430 Words Ending in W — From GLOW to ELBOW to OUTLAW
W at the end of a word behaves differently than W at the beginning. Initial W is a consonant (WATER, WIND, WORK), but final W almost always functions as part of a vowel combination: -OW (as in SHOW, KNOW, FLOW), -AW (as in LAW, DRAW, STRAW), -EW (as in NEW, CREW, VIEW). This vowel-partner behavior is why W-ending words often rhyme in unexpected ways — COW and NOW rhyme with PLOW but not with SHOW or KNOW, even though all end in OW. That spelling inconsistency makes W-enders surprisingly tricky in crossword puzzles. When the grid shows _OW, you still need crossing letters to know if the pronunciation is "oh" or "ow."
The 430 W-ending words include some beautiful compound formations. AFTERGLOW, SCARECROW, OVERTHROW, MEADOW, RAINBOW, CORKSCREW, EYEBROW, PILLOW, SHALLOW, UNDERTOW — these words paint pictures. For word game players, the practical picks are the short ones: BOW, COW, DEW, FEW, HEW, JAW, JEW, JOW, MAW, MEW, MOW, NEW, OWE... wait, that ends in E. Focus: RAW, ROW, SAW, SEW, SOW, TAW, TOW, VOW, WAW, YAW, YEW, YOW. JAW scores 13 points (J=8) and JOW scores 13 as well — both excellent for deploying that J tile. One tip: W-ending words almost never take an S plural in standard form (you don't say BOWS... actually you do). Correction: most W-enders do take -S, making them easy to extend. BOWS, CLAWS, FLOWS, SCREWS all work. Pair this with words ending in V for another consonant that behaves oddly at word endings, words starting with W for the other side of the W coin, and words ending in Y for another letter that shifts between consonant and vowel roles.
FAQ
What W-ending words score highest in Scrabble?
JAW and JOW both score 13 base points for three letters. JACKDAW scores 22 thanks to the J and K tiles. CORKSCREW, if you can fit it, scores 20. Among accessible mid-length words, ELBOW (10 points), OUTLAW (6 points), and BYLAW (13 points with the Y and B) all work well. For more J-tile plays, see words starting with J and words ending in J.
Why do OW words have two different pronunciations?
The OW spelling represents two historical sounds that merged in spelling but not pronunciation. The "long O" sound (as in SHOW, KNOW, FLOW) comes from Old English words where OW represented a diphthong that simplified over time. The "ow" sound (as in COW, NOW, PLOW) comes from a different vowel that happened to end up spelled the same way. This is one of English's most frustrating spelling ambiguities — and it makes W-ending crossword clues harder than they look. For more on tricky pronunciation-spelling mismatches, see words ending in H where silent GH creates similar problems.
Are there any two-letter words ending in W?
Yes — AW and OW are both valid in Scrabble and Words With Friends. AW scores 5 points and OW scores 5 points. They're useful for tight parallel plays but score less than premium two-letter words. Compare them to the higher-scoring two-letter words ending in I (where QI scores 11) or ending in X (where AX scores 9).