Menu
Find words

later

/ˈleɪ.tɚ/
adverbadjective

LATER is a Wordle answer that scores 5 points in Scrabble, shares its letters with ALERT and ALTER, and has 24 one-letter neighbours.

NWL Collins ENABLE Wordle answer list

Adverb 3 meanings

  1. Afterward in time (used with than when comparing with another time).

    “My roommate arrived first. I arrived later.”

  2. At some unspecified time in the future.

    “I wanted to do it now, but I’ll have to do it later.”

  3. What if (something problematic or unanticipated happens); if not (something undesirable will happen).

    “Compare Malay nanti (“later; if not”)”

Adjective 3 meanings

  1. Coming afterward in time (used with than when comparing with another time).

    “The Victorian era is a later period of English history than the Elizabethan era.”

  2. Coming afterward in distance (following an antecedent distance as embedded within an adverbial phrase)

    “I felt some leg pain during the first mile of my run and I strained my calf two miles later.”

  3. At some time in the future.

    “The meeting was adjourned to a later date.”

Definitions: Wiktionary (CC BY-SA) via Kaikki/Wiktextract

Where it comes from

Etymology

* Adverb: From Middle English later, latere, from Old English lator, equivalent to late + -er. * Adjective: From Middle English later, latere, from Old English lætra, equivalent to late + -er.

Similar and opposite words

Similar
afterwardssekalihereaftersomeday
Opposite
earlieronce

LATER means coming afterward in time or distance, and it is used when you compare one point in time with another. A rank of 286 and a count of 208,878 make it one of the busiest five-letter words. Its five letters are a well-known set among puzzle fans.

LATER at a glance

  • Five letters: L, A, T, E, R, each worth 1 point.
  • Five anagrams: ALERT, ALTER, TALER, ARTEL and RATEL.
  • Twenty-four neighbours, among them WATER, LAYER, LASER and CATER.
  • Rank 286, count 208,878.

Does LATER make a good Wordle guess?

It works as both an answer and an allowed guess. L, A, T, E and R are five common letters, so a single guess confirms or rules out a large share of the common letters.

The catch is that five anagrams share them. A row of yellows leaves ALERT, ALTER and others alive, so a second guess has to pick between orderings.

Which words are one letter away from LATER?

Twenty-four. WATER, LAYER, LASER, CATER, MATER and LITER give the flavour. WATER and LAYER each score 8, because W and Y are worth 4, while LASER ties LATER at 5.

Swapping the first tile gives the -ATER family: WATER, CATER and MATER. Swapping a middle tile gives LAYER and LASER, so a known L and R narrow things fast, and the third letter then decides the word.

LATER is also just LATE plus an R, so it is easy to keep the two straight: the shorter word has 24 neighbours too.

What other patterns surround LATER?

Among 12,789 five-letter words, 568 start with L, about 4 percent, and 667 end in R, about 5 percent. The -TER tail matches AFTER, BETTER, WATER, MATTER and CENTER in spelling. Check your game’s word list before using TALER, ARTEL or RATEL.

Rhymes with later

All rhymes

One letter away

Change one letter, keep the rest
  • WATER8
  • LAYER8
  • LASER5
  • CATER7
  • MATER7
  • LITER5
  • EATER5
  • LATEX12
  • LAGER6
  • HATER8
  • LAKER9
  • TATER5
  • LAVER8
  • PATER7
  • RATER5
  • LAMER7
  • DATER6
  • LAXER12

Questions people ask

Is later a Wordle answer?
Yes, LATER can be an answer and is an allowed guess too. Its five letters are all common, but five anagrams share them, so confirm the order before committing.
What are the anagrams of later?
LATER has five anagrams: ALERT, ALTER, TALER, ARTEL and RATEL. ALERT and ALTER are the everyday ones, and all five use the same letters and score 5.
How many points is later worth in Scrabble?
LATER is worth 5 points on tiles, because each of its five letters is worth 1. All five anagrams share the same 5, so board position decides which to play.

Keep going