OY Words: From Ahoy to Tomboy
The OY ending gives English words a satisfying punch. BOY, JOY, TOY, COY, SOY -- these monosyllables are among the first words children learn. But the OY ending also builds into rich compound words: COWBOY, TOMBOY, BELLBOY, PLAYBOY, KILLJOY. That -BOY suffix alone accounts for a huge chunk of OY-ending words. In Scrabble, JOY is a strong 3-letter play at 13 points, and ENJOY extends it beautifully if the board cooperates.
Here's something crossword solvers should note: OY at the end of a word almost always sounds the same (rhyming with "boy"), unlike many English endings that have multiple pronunciations. That consistency makes it easier to solve -- if your crossword clue calls for something ending in that "oi" sound, OY is nearly always the spelling. DECOY, ENVOY, CONVOY, and DEPLOY show up regularly in crossword grids. The word AHOY gives puzzle constructors a nautical entry point. If you're looking for more endings with predictable sounds, try words ending in AX. For words that pair well with OY plays on the board, check words starting with J and words starting with S.
FAQ
What high-scoring OY words work in Scrabble?
JOY (13 points), ENJOY (15), PLOY (9), CLOY (9), and DECOY (11) are strong picks. KILLJOY is worth 21 points base and uses 7 tiles, qualifying as a bingo for a 50-point bonus. Compound -BOY words like FLYBOY and TOMBOY also score well. Compare with words starting with Z for similarly high-value tiles.
Why are there so many compound words ending in BOY?
English freely combines nouns and roles with BOY to create compound words describing occupations or character types. COWBOY, BELLBOY, BUSBOY, NEWSBOY, and DOUGHBOY all follow this pattern. The suffix has been productive since Middle English. For another productive suffix, see words ending in K where similar compounding occurs.