Hooking with -AR words
Endings like -AR let you tack a word onto a tile already on the board, often turning a small play into a big one. Look for the high-value entries above to maximise points.
This list by the numbers
A few numbers before you scroll: the 699 words here run from 3 to 15 letters, with 8-letter words the largest group (128 entries). Wordle players have 66 five-letter options, and there are 126 seven-letter candidates for a Scrabble bingo. The single best scorer is EXTRAVEHICULAR at 29 points before multipliers.
For quick reference, the top of the score table reads: EXTRAVEHICULAR (29), EXTRACURRICULAR (26), EXTRAVASCULAR (25), LIQUIDAMBAR (25), CEREBROVASCULAR (24). The longest entry is CEREBROVASCULAR at 15 letters, and the average word here is worth about 12 points. The most useful tiles to hold for this list are A, R and L, which appear in 699, 699 and 416 of the words respectively.
Start with these three
- When the rack looks hopeless, EAR (3 letters, 3 points) is the kind of quiet play that keeps a game moving.
- LAR — 3 letters for 3 points; every tile in it is a common draw, so it shows up rack after rack.
- OAR earns 3 points from just 3 tiles — and it is a word few opponents will bother to challenge.
Once those stick, file away the next tier too: TAR (3), ALAR (4), LEAR (4), LIAR (4), NEAR (4).
Why -AR endings win turns
When the board tightens up late in a Scrabble game, -AR words keep you scoring: they attach to existing letters instead of needing seven clean tiles. Crossword solvers use the same trick in reverse — if the grid gives you the last letters, this list is the candidate pool. Check the length filter in the Word Finder to match your open squares exactly.
More endings
Narrow it down
Pair an ending with a length or starting letter in the Word Finder.