Words Ending in AR: Familiar, Peculiar, and Spectacular
The -AR ending does heavy lifting in English, appearing in adjectives (FAMILIAR, POPULAR, PECULIAR, REGULAR), nouns (ALTAR, SUGAR, GUITAR, CEDAR), and the occasional verb (CHAR, SCAR, STAR used as a verb). Many -AR adjectives came through Latin, where -ARIS was the standard adjective-forming suffix — POPULAR from POPULUS (people), FAMILIAR from FAMILIA (household), SINGULAR from SINGULUS (one at a time). What's interesting is that -AR and -ER often compete for the same role: LIAR vs. LIER, ALTAR vs. ALTER — same sound, different meanings.
Crossword solvers will meet -AR words in every puzzle. ALTAR ("church table"), CEDAR ("aromatic wood"), NECTAR ("sweet drink"), and AVATAR ("online persona" or "Hindu incarnation") are all weekly regulars. The pattern is particularly common in 5-7 letter answers. For Scrabble, JAGUAR (14 points) and QUASAR (15 points) score well thanks to their J and Q tiles. BAZAAR (17 points with the Z) is outstanding. One strategic note: many -AR words can take -S, -LY, or -ITY extensions — POPULAR to POPULARITY, FAMILIAR to FAMILIARLY — giving you board-control options for future turns. Check words starting with R for RADAR and REGULAR, words starting with F for FAMILIAR, and words starting with P for POPULAR and PECULIAR.
FAQ
When do you use -AR versus -ER for "one who does"?
-ER is the standard English agent suffix (TEACHER, SINGER). -AR appears in words borrowed from Latin (LIAR from MENTIRI, BURSAR from BURSA). BEGGAR is an oddity — it was originally BEGGER but shifted to -AR by analogy with other Latin-style words. There's no reliable rule; you mostly have to memorize which is which. For -ER words, see words ending in P for contrasting endings.
What's the highest-scoring -AR word in Scrabble?
BAZAAR scores 17 points using common tiles plus the Z. JAGUAR hits 14 points, and QUASAR reaches 15 with the Q tile. For everyday plays, CEDAR (8), SUGAR (6), and ALTAR (5) are reliable but lower-scoring. Place -AR words to set up premium-square access for your next turn. See words starting with D for more strategies with common tiles.
Three-Letter Words (14)
BARCAREARFARGARJARLARMAROARPARTARVARWARYAR
Four-Letter Words (39)
AFARAGARAJARALARBEARBOARCHARCZARDEARFEARFIARGEARGNARGUARHAARHEARHOARIZARKBARKNARKYARLEARLIARMAARNEAROSARPEARREARROARSCARSEARSOARSPARSTARTEARTSARTZARWEARYEAR
Five-Letter Words (70)
ALTARANEARATTARAURARBAZARBLEARBOLARBOYARBRIARCEDARCIGARCLEARCYMARDAMARDEBARDENARDEWARDINARDREAREGGAREMBARESCARESKARFEUARFILARFRIARFUBARGAZARGULARHILARINVARJOWARKABARKEBARLAHARLAZARLIDARLOBARLUNARMAKARMALARMOLARMYLARNAVAROTTARPILARPOLARRADARREBARSEWARSHEARSIMARSITARSIZARSMEARSOFARSOLARSONARSOWARSPEARSUGARSWEARTALARTATARTOLARULNARUNBARVELARVICARVOLAR
