Words With X in the Middle
100 wordsThe letter X occupies a peculiar space in English—rare at the start of words, but surprisingly common in the middle. These medial X words range from everyday terms like TAXI and BOXER to pharmaceutical tongue-twisters. Here you'll find over three thousand words where X does its heavy lifting between other letters.
3-letter words
14-letter words
65-letter words
116-letter words
167-letter words
208-letter words
139-letter words
1610-letter words
1011-letter words
412-letter words
113-letter words
2Pattern Guide
Insights and recommendations for these words.
X in the middle of a word signals something worth knowing—often high-value tiles in games and interesting Latin or Greek roots in etymology.
Vocabulary & Language
Linguistic patterns and usage statistics
Most middle-X words trace back to Latin prefixes and roots. The EX- prefix (meaning 'out of' or 'former') generates hundreds of entries when combined with other elements: EXACT, EXIST, EXCUSE. Greek contributes the OXY- root (meaning 'sharp' or 'acid'), giving us oxygen-related terminology. The AX/IX/UX clusters often mark words borrowed through French from Latin originals.
Total Words
3,126
1.0% of dictionary
Avg Length
9.3 letters
3.7 syllables
Top Scrabble
CHLORDIAZEPOXIDE
41 points
Longest Word
EXISTENTIALISTICALLY
20 letters
Parts of Speech
These words average 3.7 syllables—nearly double the dictionary norm—reflecting their Latin and Greek scholarly origins. The 62% noun dominance and 25% adjective share suggest these are primarily naming words for things and their properties, with relatively few action words making the cut.
Latin dominates this pattern overwhelmingly, with Ancient Greek and Middle French contributing significant portions as well. The etymology chains reveal how X-words traveled: AXE traces from Old English through Proto-West Germanic, while BETWIXT shows the Germanic *twiskaz root transforming through Old and Middle English. This split between Latin scientific vocabulary and Germanic everyday tools defines the middle-X landscape.
Word Games
High-value words for board games
Short (2-4)
Medium (5-7)
a cabinet containing an automatic record player; records are played by inserting a coin
Long (8+)
a tranquilizer (trade names Librium and Libritabs) used in the treatment of alcoholism
an anti-inflammatory drug (trade name Tandearil) used to treat arthritis and bursitis
Short (2-4)
Medium (5-7)
a cabinet containing an automatic record player; records are played by inserting a coin
a conceited dandy who is overly impressed by his own accomplishments
Long (8+)
an anti-inflammatory drug (trade name Tandearil) used to treat arthritis and bursitis
a tranquilizer (trade names Librium and Libritabs) used in the treatment of alcoholism
JUKEBOX exemplifies the scoring gap between games—27 points in Scrabble versus 31 in Words With Friends, thanks to WWF's higher J value of 10 points. COXCOMB scores relatively higher in WWF at 26 points, making the J and X combination particularly lucrative there. For massive plays, CHLORDIAZEPOXIDE and OXYPHENBUTAZONE top both games above 40 points, though finding the board space for 16 letters requires unusual circumstances. Target shorter plays like JYNX (21 Scrabble, 23 WWF) when premium squares align.
Wordle
5-letter words for daily puzzles
Good Starters (E, A, R, S, T)
EXTRA makes an excellent early guess, testing both X placement and the common E, T, R, A letters. RELAX works as a follow-up to probe different vowel positions, while EXACT and EXIST help narrow down that tricky X location.
Length Extremes
Longest and shortest valid words
Longest
Shortest
The shortest middle-X words are just two letters—AX, EX, OX—while pharmaceutical compounds stretch to twenty letters. This extreme range reflects X's dual life: ancient Germanic tool words versus modern scientific nomenclature.
Hidden Gems
Rare but valid words to surprise opponents
an antibiotic; a semisynthetic oral penicillin (trade names Amoxil and Larotid and Polymox and Trimox and Augmentin) used to treat bacterial infections
severe hypoxia; absence of oxygen in inspired gases or in arterial blood or in the tissues
substance that inhibits oxidation or inhibits reactions promoted by oxygen or peroxides
an antibody that can neutralize a specific toxin
ANOXIA describes the severe absence of oxygen in tissues or blood—a medical emergency and a Scrabble opportunity. At seven letters with common tiles surrounding that crucial X, it's far more playable than the pharmaceutical giants. Medical professionals recognize it instantly; word game players should too.
Popular crossword answers
Words frequently used in crossword puzzles with common clues.