Words Starting With MEL
100 wordsWords beginning with MEL carry the sweetness of honey and the weight of sadness. This prefix connects ancient Greek melancholy to modern melodies, creating a small but linguistically rich corner of English vocabulary.
3-letter words
14-letter words
45-letter words
46-letter words
67-letter words
98-letter words
169-letter words
1810-letter words
1111-letter words
912-letter words
1213-letter words
814-letter words
115-letter words
1Pattern Guide
Insights and recommendations for these words.
The MEL pattern offers strategic gems for word game players, from quick four-letter plays to sprawling fifteen-letter point bonanzas.
Vocabulary & Language
Linguistic patterns and usage statistics
MEL words split into two distinct families. The Greek root 'meli' meaning honey gives us mellifluous and melamine. Meanwhile, 'melas' meaning black or dark produced melancholy—literally 'black bile' in ancient medical theory. This dual heritage explains why MEL words can describe both sweet sounds and somber moods.
Total Words
115
0.0% of dictionary
Avg Length
9.0 letters
3.7 syllables
Top Scrabble
MELANCHOLICALLY
27 points
Longest Word
MELODRAMATICALLY
16 letters
Parts of Speech
With 63% nouns and an average length of 9 letters, MEL words skew toward longer, more formal vocabulary. The 22% adjective rate exceeds typical patterns, driven by all those melodic and melancholic descriptors.
Latin and Middle English share dominance here, with Ancient Greek and French close behind. The journey of MELANCHOLY traces a fascinating path from Greek μελαγχολία through Old French to Middle English, preserving the ancient humoral theory in modern spelling. MELT takes a different route entirely, traveling through Germanic languages from Proto-West Germanic roots.
Word Games
High-value words for board games
Medium (5-7)
containing or constituting or characterized by pleasing melody
a succession of notes forming a distinctive sequence
Long (8+)
as in a melodrama
MELAMED scores 12 points in Scrabble but jumps to 15 in Words With Friends, making it more valuable in the latter game. The real prizes are the long theatrical words—MELODRAMATICALLY nets 26 in Scrabble versus 31 in WWF. For quick plays, MELD works well in both games, though WWF rewards it slightly more at 9 points versus 7. Keep MELODIC ready for building off existing letters.
Wordle
5-letter words for daily puzzles
MELAS tests five distinct letters including two vowels and the common consonants L and S. It's not an ideal opener but serves well as a second guess when hunting for M placement.
Length Extremes
Longest and shortest valid words
Longest
Shortest
MEL's average of 9 letters reflects the Greek and Latin influence—these classical borrowings kept their full forms. The dramatic suffix -ICALLY stretches several MEL words to sixteen letters.
Hidden Gems
Rare but valid words to surprise opponents
a white crystalline organic base; used mainly in making melamine resins
a worker who melts substances (metal or wax etc.)
a motley assortment of things
pleasing to the ear
MELANGE deserves attention—it means a motley assortment of things, borrowed directly from French. Beyond its elegant meaning, it packs eight letters with common tiles, making it both playable and useful for describing eclectic collections.
Popular crossword answers
Words frequently used in crossword puzzles with common clues.