Words With IRT in the Middle
100 wordsWords with IRT in the middle connect the earthy and the joyful—from DIRT beneath your feet to MIRTH in your laughter. This pattern anchors some of English's most physical vocabulary, giving you solid options for word games and a window into how Germanic roots shaped everyday language.
5-letter words
76-letter words
97-letter words
148-letter words
189-letter words
2010-letter words
1811-letter words
1012-letter words
213-letter words
114-letter words
1Pattern Guide
Insights and recommendations for these words.
The IRT cluster sits at the heart of words that feel grounded and familiar. Here's how to put them to work in your favorite word games.
Vocabulary & Language
Linguistic patterns and usage statistics
The IRT pattern often appears in words describing physical experiences or states of being. BIRTH, DIRT, and GIRTH all carry that tactile, bodily quality inherited from Old English. Many IRT words also form natural compounds—CHILDBIRTH, BIRTHMARK, BIRTHPLACE—making them productive building blocks in English vocabulary.
Total Words
114
0.0% of dictionary
Avg Length
8.5 letters
2.4 syllables
Top Scrabble
BLACKSHIRT
21 points
Longest Word
FLIRTATIOUSNESS
15 letters
Parts of Speech
With 72% nouns and just 4% verbs, IRT words lean heavily toward naming things rather than describing actions. The average length of 8.5 letters suggests this pattern thrives in compound words rather than short, punchy terms.
Middle English dominates this pattern, with Old English and Old Norse contributing the foundational terms. The word SKIRT traces an elegant path from Old Norse 'skyrta' through Proto-Germanic, while AIRT traveled from Scots dialect. These roots reveal how Scandinavian settlers left permanent marks on English vocabulary, particularly in words describing clothing and direction.
Word Games
High-value words for board games
Medium (5-7)
the occurrence of a sudden discharge (as of liquid)
whip with a leather thong at the end
Long (8+)
a member of the Italian fascist party before World War II
the parturition process in human beings; having a baby; the process of giving birth to a child
in a joyous manner
a blemish on the skin that is formed before birth
Medium (5-7)
the occurrence of a sudden discharge (as of liquid)
whip with a leather thong at the end
Long (8+)
a member of the Italian fascist party before World War II
in a joyous manner
great merriment
where something originated or was nurtured in its early existence
BLACKSHIRT and CHILDBIRTH tie for top Scrabble honors at 21 points, but WWF reshuffles the rankings. BLACKSHIRT jumps to 23 points in WWF, matching MIRTHFULLY and MIRTHFULNESS. For shorter plays, SQUIRT delivers solid returns in both games—15 points in Scrabble, 16 in WWF. The real strategic difference lies in QUIRT, which climbs from 14 to 15 points in WWF, making it slightly more valuable when you're stuck with that Q.
Wordle
5-letter words for daily puzzles
Good Starters (E, A, R, S, T)
SHIRT makes an excellent Wordle starter, testing three common consonants and placing the vowel I in a frequent position. SKIRT offers similar value while checking for K, useful for eliminating or confirming that tricky letter early.
Length Extremes
Longest and shortest valid words
Longest
No two or three-letter IRT words exist—this pattern needs room to breathe. The shortest options like DIRT and GIRT hit four letters, while compounds like FLIRTATIOUSNESS stretch to fifteen.
Hidden Gems
Rare but valid words to surprise opponents
in a filthy unclean manner
"a dirtily dressed camel driver"
not wearing a jacket
"in your shirtsleeves"
(British informal) ill-tempered or annoyed
plaything consisting of a toy pistol that squirts water
SHIRTY is British informal for ill-tempered or annoyed—essentially meaning 'in a bad mood.' It's valid in competitive Scrabble and catches opponents off guard because it sounds like slang that shouldn't count. Worth keeping in your back pocket for that Y on your rack.
Popular crossword answers
Words frequently used in crossword puzzles with common clues.