Words Ending With W
100 wordsWords ending in W form a distinctive corner of English vocabulary. This collection spans from simple exclamations like AW and OW to compound formations like PREINTERVIEW, offering useful options for word game players looking to use this less common ending.
2-letter words
33-letter words
244-letter words
295-letter words
106-letter words
207-letter words
68-letter words
59-letter words
3Pattern Guide
Insights and recommendations for these words.
The W ending creates opportunities most players overlook. Understanding which words carry this suffix can turn a tricky board position into a scoring play.
Vocabulary & Language
Linguistic patterns and usage statistics
Many W-ending words describe natural processes or states—GROW, FLOW, THAW, MELLOW. The suffix often appears in words borrowed from Germanic languages, where it marked sounds that later softened in pronunciation. English also uses W endings for onomatopoeia like MEOW and MEW, capturing sounds that trail off softly.
Total Words
413
0.1% of dictionary
Avg Length
6.3 letters
1.9 syllables
Top Scrabble
JINRICKSHAW
30 points
Longest Word
PREINTERVIEW
12 letters
Parts of Speech
With 68% nouns and 26% verbs, W-ending words lean heavily toward naming things rather than describing actions. The average length of 6.3 letters suggests these aren't quick utility words—most carry real semantic weight.
Middle English and Old English dominate this pattern, reflecting the Germanic roots of these words. The chain from SORROW (Middle English sorow → Old English sorg) shows how these words evolved with minimal changes over centuries. Proto-West Germanic forms like *widuwā becoming WIDOW demonstrate English preserving ancient word structures.
Word Games
High-value words for board games
Short (2-4)
Medium (5-7)
common black-and-grey Eurasian bird noted for thievery
an acute and serious infection of the central nervous system caused by bacterial infection of open wounds; spasms of the jaw and laryngeal muscles may occur during the late stages
saw used with one hand for cutting metal
Long (8+)
screw-operated jack
a thin strip of wood used in playing the game of jackstraws
Short (2-4)
Medium (5-7)
common black-and-grey Eurasian bird noted for thievery
an acute and serious infection of the central nervous system caused by bacterial infection of open wounds; spasms of the jaw and laryngeal muscles may occur during the late stages
a saw that is set in a frame in the shape of an H; used with both hands to cut wood that is held in a sawbuck
Long (8+)
screw-operated jack
use foul or abusive language towards
JACKDAW scores 24 in Scrabble but jumps to 27 in Words With Friends due to different tile values. LOCKJAW shows similar inflation, hitting 27 in WWF versus 23 in Scrabble. JINRICKSHAW tops both lists—30 points in Scrabble, 33 in WWF—but CLAPPERCLAW only appears in WWF's valid word list, making it a game-specific weapon at 28 points.
Wordle
5-letter words for daily puzzles
Good Starters (E, A, R, S, T)
THREW and STRAW make strong openers, each testing common consonants alongside different vowels. SHREW adds the valuable H while keeping high-frequency letters in play.
Length Extremes
Longest and shortest valid words
Longest
Shortest
Short W words like AW, EW, and OW function as exclamations or interjections—sounds captured as words. Longer formations like PREINTERVIEW stack prefixes onto core words, stretching the pattern to its 12-letter maximum.
Hidden Gems
Rare but valid words to surprise opponents
a person with whom you share a bed
"politics makes strange bedfellows"
wish harm upon; invoke evil upon
the first light of day
large migratory shorebirds of the sandpiper family; closely related to woodcocks but having a down-curved bill
BESHREW means to wish harm upon someone—an archaic curse you might find in Shakespeare. It's valid in word games and catches opponents off guard. The BE- prefix combined with an unusual verb root makes it both memorable and useful for clearing difficult letter combinations.
Popular crossword answers
Words frequently used in crossword puzzles with common clues.