Hooking with -VE words
Endings like -VE 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
Inside this list: 1171 words spanning 3–15 letters. The biggest cluster sits at 10 letters (176 words), 62 entries are Wordle-sized at five letters, and 95 run to seven — bingo length if you can empty the rack. For points, the ceiling is EXCOMMUNICATIVE, worth 33.
Chasing points? The best five entries here are EXCOMMUNICATIVE (33), PHOSPHORYLATIVE (31), PHOTOOXIDATIVE (30), APPROXIMATIVE (29), INTERSUBJECTIVE (29). ANTICOMPETITIVE (15 letters) stretches furthest, while the list-wide average score sits near 16 points. The most useful tiles to hold for this list are V, E and I, which appear in 1171, 1171 and 988 of the words respectively.
Three words worth learning first
- ARRIVE earns 9 points from just 6 tiles — and it is a word few opponents will bother to challenge.
- NATIVE is easy to keep in memory: 6 letters, 9 points, and no awkward tiles to hunt for.
- RELEVE — a 6-letter, 9-point play that slots into tight board lanes where longer words won't fit.
Round out your set with RELIVE (9), SLEAVE (9), SLEEVE (9), STARVE (9), STEEVE (9) — all built from common tiles.
-VE as a board weapon
Endings are Scrabble's cheapest points. A word finishing in -VE 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 -VE 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.