8-letter words ending in U

A final U is an unusual constraint for an eight-letter play: the 36 options are a tiny set beside the 14,500 words ending in S. Familiar-looking entries include tiramisu and thankyou, but many choices are less recognizable. Dictionary coverage also varies, so a word accepted in one tournament list may not work in another.

The U-ending shortlist at a glance

• There are 36 eight-letter entries ending in U across the tournament dictionaries.
• Kinkajou scores 23 points, ahead of jiujitsu and jiujutsu at 22 each.
• Collins includes 34 entries, compared with 24 in NWL2023 and 19 in ENABLE.
• Only one of the 36 ranks among the top 25,000 English words by frequency.
• The list includes tiramisu, thankyou, rousseau, nunchaku and zaibatsu.

Which U-ending words score the most?

Kinkajou is the standout: its K, J and two U tiles push the word to 23 points before any board bonuses. Jiujitsu and jiujutsu follow at 22, while kabeljou reaches 21. The average score is 14.6, so the top few are well above the pack.

The dictionary split matters as much as the score: Collins has 34 of these words, but NWL2023 has 24 and ENABLE has 19; the counts overlap rather than describing separate groups. Tiramisu and thankyou are easier to recognize than many entries, but most of the set is uncommon. Check your game's word list before building a play around an unfamiliar spelling.

How to use 8-letter words ending in U on a rack

• For Scrabble bingo, an eight-letter play needs one board tile plus all seven rack tiles; the existing tile can supply a letter inside the word.
• Keep the U ending in mind while checking board hooks: a playable word still needs an open lane and a legal connection.
• When points matter, compare kinkajou with the 22-point jiujitsu and jiujutsu before choosing a placement.