Words Starting With FLA

100 words

FLA words bring together some of English's most vivid vocabulary, from the practical FLAX to the theatrical FLAMBOYANCY. This collection spans everyday cooking terms, textile traditions, and expressive descriptors that add color to both conversation and game boards.

4-letter words

10

5-letter words

13
View all 13

6-letter words

14

7-letter words

14

8-letter words

20

9-letter words

12

10-letter words

12

11-letter words

1

12-letter words

3

13-letter words

1

Pattern Guide

Insights and recommendations for these words.

The FLA pattern offers surprising scoring potential, with high-value plays hiding among familiar words.

Vocabulary & Language

Linguistic patterns and usage statistics

The FLA cluster splits into two distinct families. One traces back to flat, level surfaces through Old Norse—giving us FLAT, FLAW, and FLAK. The other stems from Latin's 'flare' meaning to blow or flame, producing FLAMBOYANT, FLAMMABLE, and their relatives. This dual heritage explains why FLA words toggle between the mundane and the dramatic.

Total Words

249

0.1% of dictionary

Avg Length

8.3 letters

2.4 syllables

Top Scrabble

FLAMBOYANCY

26 points

Longest Word

FLAGITIOUSNESS

14 letters

Parts of Speech

Nouns
66%
Verbs
8%
Adjectives
23%
Adverbs
3%

With 66% nouns dominating this pattern, FLA words tend to name things rather than describe or act. The 2.4 syllable average reflects a mix of punchy monosyllables like FLAK alongside theatrical multisyllabic performers like FLAMBOYANTLY.

Middle English dominates this pattern's origins, reflecting words that entered English during the medieval period and stuck around. The chain from FLAT through Old Norse to Proto-Germanic shows how basic concepts traveled with Viking settlers. Meanwhile, culinary terms like FLAN reveal a parallel path through French and Latin, arriving via Norman influence on English kitchens.

Word Games

High-value words for board games

Short (2-4)

FLAX

fiber of the flax plant that is made into thread and woven into linen fabric

14 pts
FLAK

artillery designed to shoot upward at airplanes

11 pts
FLAW

an imperfection in an object or machine

10 pts

Medium (5-7)

FLAXY
18 pts
FLAKILY
17 pts
FLABBY

out of condition; not strong or robust; incapable of exertion or endurance

16 pts

Long (8+)

FLAMBOYANCY
26 pts
FLAPJACK

a flat cake of thin batter fried on both sides on a griddle

26 pts
FLAMBOYANTLY

in a fancy colorful manner

25 pts
FLAMMABILITY

the quality of being easily ignited and burning rapidly

24 pts

FLAPJACK demonstrates the scoring gap between games—it earns 26 points in Scrabble but jumps to 31 in Words With Friends thanks to the elevated J value. The humble FLAX scores nearly identically across both games, making it a reliable short-word option. For WWF specifically, watch for FLACCID at 18 points, which outperforms many longer alternatives when board space is tight.

Wordle

5-letter words for daily puzzles

Good Starters (E, A, R, S, T)

FLAREStarter

erupt or intensify suddenly

FLATSStarter

footwear (shoes or slippers) with no heel (or a very low heel)

Common Words (likely answers)

FLASHCommon

a lamp for providing momentary light to take a photograph

FLAMECommon

shine with a sudden light

FLAGSCommon
FLARECommon

erupt or intensify suddenly

FLARE makes an excellent starter with three vowels (A, E) plus the common consonants R and L. FLATS offers a solid alternative, testing the high-frequency T and S while keeping the FL opening in play.

Length Extremes

Longest and shortest valid words

Longest

FLAGITIOUSNESS14 letters
FLANNELMOUTHED14 letters
FLABBERGASTED13 letters
FLAGELLANTISM13 letters

No two or three-letter FLA words exist because the combination demands at least one more letter to form meaningful roots. The longest entries stretch to 14 letters, where Latin-derived abstractions like FLAGITIOUSNESS accumulate suffixes.

Hidden Gems

Rare but valid words to surprise opponents

FLAGELLATE

whip

"The religious fanatics flagellated themselves"

FLATHEAD

food fish of the Indonesian region of the Pacific; resembles gurnards

FLAMBOYANCE

extravagant elaborateness

"he wrote with great flamboyance"

FLANKER

a back stationed wide of the scrimmage line; used as a pass receiver

FLANKER deserves attention beyond football terminology. In word games, it scores respectably while using common tiles that opponents rarely block. Originally describing a back positioned wide for pass receiving, it's now valid Scrabble territory that most players overlook.

Popular crossword answers

Words frequently used in crossword puzzles with common clues.

More "FLA" Pages

Browse words by longer letter combinations starting with "FLA".