Six-Letter Words (111)
ACINARALEGARALULARANTIARAPPEARARREARASHLARAVATARBAZAARBEGGARBEZOARBOXCARBULBARBURSARBUSBARCAESARCALCARCAVIARCELLARCHADARCHIMARCHUKARCOLLARCOSTARCOTTARCOUGARDAMMARDARBARDEODARDISBARDOGEARDOLLARDURBARENDEARESCHAREYEBARFOLIARFULMARGAYDARGUITARHANGARHUSSARINSTARISOBARJAGUARKANTARLASCARLEKVARLINEARLUMBARMEDLARMIMBARMORTARMUGGARNECTARNONPARNONWAROCULAROUTWAROVULARPALMARPEDLARPHYLARPILLARPLANARPOPLARPREWARPROWARPSYWARPULSARQINDARQINTARQUASARREDEARREGEARREHEARRETEARREWEARSAGGARSAMBARSANGARSANSARSARDARSARSARSCALARSECPARSEGGARSHIKARSHMEARSHOFARSIRDARSOUCARSOWCARSTELARSTYLARSUBPARTARTARTHENARTROCARTUSSAR
and 11 more — use the solver above to search
Seven-Letter Words (133)
ALCAZARALLOBARALMEMARANGULARANNULARANTBEARANTICARANTIWARAREOLARASTYLARAXILLARBASILARBESMEARBIFILARBIPOLARBOLIVARBUGBEARBURGLARCALAMARCANULARCHEDDARCHUDDARCHUKKARCOPULARCROWBARCUDBEARCUPULARDAYSTARDESUGARDIPOLARDRAWBARESCOLAREYEWEARFABULARFACULARFELSPARFIBULARFLATCARFORBEARGRAMMARHAMULARHANDCARINSOFARINSULARJACAMARJEMADARJEMIDARJOCULARJUGULARKHADDARKILOBARLACUNARLAMINARLASHKARLIGULARLOBULARLOCULARLUNULARLUPANARMACULARMEGABARMIDYEARMINIBARMINICARMISHEARMODULARMORULARMUTULARNEBULARNODULARNUCLEAROCELLAROSCULAROSMOLAROUTHEAROUTROAROUTSOAROUTWEAROVERFARPABULARPALIKARPAPULARPATAMARPILULARPLANTARPOPULARPOSTWARPUPILARQUINTARRADULARRAILCARRANULARREALGARREGULARSAMBHARSAMOVARSANDBARSCHMEARSCHOLARSECULAR
and 33 more — use the solver above to search
Eight-Letter Words (133)
ACICULARALVEOLARAMPULLARANOVULARANTIWEARAVICULARBACILLARBILINEARBIOVULARCALCSPARCALENDARCANNULARCAPSULARCELLULARCINGULARCINNABARCIRCULARCISLUNARCOAPPEARCOCHLEARCOLINEARCOLUMNARCONDYLARCONSULARCOPLANARCROSSBARCULTIVARCYCLECAREXEMPLARFAMILIARFELDSPARFISTULARFOOTGEARFOOTWEARFOREBEARFORSWEARFOVEOLARFRENULARFURCULARGANGLIARGLOBULARGRANULARHEADGEARHEXAPLARHORSECARHOSPODARINTERWARKNITWEARLAMELLARLINGULARLOADSTARLODESTARMEDULLARMEGASTARMENSWEARMICELLARMICROBARMILLIBARMOTORCARMULTICARMUSCULARNECKWEARNEURULARNIGHTJARNONPOLARNONSOLARNONSUGARNUCELLARNUMMULARORACULAROSTIOLAROUTSWEAROVERBEAROVERDEAROVERFEAROVERHEAROVERNEAROVERWEARPAPILLARPATELLARPATTAMARPECULIARPENDULARPETIOLARPIACULARPINNULARPLANULARPLAYWEARPLUMULARPOLESTARPRECLEARPREMOLARPULVINARPUSTULARRAINWEARREAPPEARRICERCARROSEOLARRUBEOLARSACCULAR
and 33 more — use the solver above to search
Nine-Letter Words (93)
