5-letter words ending in K

Almost half the group has appeared as a Wordle answer, which is unusually high for a final letter. The K is worth 5 points, so even plain words score well. Three tails do most of the sorting: -ACK, -ICK and -ANK.

Words ending in K, key figures

• 253 words in all: Collins accepts 244, NWL2023 199 and ENABLE 182.
• 113 have been Wordle answers, and 252 of the 253 are accepted guesses.
• 80 are common, meaning they sit in the top 25,000 English words.
• The average score is 12.1, and QUICK, QUACK and MUZAK lead at 20.
• S opens 68 words, far ahead of C with 40 and T with 30.

Which tails should you learn first?

-ACK leads with 25 words, then -ICK with 20, -ANK with 19 and -INK with 16. Add -UNK and -OCK at 13 each and -OOK and -EEK at 10 each. Those eight tails already cover 126 words, about half the list.

Counting every word that finishes in -CK, you get 76 of the 253, or about 30 percent. BLACK, TRACK and WHACK use the first tail, QUICK, STICK and THICK the second, and THANK, FRANK and DRINK fall into the -NK group. Memorising one example per tail is the fastest way in.

Why is K such a popular Wordle ending?

113 of the 253 have been answers, about 45 percent. By everyday frequency the leaders are THINK, BLACK, CHECK, BREAK, SPEAK, TRACK, QUICK, STOCK, DRINK and CLOCK. Only one word in the group is rejected as a guess.

Because the answer list leans so heavily on this ending, a green K in the last square is worth acting on straight away. Next, decide between -CK and -NK, then pick the vowel. A yellow N or C in your first guess usually settles that choice before the third try.

Which K words score the most?

QUICK, QUACK and MUZAK each score 20, helped by a 10-point Q or Z. QUIRK and QUARK follow at 18, and WHACK scores 17. The K adds 5 on its own, which is why the average reaches 12.1.

Collins accepts 244 of the 253, NWL2023 accepts 199 and ENABLE accepts 182. Words such as QAPIK and QUONK may fail outside Collins, so check your game's word list first.

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