5 letter words
The complete list of English 5-letter words — searchable, filterable, and Wordle-ready. (I teach vocabulary for a living. You're welcome to just use the filter.)
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Curated lists
These words test the most common vowels and consonants in five-letter English, giving you the fastest path to the answer. Use one. Feel like a professional. Tell no one you needed a list.
Browse by starting letter
Five letters: the sweet spot
Related word tools
Frequently asked questions
How many 5-letter words are in English?
Depends on the dictionary. The Official Scrabble Players Dictionary lists around 8,996 five-letter words. Broader dictionaries run to 12,000 or more. This tool uses an extended word set that covers Wordle, Scrabble, and general vocabulary — so the number is higher than the Scrabble list but lower than "every five-letter string that has ever appeared in print." We drew a reasonable line.
How do I find 5-letter words starting with specific letters?
Use the "Starts with" field above — type up to four letters and the list updates immediately. "SH" gives you SHAKE, SHAME, SHARK, SHARP, and so on. "CR" gives you CRANE, CRAVE, CRAZY, CREAM. Single letters also work if you just want all words beginning with, say, Q (there are fewer than you'd hope). This is the fastest path to Wordle hints when you have a confirmed starting position.
How do I find 5-letter words ending with specific letters?
Use the "Ends with" field above. Type the ending you need — "ER", "OT", "CH", "LY", whatever the puzzle has given you — and the list narrows accordingly. You can stack it with "Starts with" if you have confirmed letters on both ends, which usually brings the list down to a manageable handful. The Wordle position filter handles middle-letter constraints if you need to go deeper.
What are the best 5-letter words to start Wordle?
The strongest openers test the most common letters in five-letter English words simultaneously. CRANE, SLATE, RAISE, STARE, and AROSE are statistically well-regarded because they cover the main vowels alongside R, S, T, N, and L — the consonants that appear most frequently. I use CRANE. I will continue to use CRANE. I have made my peace with this.
What 5-letter words have 3 or more vowels?
High-vowel words are effective early Wordle guesses because they confirm or eliminate multiple vowels in one shot. AUDIO, ADIEU, LOUIE, OCEAN, and OURIE are classic examples. Tap the "3+ vowels" chip above to see the full filtered list — it's longer than you'd think, though most of the words become progressively more obscure as you go down.
Can I use this for Scrabble and Words with Friends?
Yes. The word list covers valid Scrabble and Words with Friends entries at the 5-letter range. The ends-with filter is particularly useful here — searching for words ending in "S" or "ED" can help you extend existing board plays. High-value 5-letter words with Q, Z, X, or J can swing a Scrabble game in a single turn if they land on a premium square. The Scrabble Helper on this site handles full rack scoring if you need point values.
How does the Wordle position filter work?
Type a letter into each tile, then tap the tile to cycle its color: green means correct position, yellow means right letter wrong spot, gray means not in the word at all. This mirrors Wordle's color system exactly. The filter applies your constraints simultaneously and only shows words satisfying all of them — same logic the Wordle Solver uses, just embedded directly in the word list so you don't have to leave the page.