Words Starting With OS

100 words

OS words tap into one of English's most productive Greek and Latin roots, connecting bones, mouths, and shells through ancient anatomy. This small collection offers specialized vocabulary that rewards players who venture beyond common territory.

2-letter words

1

3-letter words

1

4-letter words

3

5-letter words

5

6-letter words

12

7-letter words

13

8-letter words

8

9-letter words

13

10-letter words

14

11-letter words

10

12-letter words

10

13-letter words

6

14-letter words

2

15-letter words

1

18-letter words

1

Pattern Guide

Insights and recommendations for these words.

The OS pattern reveals where scientific terminology meets everyday English, creating opportunities for strategic play across word games.

Vocabulary & Language

Linguistic patterns and usage statistics

The Greek root 'osteo-' (bone) and Latin 'os' (mouth, opening) dominate this pattern, giving us the medical vocabulary of OSTEOLOGY and OSSIFY. Words like OSCULUM (a small opening or mouth-like pore) show how Latin anatomical terms entered English through scientific naming conventions. The pattern also captures OSTRACIZE, from the Greek practice of voting to exile citizens by writing names on pottery shards (ostraka).

Total Words

142

0.0% of dictionary

Avg Length

9.1 letters

3.9 syllables

Top Scrabble

OSTEOPATHICALLY

25 points

Longest Word

OSTENTATIOUSNESS

16 letters

Parts of Speech

Nouns
75%
Verbs
7%
Adjectives
14%
Adverbs
3%

With 75% nouns, this pattern skews heavily toward naming things rather than describing actions—typical of scientific and technical vocabulary. The average length of 9.1 letters and 3.9 syllables per word reflects the Latinate medical terminology that dominates the set.

Latin and Ancient Greek together account for nearly all traceable origins here, reflecting how English borrowed wholesale from classical languages when building its scientific vocabulary. The OSTRICH etymology reveals a fascinating corruption: from Latin 'avis struthio' (ostrich bird) through Vulgar Latin, the 'avis' portion fused and garbled into the modern form. Meanwhile, OSAR traces to Old Norse 'áss,' showing that not everything OS comes from the Mediterranean.

Word Games

High-value words for board games

Short (2-4)

OSAR
4 pts
OSSA
4 pts
OS

the left eye

2 pts

Medium (5-7)

OSTMARK
13 pts
OSSIFIC
12 pts
OSSIFY

make rigid and set into a conventional pattern

12 pts

Long (8+)

OSTEOPATHICALLY
25 pts
OSTRACIZABLE
25 pts
OSMOMETRICALLY
23 pts
OSTEOPHYTIC
21 pts

OSCULUM scores 16 points in Words With Friends compared to its Scrabble equivalent, making the C and M more valuable in WWF's scoring system. For Scrabble players, OSTMARK delivers 13 points with common tiles, while WWF players should note OSTRACIZABLE's impressive 28-point ceiling. The long medical terms like OSTEOPATHICALLY offer similar point totals across both games, but their tile requirements make them situational plays.

Wordle

5-letter words for daily puzzles

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

OSCARStarter

an annual award by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for achievements in motion picture production and performance

OSTIAStarter
OSIERStarter

any of various willows having pliable twigs used in basketry and furniture

Common Words (likely answers)

OSCARCommon

an annual award by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for achievements in motion picture production and performance

OSTIACommon
OSMICCommon
OSIERCommon

any of various willows having pliable twigs used in basketry and furniture

OSCAR and OSIER both test the common vowels O and I while probing different consonant frequencies. OSCAR checks R, S, and C—three of the most common consonants—making it a solid diagnostic opener.

Length Extremes

Longest and shortest valid words

Longest

OSTENTATIOUSNESS16 letters
OSTEOPATHICALLY15 letters
OSMOMETRICALLY14 letters
OSTENTATIOUSLY14 letters

Shortest

OS2 letters

The two-letter OS stands alone as the shortest option, a rare anatomical term for the eye. The pattern then jumps to longer scientific compounds, with little middle ground between casual and technical vocabulary.

Hidden Gems

Rare but valid words to surprise opponents

OSSIFIED

set in a rigidly conventional pattern of behavior, habits, or beliefs

"an ossified bureaucratic system"

OSSUARY

any receptacle for the burial of human bones

OSTEOLOGY

the branch of anatomy that studies the bones of the vertebrate skeleton

OSTRACISM

the state of being banished or ostracized (excluded from society by general consent)

OSSUARY refers to a container or vault for storing human bones, typically after burial elsewhere. This evocative word appears in discussions of ancient burial practices and Gothic architecture. It's valid in competitive play and memorable enough to stick once you've learned it.

Popular crossword answers

Words frequently used in crossword puzzles with common clues.

More "OS" Pages

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