Hooking with -IST words
Endings like -IST 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
Inside this list: 1126 words spanning 4–15 letters. The biggest cluster sits at 10 letters (152 words), 19 entries are Wordle-sized at five letters, and 91 run to seven — bingo length if you can empty the rack. For points, the ceiling is PSYCHOPHYSICIST, worth 35.
Chasing points? The best five entries here are PSYCHOPHYSICIST (35), CRYPTOZOOLOGIST (32), CHEMOTAXONOMIST (31), HYDRODYNAMICIST (30), PSYCHOTHERAPIST (30). AGRICULTURALIST (15 letters) stretches furthest, while the list-wide average score sits near 15 points. The most useful tiles to hold for this list are I, S and T, which appear in 1126, 1126 and 1126 of the words respectively.
Three words worth learning first
- LIST — 4 letters for 4 points; every tile in it is a common draw, so it shows up rack after rack.
- Playing ALIST across a double-word square turns its base 5 points into 10 — solid value for 5 tiles.
- NEIST — a 5-letter, 5-point play that slots into tight board lanes where longer words won't fit.
Round out your set with AORIST (6), ARTIST (6), ASSIST (6), AURIST (6), ENLIST (6) — all built from common tiles.
-IST as a board weapon
Endings are Scrabble's cheapest points. A word finishing in -IST can often be built backwards from a tile already on the board, so you pay for fewer letters than you score. Scan the high scorers above, then look for a spot where the final -IST lands on a premium square — the multiplier applies to your whole word, not just the hook.
More endings
Narrow it down
Pair an ending with a length or starting letter in the Word Finder.