Words Ending in FE: From Cafe to Midwife
The -FE ending is a small but surprisingly varied group. You've got everyday words like CAFE, LIFE, WIFE, KNIFE, and SAFE alongside borrowings from French (CARAFE, GAFFE, BOUFFE) and older English terms (MIDWIFE, ALEWIFE). One interesting pattern: many -FE words have irregular plurals that drop the F and add -VES. KNIFE becomes KNIVES, WIFE becomes WIVES, LIFE becomes LIVES. This Old English vowel shift is one of the quirks that makes English spelling famously irregular.
For Scrabble players, -FE words are useful because F is worth 4 points and pairs naturally with common tiles. CHAFE (13 points), STRAFE (9 points), and GAFFE (12 points) are all medium-scoring plays that fit neatly into board gaps. The word FIFE — meaning a small flute — is a palindrome-adjacent curiosity that crossword constructors like for its unusual letter repetition.
Crossword tip: when you see a clue like "Beverage spot" or "Parisian eatery" with a short answer, CAFE is almost always correct. For other endings with French origins, explore words ending in OF and words ending in N. Players looking for more F-tile strategies should visit words starting with F.
FAQ
Why do some -FE words change to -VES in the plural?
This comes from Old English sound changes where the voiceless /f/ became voiced /v/ between vowels. KNIFE to KNIVES, WIFE to WIVES, and LIFE to LIVES all follow this pattern. Modern words borrowed from French (like CAFE, CAFES) don't undergo this change. See words starting with E for more on English word origins.
What obscure -FE words are worth knowing for Scrabble?
AGRAFE (a hook-and-loop clasp, 13 points), BOUFFE (comic opera style, 14 points), and COIFFE (a type of cap, 14 points) are all valid and rarely challenged. AGRAFFE (double F variant) is also accepted. For more uncommon words, try words ending in XI and words ending in AX.