Words Starting With PAL

100 words

PAL words connect friendship to ancient royalty. From the casual buddy in your corner to the grand palaces of emperors, this pattern spans intimate nicknames and scholarly terminology alike.

3-letter words

1

4-letter words

6

5-letter words

6

6-letter words

10

7-letter words

14

8-letter words

10

9-letter words

7

10-letter words

7

11-letter words

5

12-letter words

4

13-letter words

6

14-letter words

12

15-letter words

11

18-letter words

1

Pattern Guide

Insights and recommendations for these words.

The PAL pattern rewards players who recognize its dual nature—simple friendship words and complex scientific terminology.

Vocabulary & Language

Linguistic patterns and usage statistics

The Latin root 'palma' (palm of the hand, palm tree) generates dozens of PAL words, from palmetto to palmitic. Meanwhile, the 'paleo-' prefix from Greek 'palaios' (ancient) creates the scholarly terms that dominate the longer entries. This split personality makes PAL unusually versatile: casual three-letter words for everyday use, and imposing scientific compounds for specialized contexts.

Total Words

225

0.1% of dictionary

Avg Length

9.4 letters

3.8 syllables

Top Scrabble

PALEOANTHROPOLOGICAL

30 points

Longest Word

PALEOANTHROPOLOGICAL

20 letters

Parts of Speech

Nouns
69%
Verbs
9%
Adjectives
21%
Adverbs
2%

At 3.8 syllables per word, PAL words run significantly longer than typical dictionary entries. The 69% noun dominance reflects all those paleontological and palatial terms, while the modest 9% verb share keeps this pattern firmly in naming territory rather than action.

Latin dominates PAL words, feeding both the 'palm' family and the palatial vocabulary through 'palatium' (the Palatine Hill where Roman emperors built their residences). French and Middle English served as conduits, carrying these Latin terms into English often with spelling adjustments. The etymology chain from Latin 'palma' through Spanish 'palmito' to English 'palmetto' shows how colonial botanical encounters created new words from ancient roots.

Word Games

High-value words for board games

Short (2-4)

PALY
9 pts
PALM

an award for winning a championship or commemorating some other event

8 pts
PALP
8 pts

Medium (5-7)

PALAZZI
27 pts
PALAZZO
27 pts
PALFREY

especially a light saddle horse for a woman

15 pts

Long (8+)

PALEOANTHROPOLOGICAL

of or concerned with the scientific study of human fossils

30 pts
PALEOGRAPHICALLY
29 pts
PALEOZOOLOGICAL
29 pts
PALAEOZOOLOGY

the study of fossil animals

28 pts

PALAZZI and PALAZZO both score 27 points in Scrabble but jump to 29 in WWF, making these Italian architectural terms even more valuable when you can land that Z on a premium square. PALM demonstrates the WWF inflation effect clearly—11 points versus Scrabble's 8—because M scores higher in WWF. For massive plays, PALEOANTHROPOLOGICAL hits 30 in Scrabble but climbs to 37 in WWF, rewarding players who can build around an existing framework.

Wordle

5-letter words for daily puzzles

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

PALESStarter
PALERStarter
PALETStarter

Common Words (likely answers)

PALSYCommon

loss of the ability to move a body part

PALESCommon
PALLYCommon

(used colloquially) having the relationship of friends or pals

PALERCommon

PALES offers the strongest opening with its common consonants and two vowels covering positions efficiently. PALER works similarly but trades the S for an R, useful if you've already eliminated common plurals.

Length Extremes

Longest and shortest valid words

Longest

PALEOANTHROPOLOGICAL20 letters
PALEOCLIMATOLOGIST18 letters
PALEOANTHROPOLOGY17 letters
PALEOPATHOLOGICAL17 letters

Shortest

PAL3 letters

The 'paleo-' prefix explains why PAL words average over nine letters. Scientific terminology stacks Greek roots with Latin suffixes, creating compounds like PALEOANTHROPOLOGICAL that pack multiple morphemes into single marathon words.

Hidden Gems

Rare but valid words to surprise opponents

PALELY

in a manner lacking interest or vitality

"a palely entertaining show"

PALFREY

especially a light saddle horse for a woman

PALPATE

examine (a body part) by palpation

"The nurse palpated the patient's stomach"

PALATINATE

a territory in southwestern Germany formerly ruled by the counts palatine

PALFREY means a light saddle horse, specifically one suited for a woman's riding. This medieval term survives in historical fiction and crossword puzzles, making it valuable when you need to use awkward letter combinations. The word traces back through Old French, carrying echoes of courtly travel and gentle mounts.

Popular crossword answers

Words frequently used in crossword puzzles with common clues.