ACELLULARAMBIPOLARANTIPOLARANTIRADARANTISOLARARTICULARAURICULARAVASCULARAVUNCULARBEACHWEARBILOBULARBILOCULARBINOCULARBINUCLEARBLASTULARCALYCULARCANICULARCAPITULARCOLCOTHARCOLLINEARCOMMISSARCONCILIARCUTICULARDISAPPEAREARTHSTAREQUIMOLARFIBRILLARFLAGELLARFLUORSPARFORESWEARFUNICULARGASTRULARGLABELLARGLADIOLARGLANDULARGROSSULARHANDLEBARHOMOPOLARIRREGULARISALLOBARJUSTICIARLUNISOLARMALLEOLARMANIPULARMOLECULARMONOCULARMONOVULARMULTIYEARNAVICULARNIGHTWEARNONDOLLARNONLINEARNONPLANARNUCLEOLAROPERCULAROPUSCULARORBICULAROSSICULAROUTERWEAROVERCLEARPEDICULARPROTOSTARPULVILLARRADICULARREGISTRARRETICULARRETINULARROSTELLARSCHEDULARSCUTELLARSEMILUNARSHAPEWEARSLEEPWEARSPHERULARSTELLULARSTREETCARSTROBILARSUBCELLARSUBPHYLARSUPERSTARTAHSILDARTONSILLARTRILINEARTROCHLEARUNDERWEARUNILINEARUNIPLANARUNPOPULARUNSIMILARUTRICULARVEHICULARVESICULARVOCABULAR
Ten-Letter Words (50)
ACETABULARANTENNULARARTERIOLARBUDGERIGARCEREBELLARCLAVICULARCOLUMELLARCURRICULARDISSIMILARFASCICULARFOLLICULARGLOMERULARINTERLUNARLABIOVELARLENTICULARLOUNGEWEARMAJUSCULARMANDIBULARMICROMOLARMICROPYLARMILLIMOLARMULTIPOLARNONNUCLEARPARTICULARPEDUNCULARPENINSULARPRONUCLEARPROSEMINARSALTCELLARSPIRACULARSPORTSWEARSUBNUCLEARSUPERLUNARSWEETBRIARTENTACULARTESTICULARTRABECULARTRACHEOLARTRANSPOLARTRIANGULARTRINOCULARTUBERCULARUNFAMILIARUNILOCULARVALLECULARVERMICULARVERNACULARVERSICULARVESTIBULARYESTERYEAR
Eleven-Letter Words (38)
ANTIBURGLARANTINUCLEARANTIPOPULARBIMOLECULARBRONCHIOLARCANALICULARCARBUNCULARCATERPILLARCIRCUMLUNARCIRCUMPOLARCORPUSCULARCREPUSCULARCURVILINEAREQUIANGULARHOMONUCLEARINTERLINEARINTRAOCULARLIQUIDAMBARMICROVILLARMONONUCLEARNONCELLULARNONCIRCULARNONCOPLANARNONGRANULARNONVASCULARPETRODOLLARPOLYNUCLEARPROCONSULARPROVASCULARRECTANGULARRECTILINEARSEMIPOPULARSPECTACULARSUBCAPSULARSUBCELLULARUNICELLULARVENTRICULARVERISIMILAR
Twelve-Letter Words (26)
ANTIMACASSARAPPENDICULARBIOMOLECULARCOCURRICULARDIVERTICULAREPICUTICULAREXTRANUCLEARINFUNDIBULARINTERLAMINARINTERLOBULARINTERNUCLEARINTERSTELLARMACRONUCLEARMICROTUBULARMULTINUCLEARMYOFIBRILLARNONCOLLINEARNONMOLECULAROVERFAMILIARPHOTONUCLEARPRECONCILIARQUADRANGULARRENOVASCULARSEMICIRCULARSUBORBICULARTABERNACULAR
Thirteen-Letter Words (19)
CIRCUMSTELLAREXTRACELLULAREXTRAVASCULARFIBROVASCULARINTERCELLULARINTERGRANULARINTRACELLULARINTRAMUSCULARINTRAVASCULARMICROVASCULARMONOMOLECULARMULTICELLULARNEUROMUSCULARPERPENDICULARSTEREOREGULARSUBMANDIBULARTHERMONUCLEARULTRAFAMILIARUNSPECTACULAR
Fourteen-Letter Words (14)
ANTITUBERCULARCARDIOVASCULAREXTRAVEHICULARGASTROVASCULARHEPATOCELLULARINTERMOLECULARINTRAMOLECULARMACROMOLECULARMICROFIBRILLARMULTIMOLECULARNONSPECTACULARORTHOMOLECULAROVERPARTICULARSUPRAMOLECULAR
Fifteen-Letter Words (2)
CEREBROVASCULAREXTRACURRICULAR