Hooking with -KI words
Endings like -KI 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.
What the numbers say
The shape of this list: 38 entries between 3 and 12 letters long, peaking at 8 letters with 13 words. Five-letter picks number 2 and seven-letter picks 4. Nothing here outscores KOLKHOZNIKI — 35 points from 11 tiles on plain squares.
For quick reference, the top of the score table reads: KOLKHOZNIKI (35), KAZACHKI (30), PIROZHKI (26), APPARATCHIKI (25), KAZATSKI (25). The longest entry is APPARATCHIKI at 12 letters, and the average word here is worth about 16 points. Letter-wise, I is the workhorse — it appears in 38 of these words, ahead of K (38) and A (21).
Three easy picks from this list
- Playing SALUKI across a double-word square turns its base 10 points into 20 — solid value for 6 tiles.
- TANUKI earns 10 points from just 6 tiles — and it is a word few opponents will bother to challenge.
- ENOKI — a 5-letter, 9-point play that slots into tight board lanes where longer words won't fit.
Round out your set with RAKI (8), SAKI (8), TIKI (8), RUMAKI (12), ALFAKI (13) — all built from common tiles.
-KI as a board weapon
Endings are Scrabble's cheapest points. A word finishing in -KI 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 -KI 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.