KA Endings: Slavic, African, and Everything Between
Words ending in KA draw from an unusually wide range of languages. VODKA and TROIKA come from Russian, POLKA from Czech, EUREKA from Greek, PAPRIKA from Hungarian, BAZOOKA from Dutch (probably), and BURKA from Arabic. This makes the KA ending a kind of linguistic sampler platter. For crossword solvers, that diversity means the clue style varies wildly — one KA answer might be clued as a dance (POLKA), the next as a spice (PAPRIKA), and another as a military weapon (BAZOOKA).
Scrabble players should pay attention to the shorter KA words. KA itself is a valid two-letter word (the Egyptian concept of the spirit or life force) worth 6 points. BABKA, the swirled bread, scores 13 points and uses common tiles. CHARKA (a small cup for vodka) and TROIKA are both worth memorizing for competitive play. One useful fact: KA words tend toward 5-7 letters, with very few exceeding 8. So if your grid has a long blank ending in KA, you can probably rule out most of this category and look elsewhere.
For other borrowed-word endings with high Scrabble value, explore words ending in J and words ending in Q. The K tile is worth 5 points, which puts KA words in a scoring sweet spot — see words ending in C for a lower-value contrast, or words ending in I for more foreign-origin words.
FAQ
Is KA valid in Scrabble?
Yes, KA is a valid two-letter Scrabble word worth 6 points. It refers to the spirit or vital force in ancient Egyptian belief. It's one of the more valuable two-letter words because K carries 5 points. For other high-value short words, check words ending in JO.
What are the most common KA words in crosswords?
VODKA, POLKA, and EUREKA appear most frequently. ALASKA shows up in geography-themed puzzles, and PAPRIKA in food clues. The variety of source languages keeps clue styles unpredictable. You'll find similar variety in words ending in I, another ending borrowed from multiple languages.