend to be scientific or legal compounds built from Latin. The suffix naturally encourages lengthening as it attaches to progressively more complex roots.
Hidden Gems
Rare but valid words to surprise opponents
a poplar that is widely cultivated in the United States; has white bark and leaves with whitish undersurfaces
having no fever
open to argument or debate
a hole through which you put your arm and where a sleeve can be attached
ABELE names a poplar tree cultivated for its distinctive white bark and pale-backed leaves. Beyond its botanical charm, it's a Scrabble-legal five-letter word using only common tiles—perfect for clearing a vowel-heavy rack while scoring on premium squares.
Popular crossword answers
Words frequently used in crossword puzzles with common clues.