Words Starting With HU

100 words

HU words carry the breath of human experience—from humble to hurricane, hunger to humor. This collection spans fundamental concepts that touch daily life, making these words both practical vocabulary builders and reliable game performers.

3-letter words

7

4-letter words

15

5-letter words

15
View all 15

6-letter words

26

7-letter words

16

8-letter words

8

9-letter words

7

10-letter words

1

11-letter words

4

12-letter words

1

Pattern Guide

Insights and recommendations for these words.

The HU combination anchors some of English's most versatile words, from quick scoring plays to strategic board-changers.

Vocabulary & Language

Linguistic patterns and usage statistics

HU words cluster around two linguistic threads. The Germanic 'hum-' root gives us human, humble, and humor—words tied to earth and earthiness (Latin 'humus' means ground). The onomatopoeic thread produces huff, hum, and hush, where the breathy H-U sound mimics the actions themselves.

Total Words

308

0.1% of dictionary

Avg Length

7.7 letters

2.7 syllables

Top Scrabble

HUZZAH

30 points

Longest Word

HUMANITARIANISM

15 letters

Parts of Speech

Nouns
65%
Verbs
9%
Adjectives
20%
Adverbs
5%

With 65% nouns and only 9% verbs, HU words lean heavily toward naming things rather than describing actions. The average length of 7.7 letters suggests most HU words are substantial vocabulary items rather than quick utility plays.

Middle English dominates this pattern, with many words tracing back through Old English to Proto-Germanic roots. The chain from HUNGER through Old English 'hungor' to Proto-Germanic '*hungruz' shows how fundamental human experiences preserved ancient word forms. Middle French contributed a smaller but notable share, often through Norman influence on English vocabulary.

Word Games

High-value words for board games

Short (2-4)

HUCK

toweling consisting of coarse absorbent cotton or linen fabric

13 pts
HUFF

inhale recreational drugs

13 pts
HULK

appear very large or occupy a commanding position

11 pts

Medium (5-7)

30 pts
HUZZY
29 pts
HUZZA
26 pts

Long (8+)

HUNCHBACKED

characteristic of or suffering from kyphosis, an abnormality of the vertebral column

28 pts
HUCKABACK

toweling consisting of coarse absorbent cotton or linen fabric

26 pts
HUMANIZATION

the act of making more human

26 pts
HUMPBACKED

characteristic of or suffering from kyphosis, an abnormality of the vertebral column

26 pts

HUCK scores nearly identically in both games (13 vs 14 points), but the real strategic difference emerges in longer words. HUNCHBACKED jumps from 28 points in Scrabble to 31 in WWF, making it more valuable to build toward in Words With Friends. The HUZZAH family (HUZZA, HUZZAH, HUZZY) delivers consistent high scores across both platforms thanks to the double-Z structure, though WWF's slightly different tile values make HUZZAH marginally less dominant there than in Scrabble.

Wordle

5-letter words for daily puzzles

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

HURSTStarter

Common Words (likely answers)

HURRYCommon

the act of moving hurriedly and in a careless manner

HUMANCommon

any living or extinct member of the family Hominidae characterized by superior intelligence, articulate speech, and erect carriage

HUMORCommon

the quality of being funny

HUNCHCommon

an impression that something might be the case

HURST offers solid consonant coverage with R, S, and T—three of Wordle's most common letters—while testing the useful HU opening.

Length Extremes

Longest and shortest valid words

Longest

HUMANITARIANISM15 letters
HUMANITARIANIST15 letters
HUMANISTICALLY14 letters
HUMIDIFICATION14 letters

Shortest

HUB3 letters
HUE3 letters
HUG3 letters
HUH3 letters

Short HU words like HUB, HUE, and HUG survive because they name irreducible concepts. The longest words tend to be compound forms or words with suffixes like -ATION and -NESS attached to base roots.

Hidden Gems

Rare but valid words to surprise opponents

HUMANENESS

the quality of compassion or consideration for others (people or animals)

HUMORIST

someone who acts speaks or writes in an amusing way

HUMOUS

a thick spread made from mashed chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice and garlic; used especially as a dip for pita; originated in the Middle East

HURLER

(baseball) the person who does the pitching

HUMANENESS means the quality of compassion or consideration for others, whether people or animals. Beyond its lovely meaning, this 10-letter word uses only common tiles and can transform a stagnant board when you need to dump vowels strategically.

Popular crossword answers

Words frequently used in crossword puzzles with common clues.

More "HU" Pages

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