13,355 Words Ending in Y — The Largest Ending Group in English
No other letter comes close. Y at the end of a word accounts for more entries than any other ending, and the reason is suffix math. The -LY adverb suffix alone generates thousands of words (QUICKLY, SLOWLY, HAPPILY, CAREFULLY). Add -RY (BAKERY, BRAVERY, HISTORY), -TY (BEAUTY, SAFETY, CERTAINTY), -FY (SIMPLIFY, MODIFY, JUSTIFY), and -NY (AGONY, IRONY, HARMONY), and you've got a suffix factory that never stops producing. But Y-ending words aren't all suffixed forms. BABY, BODY, CITY, EASY, BUSY, CRAZY, HAPPY, LUCKY, MONEY, PARTY, STORY, STUDY — these are root words where Y is built into the original structure, not bolted on.
Here's a fact that improves your crossword game immediately: -LY answers almost always have an adjective as their root. If the clue says "in a quick manner," the answer is QUICKLY. "Without care" = CARELESSLY. "In a sad way" = SADLY. Once you spot this pattern, -LY clues become nearly automatic. For Scrabble, Y is worth 4 points, and the short Y-enders are everywhere: BAY, BOY, COY, DAY, DRY, FLY, FRY, GAY, GUY, HAY, JOY, KEY, LAY, MAY, OAK... no. PAY, PLY, PRY, SAY, SKY, SOY, SPY, STY, TOY, TRY, WAY, WHY. JOY scores 13 points for three tiles. SKY scores 10. One key strategy: adding -LY to an adjective already on the Scrabble board is a powerful extension play. Turn QUICK into QUICKLY and you score for both the extension and the base word. This page naturally connects with words ending in G (the other mega-group, with 13,500+ entries), words starting with A (which feeds Y-enders like ABBEY, AGONY, ARCHERY), and words starting with S for common answers like SAFETY, SIMPLY, and STORY.
FAQ
How do Y-ending words form plurals?
If a consonant comes before the Y, change Y to IES: CITY becomes CITIES, BABY becomes BABIES, STORY becomes STORIES. If a vowel comes before the Y, just add S: BOY becomes BOYS, KEY becomes KEYS, DAY becomes DAYS. This rule applies in Scrabble too — CITYS would be challenged off the board. For more plural patterns, see words ending in A where Latin plurals like CRITERIA and PHENOMENA follow different rules.
What Y-ending words work well in Wordle?
Five-letter Y-enders are extremely common in Wordle. EARLY, EVERY, HAPPY, LUCKY, MONEY, PARTY, READY, STORY, and STUDY have all been answers. A strong approach is to test common consonants (R, S, T, N, L) in your first guess alongside Y in position five. STRAY, ENTRY, and SORRY all test useful letters. For starting-letter strategies in Wordle, see words starting with S.
Is Y a vowel or a consonant at the end of a word?
At the end of a word, Y functions as a vowel — it makes either the "ee" sound (HAPPY, BABY, CITY) or the "eye" sound (DRY, FLY, SKY, TRY). Y only acts as a consonant when it starts a word or syllable (YELLOW, BEYOND). This vowel role is what makes Y the most common word-ending letter: it fills the same sound slot as I or E would. For more on letters that change roles, see words ending in W where W shifts from consonant to vowel partner at word endings.
Two-Letter Words (4)
Three-Letter Words (53)
Four-Letter Words (199)
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Five-Letter Words (940)
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Six-Letter Words (1222)
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Seven-Letter Words (1410)
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Eight-Letter Words (1772)
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Nine-Letter Words (1713)
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Ten-Letter Words (1416)
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Eleven-Letter Words (1401)
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Twelve-Letter Words (1239)
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Thirteen-Letter Words (938)
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Fourteen-Letter Words (629)
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Fifteen-Letter Words (419)
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