Words Ending in OF: Mostly Roofs, Hoofs, and Proofs
Look at the list of -OF words and you'll spot a pattern immediately: most of them end in -OOF. ROOF, PROOF, HOOF, GOOF, SPOOF, ALOOF — the double-O before F dominates this category. The exceptions are interesting: HEREOF, THEREOF, and WHEREOF are legal compound words, plus a few oddities like GANOF (variant of GONIF, a thief in Yiddish) and PILAF variant PILOF. In Scrabble, most -OF words score modestly since O (1) and F (4) aren't premium tiles, but REPROOF at 12 points and DISPROOF at 13 make decent mid-game plays.
Crossword solvers should note that -OOF words are particularly common in themed puzzles about houses (ROOF, ROOFTOP), animals (HOOF), or comedy (GOOF, SPOOF). The word PROOF has spawned an entire family: BULLETPROOF, CHILDPROOF, FIREPROOF, FOOLPROOF, SOUNDPROOF, WATERPROOF — most too long for standard crossword grids but great for Sunday-sized puzzles. One tip: don't confuse -OF endings with -OFF endings (PAYOFF, CUTOFF), which are a separate category entirely. For other unusual final-letter groups, try words ending in Q or words ending in GRY. And if you're building words with F, check words ending in C for comparison.
FAQ
Is ALOOF the only common -OF word that isn't about roofs or hoofs?
Pretty much. ALOOF originally meant "to windward" in nautical language and has nothing to do with roofs. The other non-OOF entries are legal terms (HEREOF, THEREOF) and borrowed words (GANOF). For more unusual word origins, browse words starting with MONO.
Can ROOF be pluralized as ROOVES?
ROOVES appears in some older texts, but modern dictionaries accept only ROOFS as the standard plural. Similarly, HOOF takes HOOFS (not HOOVES in all dictionaries, though HOOVES is gaining acceptance). For other tricky plurals, check words ending in T where words like FOOT follow irregular patterns.