How many words end in LA?

This page lists 311 words ending in LA, each with its Scrabble score.

Why are -LA words useful?

Words ending in LA are great for hooking onto existing tiles and pluralising or extending words already on the board.

Words Ending With LA

All 311 words in our dictionary that end in LA, sorted by Scrabble score. Perfect for hooks and crossword clues.

311 words · number = Scrabble score · sorted highest score first

zooxanthella31 mozzarella30 rhombencephala28 zarzuela26 chuckawalla25 myelencephala25 chuckwalla24 rhinencephala23 cladophylla22 prosencephala22 gypsophila21 mesencephala21 metencephala21 premaxilla21 chinchilla20 fraxinella20 quesadilla20 diencephala19 hexapla19 hyperbola19 telencephala19 valpolicella19 counterguerilla18 exempla18 hibernacula18 subphyla18 tibiofibula18 vizsla18 diverticula17 infundibula17 quinella17 quiniela17 subumbrella17 vexilla17 drosophila16 encephala16 klebsiella16 maxilla16 nemophila16 quinela16 sequela16 squilla16 tequila16 zorilla16 amygdala15 boffola15 campanula15 carambola15 corbicula15 kabbala15 matambala15 vorticella15 whoopla15 zonula15 animalcula14 antiguerrilla14 cascarilla14 chlorella14 cocobola14 cubicula14 cypsela14 incunabula14 jugula14 mammilla14 mochila14 polygala14 propyla14 sarsaparilla14 sopaipilla14 vallecula14 varicella14 acetabula13 aspergilla13 axilla13 banderilla13 cabbala13 camarilla13 cerebella13 chimla13 columella13 curricula13 favella13 fibrilla13 flabella13 foveola13 mortadella13 movieola13 phyla13 rachilla13 scrofula13 sopapilla13 trabecula13 valvula13 vesicula13 villanella13 braciola12 brucella12 cabrilla12 calendula12 capitula12 cavalla12 citronella12 comatula12 cuadrilla12 cuticula12 falbala12 favela12 flagella12 formula12 furcula12 granadilla12 haustella12 hemiola12 kabala12 kamala12 moviola12 opercula12 opuscula12 parabola12 potentilla12 pteryla12 retinacula12 sabadilla12 salmonella12 sapodilla12 scagliola12 seguidilla12 selaginella12 shigella12 sinsemilla12 umbrella12 vascula12 vincula12 acicula11 ampulla11 challa11 cholla11 facula11 fecula11 fibula11 flotilla11 glabella11 hoopla11 kibla11 micella11 papilla11 payola11 peninsula11 primula11 psylla11 pyrola11 scapula11 scintilla11 scopula11 semigala11 shillala11 specula11 spicula11 tambala11 tampala11 tombola11 weigela11 auricula10 bacula10 blastula10 boyla10 cabala10 candela10 cedilla10 chela10 cicala10 cingula10 clitella10 coagula10 copula10 cupola10 cupula10 fistula10 frenula10 gladiola10 guerrilla10 hyla10 impala10 macula10 mandala10 mandola10 mantilla10 medulla10 novella10 panatela10 panetela10 papula10 pergola10 plugola10 prunella10 reticula10 scutella10 silicula10 spirilla10 strobila10 tarantella10 tenacula10 trehala10 vanilla10 variola10 acerola9 akela9 ancilla9 armilla9 barilla9 canella9 cannula9 cantala9 cedula9 corolla9 dongola9 ferula9 gastrula9 gondola9 guerilla9 halala9 inocula9 koala9 labella9 lamella9 manilla9 marsala9 nanotesla9 noncola9 patella9 pepla9 perilla9 pinnula9 planula9 rubella9 rubeola9 sheila9 spatula9 spinula9 spirula9 tarantula9 abolla8 arugola8 arugula8 asyla8 canola8 canula8 citola8 dobla8 fella8 gorilla8 granola8 holla8 kola8 manila8 morula8 nebula8 nyala8 oscula8 paella8 retinula8 rostella8 salsilla8 scilla8 sensilla8 terrella8 tortilla8 uvula8 villa8 viola8 voila8 walla8 argala7 aureola7 bulla7 calla7 cella7 coala7 eidola7 fila7 hila7 hula7 ligula7 moola7 mulla7 neurula7 radula7 roseola7 rugola7 tabla7 ungula7 vela7 areola6 bola6 cola6 lunula6 mola6 pula6 ranula6 stella6 torula6 alula5 gala5 stela5 tesla5 olla4 sola4 tala4 tela4 tola4 ala3

Hooking with -LA words

Endings like -LA 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: 311 entries between 3 and 15 letters long, peaking at 7 letters with 88 words. Five-letter picks number 27 and seven-letter picks 88. Nothing here outscores ZOOXANTHELLA — 31 points from 12 tiles on plain squares.

Chasing points? The best five entries here are ZOOXANTHELLA (31), MOZZARELLA (30), RHOMBENCEPHALA (28), ZARZUELA (26), CHUCKAWALLA (25). COUNTERGUERILLA (15 letters) stretches furthest, while the list-wide average score sits near 12 points. Letter-wise, L is the workhorse — it appears in 311 of these words, ahead of A (311) and E (124).

Three words worth learning first

Playing ALA across a double-word square turns its base 3 points into 6 — solid value for 3 tiles.
OLLA — a 4-letter, 4-point play that slots into tight board lanes where longer words won't fit.
SOLA is easy to keep in memory: 4 letters, 4 points, and no awkward tiles to hunt for.

Five more everyday options from the same list: TALA (4), TELA (4), TOLA (4), ALULA (5), STELA (5).

-LA as a board weapon

A reliable habit: every time you learn a new -LA 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.