The TI Ending: Italian Plurals and Borrowed Treasures
CACTI is the word that introduces most English speakers to the TI ending, but there's a whole ecosystem here. GRAFFITI, LITERATI, CONFETTI, SPAGHETTI — Italian gave English dozens of TI-ending words by way of its plural forms. In Italian, masculine nouns ending in -TO or -TE become -TI in the plural. English kept many of these plurals even when the singular form drifted or disappeared. (When was the last time you heard someone say a single "graffito"?) This pattern gives crossword solvers a real edge: if a clue is plural and has an Italian or Latin feel, try TI before you try S.
Beyond the Italian plurals, you'll find words from Hindi and Sanskrit in this group. BASMATI (the aromatic rice), BHAKTI (Hindu devotion), CHAPATI (flatbread), and PASHTI all come from South Asian languages. For Scrabble players, ANTI is the workhorse — just 4 points, but it plays as both a standalone word and a prefix hook. CACTI at 7 points is solid for five letters. AGOUTI, the large tropical rodent, is a tournament player favorite because it uses all common tiles and scores 7 points.
Check words ending in T for the singular forms, words ending in ED for the standard English past tense pattern, and words starting with Z for more unusual word-game vocabulary. Also see words ending in J for another borrowed-language ending.
FAQ
Are Italian plural forms like GRAFFITI valid in Scrabble?
Yes, most Italian plurals that have entered standard English dictionaries are valid in Scrabble. GRAFFITI (13 points), CONFETTI (13 points), and LITERATI (8 points) are all playable. Check words ending in T for their singular forms like GRAFFITO.
What's the difference between -TI plurals and regular -S plurals?
Words borrowed from Italian often keep their original -TI plural instead of adding -S. CACTUS becomes CACTI, FUNGUS has FUNGI. However, many now accept both forms — CACTUSES and CACTI are both valid. For contrast, see how English handles regular plurals at words ending in ED and words ending in ING.