Words Starting With MIS
100 wordsWords beginning with MIS- form one of English's most productive prefixes, typically signaling error, failure, or wrongness. This collection spans everyday terms like MISS to specialized vocabulary that can transform your word game scores.
3-letter words
14-letter words
45-letter words
36-letter words
107-letter words
148-letter words
169-letter words
1010-letter words
1011-letter words
812-letter words
1113-letter words
514-letter words
415-letter words
116-letter words
217-letter words
1Pattern Guide
Insights and recommendations for these words.
The MIS- prefix creates words that describe things gone wrong, making this pattern both linguistically interesting and strategically valuable.
Vocabulary & Language
Linguistic patterns and usage statistics
The prefix MIS- derives from Old English and functions as a negator or indicator of error. It attaches freely to verbs (misread, misjudge) and nouns (misfortune, misconduct), creating words that describe faulty or incorrect actions. This productivity explains why so many MIS- words exist—English speakers can attach it to almost any base word to convey wrongness.
Total Words
564
0.2% of dictionary
Avg Length
9.8 letters
3.2 syllables
Top Scrabble
MISCHARACTERIZING
36 points
Longest Word
MISADMINISTRATION
17 letters
Parts of Speech
With 51% nouns and 29% verbs, MIS- words lean heavily toward naming mistakes and describing erroneous actions. The high average of 3.2 syllables per word reflects how the prefix adds length to base words, while the 9.8-letter average shows these tend toward substantial vocabulary.
Middle English dominates this pattern's origins, reflecting the prefix's deep Germanic roots in English. While Latin and French contributed some terms, the overwhelming Middle English presence shows MIS- has been native English territory for centuries. This distinguishes it from prefixes like UN- or RE-, which have stronger Latin influences.
Word Games
High-value words for board games
Short (2-4)
Medium (5-7)
Long (8+)
Short (2-4)
Medium (5-7)
Long (8+)
MISJOIN stands out with a significant scoring gap—20 points in Words With Friends versus 16 in Scrabble—thanks to WWF's higher J value (10 vs 8). MISCOPY and MISKNEW both score 18 in WWF but only 16 in Scrabble, making them more valuable plays in the mobile game. For maximum impact, the MISCHARACTERIZING family dominates both games, topping 35 points even in Scrabble.
Wordle
5-letter words for daily puzzles
Good Starters (E, A, R, S, T)
a stingy hoarder of money and possessions (often living miserably)
MISER makes an excellent Wordle starter with its common vowels I and E plus high-frequency consonants S and R. These letters appear in countless five-letter words, giving you solid information early in the puzzle.
Length Extremes
Longest and shortest valid words
Longest
Shortest
The average length near 10 letters reflects how MIS- typically attaches to already-complete words, adding three letters before meaningful roots. Short forms like MISE and MISO exist but represent borrowings rather than prefix constructions.
Hidden Gems
Rare but valid words to surprise opponents
believing the worst of human nature and motives; having a sneering disbelief in e.g. selflessness of others
a person who holds religious beliefs in conflict with the dogma of the Roman Catholic Church
a collection containing a variety of sorts of things
an unpredictable outcome that is unfortunate
MISCELLANY means a collection containing a variety of different things—a word that sounds literary but is perfectly valid in competitive play. Its unusual letter combination (double L, Y ending) makes it unexpected, and the meaning captures that delightful jumble of unrelated items found in antique shops or grandmother's drawers.
Popular crossword answers
Words frequently used in crossword puzzles with common clues.
More "MIS" Pages
Browse words by longer letter combinations starting with "MIS".