Hooking with -DGE words
Endings like -DGE 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
Inside this list: 70 words spanning 4–13 letters. The biggest cluster sits at 5 letters (18 words), 18 entries are Wordle-sized at five letters, and 4 run to seven — bingo length if you can empty the rack. For points, the ceiling is FOREKNOWLEDGE, worth 25.
Chasing points? The best five entries here are FOREKNOWLEDGE (25), MISKNOWLEDGE (23), ACKNOWLEDGE (22), FRANKPLEDGE (22), FOREJUDGE (21). FOREKNOWLEDGE (13 letters) stretches furthest, while the list-wide average score sits near 13 points. Letter-wise, D is the workhorse — it appears in 70 of these words, ahead of G (70) and E (70).
Three words worth learning first
- NOODGE — a 6-letter, 8-point play that slots into tight board lanes where longer words won't fit.
- When the rack looks hopeless, SLEDGE (6 letters, 8 points) is the kind of quiet play that keeps a game moving.
- SLUDGE is easy to keep in memory: 6 letters, 8 points, and no awkward tiles to hunt for.
Once those stick, file away the next tier too: STODGE (8), TRUDGE (8), LEDGE (7), LODGE (7), NUDGE (7).
Back-hooking with -DGE
When the board tightens up late in a Scrabble game, -DGE 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.