Words Starting With MA

100 words

MA words form one of English's most productive two-letter openings, spanning everything from the simple MA to the intimidating MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMICS. This collection covers essential vocabulary from everyday terms to scientific nomenclature, with plenty of scoring opportunities for word game enthusiasts.

2-letter words

1

3-letter words

7

4-letter words

19
View all 19

5-letter words

15
View all 15

6-letter words

20
View all 20

7-letter words

19
View all 19

8-letter words

11
View all 11

9-letter words

5

10-letter words

1

11-letter words

2

Pattern Guide

Insights and recommendations for these words.

The MA pattern offers surprising strategic depth, with high-value consonant combinations and scientific terminology that can turn a losing game around.

Vocabulary & Language

Linguistic patterns and usage statistics

The MA prefix carries remarkable versatility in English. It anchors Latin-derived words about size and greatness (MAGNIFY, MAXIMIZE, MAGNITUDE) alongside completely unrelated Germanic terms. Many MA words involve hands or making—from Latin 'manus'—giving us MANUAL, MANUFACTURE, and MANIPULATE. The pattern also hosts the Greek 'makros' family, producing our scientific vocabulary of large-scale phenomena.

Total Words

1,596

0.5% of dictionary

Avg Length

8.5 letters

3.1 syllables

Top Scrabble

MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMICS

38 points

Longest Word

MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMICS

20 letters

Parts of Speech

Nouns
77%
Verbs
6%
Adjectives
15%
Adverbs
2%

With 77% nouns dominating this pattern, MA words lean heavily toward naming things rather than describing actions or qualities. The average length of 8.5 letters suggests this territory favors compound and technical terms over simple vocabulary.

Middle English leads the etymology of MA words, reflecting the pattern's deep roots in everyday English vocabulary. Latin and French contributions layer on top, often bringing more formal or technical meanings. The etymology chain of MARRY—from Middle English through Old French to Latin 'marītāre'—illustrates how many common MA words traveled through multiple languages before reaching modern English.

Word Games

High-value words for board games

Short (2-4)

MAZY

resembling a labyrinth in form or complexity

18 pts
MAZE

something jumbled or confused

15 pts
MAXI

a long skirt ending below the calf

13 pts

Medium (5-7)

MAZZARD

wild or seedling sweet cherry used as stock for grafting

28 pts
MACHZOR
23 pts
MANJACK
22 pts

Long (8+)

MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMICS

the study of the interaction of magnetic fields and electrically conducting fluids (as plasma or molten metal)

38 pts
MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMIC
37 pts
MACROPHOTOGRAPHY
34 pts
MAXIMIZATION

the act of raising to the highest possible point or condition or position

32 pts

MAZZARD scores 28 points in Scrabble but jumps to 29 in Words With Friends—a modest difference. The real strategic value lies in MAZY, which delivers 18 points in both games using just four tiles. For longer plays, MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMICS represents the ultimate bingo opportunity at 38 Scrabble points. Watch for J-heavy words like MANJACK, where WWF's higher J value (10 vs 8) makes these plays even more rewarding.

Wordle

5-letter words for daily puzzles

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

MARKSStarter

English businessman who created a retail chain (1888-1964)

MATESStarter

a pair of people who live together

MAKERStarter

a business engaged in manufacturing some product

MATHSStarter

a science (or group of related sciences) dealing with the logic of quantity and shape and arrangement

Common Words (likely answers)

MAYBECommon

by chance

MARRYCommon

take in marriage

MADAMCommon

a woman of refinement

MATCHCommon

a person who is of equal standing with another in a group

MARKS and MATES both test common consonants while covering the essential A and E vowels. MAKER adds K-testing, useful for eliminating a consonant that appears in many five-letter words.

Length Extremes

Longest and shortest valid words

Longest

MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMICS20 letters
MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMIC19 letters
MATERIALISTICALLY17 letters
MACROPHOTOGRAPHY16 letters

Shortest

MA2 letters
MAC3 letters
MAD3 letters
MAE3 letters

MA spans from the two-letter MA to twenty-letter scientific compounds. This extreme range reflects how a simple syllable can anchor both basic vocabulary and specialized technical terminology built from Greek and Latin roots.

Hidden Gems

Rare but valid words to surprise opponents

MAGISTRATURE

the position of magistrate

MAGNETICS

the branch of science that studies magnetism

MAHARANI

a great rani; a princess in India or the wife of a maharaja

MAILLOT

a woman's one-piece bathing suit

MAILLOT means a woman's one-piece bathing suit. This French loanword looks challengeable but sits comfortably in tournament dictionaries. The double-L formation makes it useful for parallel plays, and its seven letters could complete a bingo if you're holding the right tiles.

Popular crossword answers

Words frequently used in crossword puzzles with common clues.

More "MA" Pages

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