Words Ending in JO: Seven Entries, All Worth Remembering
The complete list of words ending in JO fits on one hand with room to spare: JO, BANJO, DOJO, MOJO, GADJO, APAREJO, and AZULEJO. Each one tells a story. JO is a Scottish term of endearment. BANJO arrived in America through African musical traditions. DOJO is Japanese for a martial arts training hall. MOJO traces back to West African spiritual practices. APAREJO is a Spanish-style packsaddle, and AZULEJO is a painted tin-glazed ceramic tile from Portugal and Spain.
For word game purposes, BANJO is the star — common enough to guess in crosswords, and worth 14 base points in Scrabble. DOJO and MOJO are both four-letter plays worth 11 and 13 points respectively. The real surprise is AZULEJO at 23 base points if you can land it. Crossword solvers should remember that JO itself is a valid two-letter word — handy for those tight corner spots. Player strategy: J-ending positions on the board are rare, but when you spot one, this short list makes your search fast. Scan for the -JO hook and you'll know immediately whether you have a play. For the full J picture, see words starting with J, and for another small but mighty word group, check words ending in QI.
FAQ
Is BANJO the most common word ending in JO?
By far. BANJO appears in crosswords regularly and is the only -JO word most people know. DOJO and MOJO are runners-up. The others — GADJO, APAREJO, AZULEJO — are specialist vocabulary. For another short list of unusual endings, see words ending in GRY.
What does GADJO mean?
GADJO (also GADGE) is Romani for a non-Romani man. It's accepted in the SOWPODS Scrabble dictionary used in international play. If you enjoy obscure valid words, also check words starting with Z and words starting with QE for more unusual finds.