Words Starting With FORE
100 wordsFORE- stands as one of English's most productive prefixes, attaching to verbs, nouns, and adjectives to indicate what comes first in time or position. From the golf course warning shout to philosophical concepts of foresight, these words shape how we discuss anticipation and forward positioning.
4-letter words
16-letter words
37-letter words
98-letter words
309-letter words
2010-letter words
1811-letter words
1112-letter words
313-letter words
314-letter words
116-letter words
1Pattern Guide
Insights and recommendations for these words.
The FORE- prefix creates a fascinating cluster of words about precedence and planning. Here's how to put them to work in your games.
Vocabulary & Language
Linguistic patterns and usage statistics
FORE- derives from Old English and functions in two distinct ways: spatial (toward the front, as in FOREPAW) and temporal (before in time, as in FORESAW). This dual meaning explains why the prefix attaches so readily to different parts of speech. Many FORE- words have paired opposites with AFT- or HIND-, creating natural vocabulary sets.
Total Words
188
0.1% of dictionary
Avg Length
9.5 letters
2.7 syllables
Top Scrabble
FORETHOUGHTFULLY
32 points
Longest Word
FORETHOUGHTFULNESS
18 letters
Parts of Speech
With 61% nouns and an average length of 9.5 letters, FORE- words tend toward substantial, compound formations. The 22% verb representation includes many past tenses of anticipatory actions—FORESAW, FORETOLD, FOREWARNED—reflecting how often we discuss hindsight about foresight.
Middle English dominates this prefix's history, carrying forward an Old English spatial concept into Modern English. The prefix proved so useful that English essentially kept it unchanged through centuries of linguistic evolution. Unlike many prefixes borrowed from Latin or Greek, FORE- represents native Germanic stock that resisted replacement.
Word Games
High-value words for board games
Short (2-4)
near or toward the bow of a ship or cockpit of a plane
Medium (5-7)
Long (8+)
thoughtful of the future
Short (2-4)
near or toward the bow of a ship or cockpit of a plane
Long (8+)
FORETHOUGHTFULLY tops both games at 32 and 34 points respectively, but WWF's inflated values for certain tiles create interesting gaps elsewhere. FOREPAW scores 15 in Scrabble versus 16 in WWF—a modest gain. FOREMAN shows similar WWF favorability at 14 points. Since FORE- words run long, board position matters more than tile values; look for double or triple word scores to multiply these hefty formations.
Wordle
5-letter words for daily puzzles
Common Words (likely answers)
Length Extremes
Longest and shortest valid words
Longest
No FORE- words exist under four letters because the prefix itself consumes four. The longest formations like FORETHOUGHTFULNESS stack suffix upon suffix, building abstract nouns from concrete verbs through standard English morphology.
Hidden Gems
Rare but valid words to surprise opponents
a person from whom you are descended
the mast nearest the bow in vessels with two or more masts
the forelimb of a quadruped
a woman who is foreperson of a jury
FOREBEAR means an ancestor, a person from whom you descended. Don't confuse it with FORBEAR (to refrain from). This spelling distinction trips up many players, making FOREBEAR a satisfying play when you can distinguish the genealogical term from the verb of restraint.
Popular crossword answers
Words frequently used in crossword puzzles with common clues.