Words Starting With POST
100 wordsPOST- words form one of English's most productive prefixes, meaning "after" or "behind." This collection spans medical terminology, academic jargon, and everyday vocabulary—from the simple four-letter POST to sprawling medical terms that dominate specialized dictionaries.
4-letter words
16-letter words
37-letter words
118-letter words
139-letter words
1810-letter words
1611-letter words
512-letter words
1213-letter words
914-letter words
615-letter words
517-letter words
1Pattern Guide
Insights and recommendations for these words.
The POST- prefix creates surprisingly strategic opportunities in word games, especially when you understand how length affects playability.
Vocabulary & Language
Linguistic patterns and usage statistics
The prefix POST- attaches to nearly any root to indicate temporal or spatial position—postwar, postgraduate, posterior. Medical and academic writing relies heavily on POST- formations, which explains why this pattern trends toward longer, specialized terms. Many POST- words entered English directly as technical vocabulary rather than evolving through everyday speech.
Total Words
130
0.0% of dictionary
Avg Length
10.3 letters
3.4 syllables
Top Scrabble
POSTHEMORRHAGIC
28 points
Longest Word
POSTMILLENNIALISM
17 letters
Parts of Speech
With 70% nouns and an average length of 10.3 letters, POST- words skew heavily toward formal terminology. The 20% adjective share reflects the pattern's productivity in creating descriptive terms like "postoperative" and "postdoctoral."
Latin dominates this pattern, which makes sense given that "post" itself comes directly from Latin meaning "after" or "behind." French served as an intermediary for many of these words during their journey into English. This Latin-French pipeline is typical of formal and technical vocabulary in English.
Word Games
High-value words for board games
Short (2-4)
a job in an organization
Medium (5-7)
an affix that is added at the end of the word
public box for deposit of mail
Long (8+)
after the operation
Short (2-4)
a job in an organization
Medium (5-7)
public box for deposit of mail
an affix that is added at the end of the word
letter carrier's shoulder bag
Long (8+)
POSTBOX highlights scoring differences between games—it earns 18 points in Scrabble but jumps to 20 in Words With Friends due to WWF's higher B value. POSTFIX similarly gains in WWF. The real strategic play is recognizing that shorter POST- words are rare, so holding onto POST for a hook play often wastes rack space. POSTBAG offers solid points in WWF (15) while using common tiles.
Length Extremes
Longest and shortest valid words
Longest
The absence of 2-3 letter words and the 10.3-letter average reflect how prefixes work—POST alone needs four letters, and meaningful roots add substantial length. Short POST- words simply don't exist because the prefix demands a complete word to follow.
Hidden Gems
Rare but valid words to surprise opponents
a grant that funds postdoctoral study or research
a small gate in the rear of a fort or castle
of or relating to or involving posture
"postural exercises"
POSTERN—a small gate at the rear of a fort or castle—belongs to medieval fortification vocabulary. It entered English through Old French and remains valid in word games despite its obscurity. The word survives mainly in historical fiction and crossword puzzles, making it a useful addition to your repertoire.
Popular crossword answers
Words frequently used in crossword puzzles with common clues.