Words Ending With URE
100 wordsWords ending in -URE form one of English's most productive patterns, creating nouns from verbs and adjectives with elegant consistency. From simple words like CURE and PURE to complex formations like AQUACULTURE, this suffix transforms actions into states and processes into things.
4-letter words
45-letter words
16-letter words
167-letter words
298-letter words
179-letter words
1410-letter words
611-letter words
912-letter words
114-letter words
3Pattern Guide
Insights and recommendations for these words.
The -URE ending creates opportunities across word games, with Latin-rooted formations that reward players who understand how this suffix builds vocabulary.
Vocabulary & Language
Linguistic patterns and usage statistics
The -URE suffix typically converts verbs into abstract nouns denoting actions, processes, or results. EXPOSE becomes EXPOSURE, FAIL becomes FAILURE, CLOSE becomes CLOSURE. This pattern also creates words describing collective states (LEGISLATURE) and scientific processes (AQUACULTURE), making it one of English's most versatile noun-forming tools.
Total Words
326
0.1% of dictionary
Avg Length
9.1 letters
2.9 syllables
Top Scrabble
MISCONJECTURE
26 points
Longest Word
COUNTERSIGNATURE
16 letters
Parts of Speech
With 75% nouns and only 19% verbs, this pattern confirms -URE's primary role as a noun-forming suffix. The 6% adjectives are outliers like PURE and SURE that bucked the grammatical trend.
Middle English dominates this pattern, though these words often trace back through French to Latin roots. The chain from AZURE through Old French to Medieval Latin illustrates how Latinate vocabulary filtered through French before reaching English. Words like CLOTURE show the suffix's French spelling preserved in English, while ENDURE reveals the Latin root indūrāre still visible beneath layers of linguistic change.
Word Games
High-value words for board games
Short (2-4)
Long (8+)
the act of exposing film to too much light or for too long a time
the act of mixing together
Short (2-4)
Long (8+)
a critical combination of events or circumstances
rearing aquatic animals or cultivating aquatic plants for food
CONJURE exemplifies the scoring gap between games—worth 16 points in Scrabble but 21 in WWF thanks to the boosted J value. PERJURE and ABJURE become even more attractive in WWF, where J scores 10 versus Scrabble's 8. For Scrabble players, FIXTURE and FLEXURE leverage the X tile effectively at 17 points each. The longer MISCONJECTURE tops both games at 26 and 33 points respectively.
Wordle
5-letter words for daily puzzles
AZURE makes a strong Wordle starter, testing three vowels (A, U, E) plus the uncommon Z in a single guess. ALURE offers similar vowel coverage with the more common L and R consonants.
Length Extremes
Longest and shortest valid words
Longest
The shortest -URE words are just four letters (CURE, PURE, MURE), while compounds like COUNTERSIGNATURE stretch to 16. The pattern's average length of 9.1 letters reflects how -URE often attaches to already-substantial root words.
Hidden Gems
Rare but valid words to surprise opponents
ABJURE means to formally reject or renounce a belief, typically under pressure—think of historical figures forced to recant heresies. Beyond its dramatic meaning, it's a compact seven-letter word using the high-value J, scoring 19 points in WWF. It's the kind of word that sounds made up until you play it.
Popular crossword answers
Words frequently used in crossword puzzles with common clues.