5-letter words ending in X

The X is worth 8 points, so even the plainest word here scores at least 12. The average comes out at 14.5 points per word. Three endings do the sorting: -EX with 22 words, -IX with 19 and -AX with 13.

Words ending in X at a glance

• 67 words: Collins accepts 65, NWL2023 accepts 53 and ENABLE accepts 47.
• 8 have been Wordle answers, and 66 of the 67 are allowed guesses.
• 13 are common words in the top 25,000 by frequency.
• KYLIX leads at 19 points; the average word scores 14.5.
• C and R each open 9 words, and B opens 5.

Why does every X word score so well?

The X tile is worth 8, and the other four letters are at least 1 each, so no word here can score below 12. RELAX hits that floor exactly. INDEX is worth 13, because the D adds 2.

The average of 14.5 sits only 2.5 above the minimum, which shows how much of the score the X supplies on its own. Heavy side tiles are rare, so the typical word gains just 2 or 3 points from them. In practice you win these plays by placing the X on a premium square, not by finding a rare partner.

Which tails should you memorise?

-EX has 22 words, among them INDEX, ANNEX, CODEX and LATEX. -IX has 19, including REMIX, HELIX and AFFIX. -AX has 13, such as RELAX and BORAX, and -OX has 8, such as DETOX and PHLOX. -UX has 4, and -YX has just 1, CALYX.

Together -EX, -IX and -AX hold 54 of the 67 words, or about four in five.

Which Wordle answers end in X?

Eight have been answers: INDEX, RELAX, INBOX, ANNEX, DETOX, HELIX, AFFIX and BORAX. That is about 12 percent of the 67.

A green X in the fifth square is rare, and it points straight at a small set of words like these. Three of the eight, INDEX, RELAX and ANNEX, belong to the everyday core named above, and the vowel before the X decides the rest.

How do the top-scoring X words rank?

KYLIX scores 19, then AFFIX and HYRAX at 18, and CALYX, PHLOX, CHOUX and HAPAX at 17. AFFIX is the best-known of them, built on two 4-point Fs.

Collins lists 65 words, NWL2023 lists 53 and ENABLE lists 47, so some of the spellings that earn the highest scores may not play in North America. Check your game's word list first.

Most of the common words are safe. INDEX, ANNEX, CODEX, HELIX and LATEX all rank among the 13 common entries, so no opponent will question them, and each scores between 12 and 15 once the X is counted.