Words Starting With A
100 wordsThe letter A opens more English words than any other vowel. From two-letter basics to scientific terminology stretching past twenty characters, this collection spans everyday vocabulary and specialized terms alike. Whether you're building word game skills or exploring linguistic patterns, A-words offer rich territory.
2-letter words
63-letter words
154-letter words
85-letter words
196-letter words
227-letter words
168-letter words
69-letter words
510-letter words
3Pattern Guide
Insights and recommendations for these words.
A-words reward players who balance common vocabulary with strategic outliers. Here's how to make them work across different games.
Vocabulary & Language
Linguistic patterns and usage statistics
A carries two major prefixes that shape thousands of English words. The Greek 'a-' (meaning 'without') gives us words like amoral and asymmetric. Latin's 'ad-' (meaning 'toward') often assimilates into words like accuse, affirm, and attract—notice how the 'd' changes to match the following consonant. This prefix adaptability explains why A-words dominate certain technical and academic registers.
Total Words
7,437
6.8% of dictionary
Avg Length
9.1 letters
3.7 syllables
Top Scrabble
ANTHROPOMORPHIZATION
41 points
Longest Word
ADRENOCORTICOTROPHIC
20 letters
Parts of Speech
A-words average 3.7 syllables each, reflecting the heavy presence of Latinate vocabulary with multi-syllable prefixes and suffixes. The 61% noun dominance tracks with English's tendency to borrow scientific and technical nouns from Latin and Greek roots beginning with A.
Middle English and Latin dominate A-word origins, often through parallel paths. ANTLER traces through Old French back to a Latin compound meaning 'before the eyes'—a poetic description of where antlers sit on a deer's head. Greek contributions cluster in scientific terminology, while AMOK arrived via Portuguese traders who borrowed it from Malay, preserving its meaning of frenzied violence across three language families.
Word Games
High-value words for board games
Short (2-4)
Medium (5-7)
noisy like the sound of a bee
Long (8+)
ascribe human features to something
Short (2-4)
Medium (5-7)
noisy like the sound of a bee
Long (8+)
ADZE delivers identical 14-point value in both Scrabble and Words With Friends, making it a reliable short-word anchor. The real divergence appears in medium-length plays: ABUZZ scores 25 in Scrabble but jumps to 27 in WWF due to Z's higher value. For maximum impact, save AZULEJO and AZOTIZE for WWF where they hit 27 and 25 points respectively. The ANTHROPOMORPH- family offers endgame flexibility when you need to burn tiles.
Wordle
5-letter words for daily puzzles
Good Starters (E, A, R, S, T)
AFTER and AGENT both test common consonants while placing A in different positions. APART doubles down on A, useful when you've confirmed its presence but not its location.
Length Extremes
Longest and shortest valid words
Longest
Shortest
A-words span from the two-letter AA (volcanic rock) to twenty-letter medical terms. The extreme length of scientific vocabulary reflects how Greek and Latin roots stack to create precise technical meanings.
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
formally reject or disavow a formerly held belief, usually under pressure
"She abjured her beliefs"
failing to accomplish an intended result
"an abortive revolt"
reduce in scope while retaining essential elements
"the new law might abridge our freedom of expression"
ABJURE means to formally reject a belief, typically under pressure. It's the word for recanting heresy or renouncing citizenship. Beyond its historical weight, it's a compact J-word that fits where longer options won't—worth knowing for both vocabulary and tile management.
Popular crossword answers
Words frequently used in crossword puzzles with common clues.