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9-letter words ending in U

There are 14 9-letter words ending in U, from familiar impromptu to the 22-point scorer qinghaosu.

14 wordsTop pick IMPROMPTUHighest score QINGHAOSU 22

1 of 14 are everyday words (7%). Mostly rare words: great for Scrabble, tough for daily puzzles.

S ends the most 9-letter words (16,180); V ends the fewest (1). U ranks #22 of 26. The bar under each letter shows the size of its list.

Best words to play first 14 · most-used first

  • IMPROMPTU17
  • TROUSSEAU9
  • COINTREAU11
  • BORDEREAU12
  • GASPEREAU12
  • CHALUMEAU16
  • IMPUNDULU14
  • DIDJERIDU19
  • BIGARREAU12
  • AHURUHURU15
  • KEKERENGU18
  • KUMARAHOU18
  • QINGHAOSU22
  • SUBBUREAU13
All valid words 14

A to Z. Includes rare and Collins-only words. Linked tiles open the word's meaning, score and rhymes.

  • AHURUHURU15
  • BIGARREAU12
  • BORDEREAU12
  • CHALUMEAU16
  • COINTREAU11
  • DIDJERIDU19
  • GASPEREAU12
  • IMPROMPTU17
  • IMPUNDULU14
  • KEKERENGU18
  • KUMARAHOU18
  • QINGHAOSU22
  • SUBBUREAU13
  • TROUSSEAU9
Letters by positionIn 50% of these words the 7th letter is E.
1st letter
  1. B14%
  2. I14%
  3. C14%
2nd letter
  1. I21%
  2. O14%
  3. M14%
5th letter
  1. E21%
  2. U21%
  3. R21%
6th letter
  1. R43%
  2. M14%
  3. A14%
7th letter
  1. E50%
  2. U14%
  3. P7%
8th letter
  1. A50%
  2. T7%
  3. R7%

Highest-scoring words

Scrabble and Words With Friends points, before board bonuses
WordScrabbleWords With FriendsDictionaries
QINGHAOSU2224Collins only
DIDJERIDU1922Collins · NWL
KEKERENGU1821Collins only
KUMARAHOU1820Collins only
IMPROMPTU1722All three
CHALUMEAU1620Collins · NWL
AHURUHURU1517Collins only
IMPUNDULU1421Collins only
SUBBUREAU1318Collins · NWL
BORDEREAU1214All three
GASPEREAU1215Collins · NWL
BIGARREAU1215Collins · NWL

A final U is unusual at this length: the list has just 14 entries, and only one meets the common-word cutoff. The set ranges from impromptu and trousseau to specialist forms such as qinghaosu and didjeridu. Dictionary coverage varies sharply, so a word that appears in one game may not work in another.

At a glance: 9-letter words ending in U

  • There are 14 eligible words, and every one ends in U.
  • Collins includes all 14; NWL2023 includes 9.
  • ENABLE includes just 3 of the 14 entries.
  • Only 1 entry meets the common-word cutoff.
  • Qinghaosu leads the score list with 22 points.

Which U-ending entries stand out?

Impromptu is the most immediately familiar example, while trousseau and Cointreau offer recognizable alternatives. The other entries are more specialized: qinghaosu tops the score list, and didjeridu follows it. That contrast is the defining quirk here: the strongest scoring options are not the words most players reach for in everyday writing.

The opening letters are spread thinly. B, C, I, and K each start 2 entries; A, D, G, and Q start 1 apiece. If your rack or clue fixes the first letter, those small groups narrow the search quickly; the Q option is especially striking because qinghaosu is also the top scorer.

The list is not a set of interchangeable everyday choices. With only 1 common entry, expect most candidates to be specialized; check your game's word list before relying on an unfamiliar form.

How to use 9-letter words ending in U

For scoring, compare qinghaosu at 22 points with didjeridu at 19, then kekerengu and kumarahou at 18 each. Impromptu scores 17, so the familiar word trails several less familiar choices. A rare letter can lift a word's base score, but only if your game accepts it.

Treat the dictionary split as a practical limit, not a footnote: Collins has 14 entries, compared with 9 in NWL2023 and 3 in ENABLE. The full set is therefore not playable in every lexicon. For another length with the same final letter, compare the eight-letter and ten-letter lists.

Questions people ask

Which 9-letter word ending in U scores highest?
Qinghaosu leads with 22 points, ahead of didjeridu at 19 and kekerengu and kumarahou at 18 apiece. That makes the Q word the top scoring target in this set. Check the scoring rules and dictionary used in your game before playing an unfamiliar entry.
Are all 14 words accepted in every word game?
No, acceptance depends on the game's lexicon. Collins includes 14 entries, NWL2023 includes 9, and ENABLE includes 3. The full set is not playable in every tournament or app, so confirm the active word list before building a play around one of the rarer forms.
How many of these words are common?
Only 1 of the 14 entries meets the common-word cutoff used for this list. Impromptu, trousseau, and Cointreau are among the more recognizable examples, while forms such as qinghaosu and kekerengu are much less familiar to many players.

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