Words Starting With HER

100 words

HER words bridge the ancient and modern, from everyday terms like HERB and HERD to scientific vocabulary like HERTZ and HERMAPHRODITISM. This prefix-like pattern connects Greek heroes to German physics, offering word game players a mix of accessible short words and impressive long-form options.

3-letter words

1

4-letter words

7

5-letter words

6
View all 6

6-letter words

16

7-letter words

12

8-letter words

15

9-letter words

17

10-letter words

14

11-letter words

5

12-letter words

4

13-letter words

2

14-letter words

1

Pattern Guide

Insights and recommendations for these words.

The HER pattern rewards players who know both common vocabulary and a few strategic longer words.

Vocabulary & Language

Linguistic patterns and usage statistics

HER appears in words from vastly different origins that happen to share these three letters. Some derive from the Greek 'heros' (hero, heroine, heroize), while others trace to Latin 'herba' for plants (herb, herbage, herbivorous). The pattern also captures Germanic inheritances—HER itself comes from Old English, while HERTZ honors the German physicist who measured radio waves.

Total Words

150

0.1% of dictionary

Avg Length

8.6 letters

3.4 syllables

Top Scrabble

HERMAPHRODITISM

28 points

Longest Word

HEREDITARIANISM

15 letters

Parts of Speech

Nouns
62%
Adjectives
23%
Adverbs
12%
Other
3%

With 62% nouns and 23% adjectives, HER words skew heavily toward naming things and describing their qualities. The average length of 8.6 letters reflects the pattern's abundance of scientific and medical terminology, where compound forms like HERMAPHRODITISM dominate.

Middle English contributes the most HER words, often serving as a bridge from older sources. The etymology chain for HERB traces through four languages—from Proto-Indo-European through Latin and Old French before settling into Middle English. Ancient Greek appears through the heroic vocabulary, while German gives us the scientific HEROIN, derived from the Greek word for heroine.

Word Games

High-value words for board games

Short (2-4)

HERB

a plant lacking a permanent woody stem; many are flowering garden plants or potherbs; some having medicinal properties; some are pests

9 pts
HERM

a statue consisting of a squared stone pillar with a carved head (usually a bearded Hermes) on top; used in ancient Greece as a boundary marker or signpost

9 pts
HERD

a crowd especially of ordinary or undistinguished persons or things

8 pts

Medium (5-7)

HEROIZE
19 pts
HERTZES
19 pts
HERTZ

the unit of frequency; one hertz has a periodic interval of one second (named for Heinrich Rudolph Hertz)

17 pts

Long (8+)

HERMAPHRODITISM

congenital condition in which external genitalia and internal sex organs have both male and female characteristics

28 pts
HERMAPHRODITIC

of animal or plant; having both male female reproductive organs

27 pts
HERNIORRHAPHY
27 pts
HERBORIZING
26 pts

The highest-scoring HER words perform similarly in both games, but the real strategy lies in the H tile itself. In WWF, H is worth 4 points versus 4 in Scrabble—no difference there. HERTZ and HERTZES maximize the Z tile effectively in either game. For consistent points, HEROIZE delivers 19 in Scrabble and 18 in WWF, making it a reliable play regardless of platform.

Wordle

5-letter words for daily puzzles

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

HERTZStarter

the unit of frequency; one hertz has a periodic interval of one second (named for Heinrich Rudolph Hertz)

HERESStarter
HEROSStarter
HERMAStarter

Common Words (likely answers)

HERONCommon

Greek mathematician and inventor who devised a way to determine the area of a triangle and who described various mechanical devices (first century)

HERTZCommon

the unit of frequency; one hertz has a periodic interval of one second (named for Heinrich Rudolph Hertz)

HERESCommon
HERRYCommon

HERTZ makes an excellent starting word, testing the common H and E while checking the less frequent T, R, and Z positions. HEROS offers better vowel coverage with two vowels and three common consonants.

Length Extremes

Longest and shortest valid words

Longest

HEREDITARIANISM15 letters
HERMAPHRODITISM15 letters
HERMENEUTICALLY15 letters
HEREDITABILITY14 letters

Shortest

HER3 letters

The shortest HER word is simply HER at three letters, while HEREDITARIANISM stretches to fifteen. Medical and biological terminology accounts for most longer words, where Latin and Greek roots combine with English suffixes.

Hidden Gems

Rare but valid words to surprise opponents

HERNIATION

rupture in smooth muscle tissue through which a bodily structure protrudes

HERALDRY

emblem indicating the right of a person to bear arms

HERBAGE

succulent herbaceous vegetation of pasture land

HERBIVOROUS

feeding only on plants

HERALDRY refers to the emblems indicating someone's right to bear arms—the coats of arms, crests, and shields of noble families. Beyond its historical meaning, it scores well in word games and surprises opponents who expect only common HER vocabulary.

Popular crossword answers

Words frequently used in crossword puzzles with common clues.