Words Starting With MAL

100 words

MAL- carries the Latin weight of wrongness and misfortune into English. From medical terminology to everyday complaints, these words describe what goes awry, what fails to function, and what causes harm.

3-letter words

1

4-letter words

6

5-letter words

2

6-letter words

6

7-letter words

9

8-letter words

10

9-letter words

7

10-letter words

13

11-letter words

13

12-letter words

8

13-letter words

11

14-letter words

8

15-letter words

3

16-letter words

1

17-letter words

1

18-letter words

1

Pattern Guide

Insights and recommendations for these words.

The MAL- prefix offers strategic depth beyond its negative meaning. Here's how to weaponize words about harm and dysfunction.

Vocabulary & Language

Linguistic patterns and usage statistics

MAL- derives from Latin 'malus' meaning bad or evil, making it one of English's most productive negative prefixes. It attaches to roots describing function (malfunction), adjustment (maladjustment), and influence (malefic). Unlike 'mis-' which suggests error, 'mal-' implies inherent badness or harmful intent.

Total Words

168

0.1% of dictionary

Avg Length

9.1 letters

3.4 syllables

Top Scrabble

MALACOPHYLLOUS

26 points

Longest Word

MALAPPORTIONMENT

16 letters

Parts of Speech

Nouns
75%
Verbs
4%
Adjectives
20%
Adverbs
1%

With 75% nouns and 20% adjectives, MAL- words heavily favor describing states and conditions over actions. The average length of 9.1 letters reflects how the prefix typically attaches to substantial root words rather than standing alone.

Middle English and Latin dominate this pattern's origins, with French serving as the bridge between them. The journey of MALARKEY from Greek 'μαλακός' through Proto-Indo-European roots shows how even slang can carry ancient linguistic DNA. French contributions came through multiple historical periods—Old French, Middle French, and modern French—reflecting waves of Norman and cultural influence.

Word Games

High-value words for board games

Short (2-4)

MALM
8 pts
MALE

characteristic of a man

6 pts
MALI

a landlocked republic in northwestern Africa; achieved independence from France in 1960; Mali was a center of West African civilization for more than 4,000 years

6 pts

Medium (5-7)

MALARKY

empty rhetoric or insincere or exaggerated talk

16 pts
MALEFIC

having or exerting a malignant influence

14 pts
MALMSEY

sweet Madeira wine

14 pts

Long (8+)

MALACOPHYLLOUS
26 pts
MALACOPTERYGIAN

any fish of the superorder Malacopterygii

25 pts
MALADJUSTIVE

poorly adjusted

25 pts
MALADJUSTMENT

the condition of being unable to adapt properly to your environment with resulting emotional instability

25 pts

MALM scores 8 points in Scrabble but jumps to 11 in Words With Friends, making it more valuable relative to longer options in WWF. MALACCA reaches 17 points in WWF despite its common letters, rewarding the double-C placement. For maximum efficiency, MALARKY delivers 16-17 points across both games while clearing a difficult K and Y from your rack.

Wordle

5-letter words for daily puzzles

Common Words (likely answers)

MALIKCommon

the leader of a town or community in some parts of Asia Minor and the Indian subcontinent

MALVACommon

herbs and subshrubs: mallows

MALARCommon

the arch of bone beneath the eye that forms the prominence of the cheek

MALTYCommon

Length Extremes

Longest and shortest valid words

Longest

MALAPPORTIONMENT16 letters
MALCONTENTEDNESS16 letters
MALACOPTERYGIAN15 letters
MALASSIMILATION15 letters

Shortest

MAL3 letters

Short MAL- words are rare because the prefix itself consumes three letters, leaving little room for meaningful roots. MALAPPORTIONMENT stretches to 16 letters as medical and psychological terms pile suffixes onto the core prefix.

Hidden Gems

Rare but valid words to surprise opponents

MALAMUTE

breed of sled dog developed in Alaska

MALENESS

the properties characteristic of the male sex

MALINGER

avoid responsibilities and duties, e.g., by pretending to be ill

MALINGERING

evading duty or work by pretending to be incapacitated

"they developed a test to detect malingering"

MALINGER means to avoid responsibilities by pretending to be ill or incapacitated. Beyond its everyday utility for describing workplace shirkers, it's a valid Scrabble play that most opponents won't challenge. The word carries just enough obscurity to surprise without being unbelievable.

Popular crossword answers

Words frequently used in crossword puzzles with common clues.