Every Word That Ends in J — All Seven of Them
You can count the entire J-ending word list on your fingers: HAJ, RAJ, TAJ, HADJ, HAJJ, SVARAJ, and SWARAJ. What ties them together is origin — every one is a direct borrowing from Arabic, Hindi, or Sanskrit. English doesn't naturally end words with the J sound; instead, we spell that sound as -DGE (BRIDGE, JUDGE) or -GE (CAGE, HUGE) at word endings. The J spelling survives only in words we adopted without anglicizing them. HAJ and HADJ both refer to the pilgrimage to Mecca. RAJ means rule in Hindi, as in the British Raj. TAJ refers to a tall conical cap, immortalized in the name Taj Mahal — literally "crown palace."
SVARAJ and SWARAJ are variant transliterations of the same Sanskrit concept: self-governance. Mahatma Gandhi made this word famous during India's independence movement, and both spellings are accepted in tournament Scrabble dictionaries. For tile game players, HAJ is the star of this group. Three letters, 13 points (H=4, A=1, J=8), and it fits into tight board positions where longer words can't reach. HAJJ uses both J tiles in the Scrabble bag, which is a rare and satisfying play. If you're holding a J tile late in the game and the board is locked up, HAJ or TAJ can save you from taking an 8-point deduction for an unplayed tile.
The other micro-sized ending groups make great companion study: words ending in Q has just three entries, and words ending in QI has exactly one. For J from the opposite direction, words starting with J gives you a much larger word pool. Also see words ending in Z for another high-point ending letter.
FAQ
What's the difference between HAJ, HADJ, and HAJJ?
All three refer to the annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca. HAJ is the simplest transliteration, HADJ reflects a slightly different romanization convention, and HAJJ includes the doubled consonant from the Arabic original. All are valid in Scrabble and Words With Friends. HAJ is the most useful for word games because it's the shortest at three letters — similar to how SUQ is the go-to play among words ending in Q.
Can I play TAJ in Scrabble?
Yes, TAJ is valid in both TWL and SOWPODS dictionaries. It scores 10 points (T=1, A=1, J=8) and is a reliable short play when you need to unload a J tile. For more ways to use high-value tiles, see words ending in Z and words starting with J.
Are SVARAJ and SWARAJ both valid in word games?
Yes, both spellings are accepted in major Scrabble dictionaries. They're variant transliterations of the same Hindi/Sanskrit word meaning self-rule. At six letters each, they're the longest J-ending words and score well if you can find the board space. For other long plays using rare letters, browse words ending in Z where you'll find options up to 11 letters.