Hooking with -GH words
Endings like -GH 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.
A quick statistical tour
The shape of this list: 76 entries between 3 and 12 letters long, peaking at 5 letters with 23 words. Five-letter picks number 23 and seven-letter picks 9. Nothing here outscores BREAKTHROUGH — 25 points from 12 tiles on plain squares.
For quick reference, the top of the score table reads: BREAKTHROUGH (25), USQUEBAUGH (25), WHERETHROUGH (25), HICCOUGH (19), OVERWEIGH (19). At 12 letters, BREAKTHROUGH is the longest word on the list; a typical entry scores around 13. The most useful tiles to hold for this list are H, G and U, which appear in 76, 76 and 50 of the words respectively.
Three words worth learning first
- Playing AARRGH across a double-word square turns its base 10 points into 20 — solid value for 6 tiles.
- ENOUGH earns 10 points from just 6 tiles — and it is a word few opponents will bother to challenge.
- SLEIGH — 6 letters for 10 points; every tile in it is a common draw, so it shows up rack after rack.
Round out your set with SLOUGH (10), TROUGH (10), AARGH (9), LAIGH (9), LAUGH (9) — all built from common tiles.
Why -GH endings win turns
A reliable habit: every time you learn a new -GH word, note whether it also takes a front extension. Words that extend at both ends are the ones that turn a 12-point play into a 40-point one, because you can bridge two premium squares. The top of this list — sorted by score — is where those double-duty words hide.
More endings
Narrow it down
Pair an ending with a length or starting letter in the Word Finder.