Hooking with -TON words
Endings like -TON 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
The shape of this list: 96 entries between 5 and 14 letters long, peaking at 6 letters with 32 words. Five-letter picks number 10 and seven-letter picks 16. Nothing here outscores PHYTOPLANKTON — 27 points from 13 tiles on plain squares.
For quick reference, the top of the score table reads: PHYTOPLANKTON (27), ZOOPLANKTON (26), MICROPLANKTON (23), EXOSKELETON (22), CYTOSKELETON (21). At 14 letters, TETRAGRAMMATON is the longest word on the list; a typical entry scores around 11. The most useful tiles to hold for this list are N, O and T, which appear in 96, 96 and 96 of the words respectively.
Three words worth learning first
- NITON earns 5 points from just 5 tiles — and it is a word few opponents will bother to challenge.
- SETON is easy to keep in memory: 5 letters, 5 points, and no awkward tiles to hunt for.
- When the rack looks hopeless, RATTON (6 letters, 6 points) is the kind of quiet play that keeps a game moving.
Once those stick, file away the next tier too: TESTON (6), TRITON (6), DALTON (7), BOSTON (8), BOUTON (8).
-TON as a board weapon
When the board tightens up late in a Scrabble game, -TON 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.