Words Starting With PHA

100 words

PHA- words carry the weight of ancient medicine and mythology into modern English. This Greek-heavy prefix appears in terms describing the body, healing, and illusions—from the pharynx in your throat to phantoms that exist only in imagination.

5-letter words

2

6-letter words

5

7-letter words

10

8-letter words

9

9-letter words

13

10-letter words

18

11-letter words

14

12-letter words

19

13-letter words

7

14-letter words

2

15-letter words

1

Pattern Guide

Insights and recommendations for these words.

The PHA- pattern rewards players who've absorbed medical and classical vocabulary, where Greek roots unlock some seriously valuable letter combinations.

Vocabulary & Language

Linguistic patterns and usage statistics

Nearly every PHA- word traces back to Greek roots. PHAG- means 'to eat' (as in phagocyte, a cell that devours invaders), while PHARM- comes from 'pharmakon,' meaning drug or remedy. PHAN- relates to appearance and visibility—the same root gives us both 'phantom' and 'phenomenon.'

Total Words

111

0.0% of dictionary

Avg Length

10.7 letters

3.8 syllables

Top Scrabble

PHAGOCYTIZING

34 points

Longest Word

PHARMACOLOGICALLY

17 letters

Parts of Speech

Nouns
78%
Adjectives
22%

With an average length of 10.7 letters and 3.8 syllables per word, PHA- words skew heavily toward technical and medical terminology. The 78% noun dominance reflects how many of these terms name specific biological structures, pharmaceutical concepts, and historical artifacts.

Ancient Greek dominates this pattern overwhelmingly, with French and New Latin serving primarily as transmission routes. The journey of PHANTOM is typical: Greek 'phantasma' traveled through Latin, then Old French 'fantosme,' before arriving in Middle English. Many PHA- terms bypassed vernacular languages entirely, entering English directly through scientific and medical Latin.

Word Games

High-value words for board games

Medium (5-7)

PHARYNX

the passage to the stomach and lungs; in the front part of the neck below the chin and above the collarbone

22 pts
PHALANX

a body of troops in close array

19 pts
PHARAOH

the title of the ancient Egyptian kings

15 pts

Long (8+)

PHAGOCYTIZING
34 pts
PHAGOCYTIZED
33 pts
PHARMACODYNAMICS
33 pts
PHARMACODYNAMIC
32 pts

PHARYNX scores identically at 22 points in both games, making it a reliable powerhouse. PHALANX demonstrates WWF's different valuation—it earns 21 points there versus 19 in Scrabble, thanks to the higher L value. For the truly ambitious, PHARMACOLOGICALLY hits 38 points in WWF, where its long chain of consonants gets rewarded more generously.

Wordle

5-letter words for daily puzzles

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

PHASEStarter

a particular point in the time of a cycle; measured from some arbitrary zero and expressed as an angle

Common Words (likely answers)

PHASECommon

a particular point in the time of a cycle; measured from some arbitrary zero and expressed as an angle

PHARMCommon
PHAGECommon

a virus that is parasitic (reproduces itself) in bacteria

PHASE makes an excellent starting word, placing the common vowels A and E while testing S, the most frequent final consonant in English.

Length Extremes

Longest and shortest valid words

Longest

PHARMACOLOGICALLY17 letters
PHANTASMAGORICAL16 letters
PHARMACEUTICALLY16 letters
PHARMACODYNAMICS16 letters

The absence of short PHA- words reflects the pattern's Greek origins—these were technical terms that entered English whole, without the trimming that happens through centuries of daily use.

Hidden Gems

Rare but valid words to surprise opponents

PHANTASY

imagination unrestricted by reality

PHAROS

a tower with a light that gives warning of shoals to passing ships

PHARYNX

the passage to the stomach and lungs; in the front part of the neck below the chin and above the collarbone

PHARAONIC

of or relating to the ancient Egyptian kings

PHAROS names a lighthouse or beacon tower, derived from the famous Lighthouse of Alexandria on the island of Pharos. At just six letters, it's far more playable than most PHA- words. The combination of PH and the uncommon ending makes it easy to overlook—and easy to challenge incorrectly.

Popular crossword answers

Words frequently used in crossword puzzles with common clues.