How to search
- Letters: how long the word is.
- Starts with / ends with: one letter or a chunk (st, qu, -ing, -tion).
- Contains: a chunk anywhere in the word (ough, ck).
- With / without the letters: letters that must (or must not) appear, in any order.
- Pattern: one letter or _ per position. c_r__ finds carry, carve, curve, cards.
The most common words come first.
What it's for
Solving crosswords, playing hangman, Scattergories and Boggle, finding the answer in Wordle-style games (see also the wordle helper), building spelling and phonics activities, or picking a random word.
Where the words come from
The list has 66,388 English words, including plurals and verb forms, ordered by how often they are used (wordfreq, CC BY-SA 4.0) and checked against the Hunspell en_US spelling dictionary (SCOWL), which keeps out names, typos and abbreviations. Offensive words are left out.
Frequently asked questions
How many 5-letter words are there in English?
Our list has 4,884 five-letter words, counting plurals and verb forms. The most common are about, their, there, which, would, other.
How do I find words that fit a pattern?
Type one letter or _ for each position: _a_e_ finds five-letter words with a in second place and e in fourth, like water and paper.
Are names and abbreviations included?
The list filters out proper names, brands and abbreviations using spelling dictionaries and additional exclusions. Some uncommon entries may remain; word games can use different dictionaries.
Can I pick a random word?
Yes. Use the random word button: it picks among the words that pass your filters, favoring well-known ones.