Hooking with -XY words
Endings like -XY 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
A few numbers before you scroll: the 44 words here run from 3 to 12 letters, with 7-letter words the largest group (8 entries). Wordle players have 7 five-letter options, and there are 8 seven-letter candidates for a Scrabble bingo. The single best scorer is POLYHYDROXY at 33 points before multipliers.
Chasing points? The best five entries here are POLYHYDROXY (33), MONOHYDROXY (30), PHYLLOTAXY (28), TRIHYDROXY (27), NEOORTHODOXY (26). NEOORTHODOXY (12 letters) stretches furthest, while the list-wide average score sits near 20 points. Letter-wise, Y is the workhorse — it appears in 44 of these words, ahead of X (44) and O (26).
Three easy picks from this list
- When the rack looks hopeless, EUTAXY (6 letters, 16 points) is the kind of quiet play that keeps a game moving.
- UNSEXY earns 16 points from just 6 tiles — and it is a word few opponents will bother to challenge.
- DESOXY is easy to keep in memory: 6 letters, 17 points, and no awkward tiles to hunt for.
Once those stick, file away the next tier too: GALAXY (17), ATAXY (15), PEROXY (18), ETHOXY (19), DEOXY (16).
Why -XY endings win turns
A reliable habit: every time you learn a new -XY 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.