4-letter words starting with M

M opens 307 four-letter words in Collins. Of those, 236 have a definition in our data, so you can check the meaning of most before you play one. The list mixes everyday words with Scrabble-only picks, and this page separates the two.

Start with the common M words

Only 119 of the 307 words are common, which is fewer than two in five. The common ones are words you already use in writing, such as MORE, MOST, MAKE, MANY, MUCH and MAIN.

The other 188 are less familiar. Some are Scrabble words that rarely appear in everyday text, so check the meaning before you rely on one.

Common words also teach the pattern. MAIN, MARK and MEET share the same opening, so one familiar word can show you how the rest of the M group sounds and spells.

M words that end in S, E or T

• S closes 58 of the 307 words, about one in five, such as MAPS.
• E closes 43, including MAKE, MOVE and MAZE.
• T closes 24, including MOST, MUST and MEET.
• A closes 21, as in MAMA, and K closes 19, as in MARK.
• An S or E on the rack covers 101 of the M words, so start there.

Four Z words top the M list at 24 points

MUZZ, MOZZ, MIZZ and MEZZ each score 24 points, the highest in the list. MAZY comes next at 18, then MIXY and MYXO at 16. MAZE, MOZO and MOZE each reach 15.

The average M word scores 8 points, so one Z word on a triple-letter square can lift a turn well above that. Dictionary coverage varies, though: Collins holds all 307 words, NWL2023 holds 231 and ENABLE holds 209.

Five words in the top ten score 18 or more, the four 24-point words and MAZY. The rest of the top ten sit between 15 and 16 points.

Using this list for a clue

Start with the length and first letter, then match the ending. A four-letter M word that ends in E has 43 candidates here, and you can narrow those by checking the vowels in the middle.

If the clue names a plain verb or a short noun, check the common set first. Only when that fails should you widen the search to the other 188 words.

Check the dictionary before you play a high scorer