Hooking with -YER words
Endings like -YER let you tack a word onto a tile already on the board, often turning a small play into a big one. Look for the high-value entries above to maximise points.
What the numbers say
The shape of this list: 104 entries between 4 and 13 letters long, peaking at 7 letters with 20 words. Five-letter picks number 20 and seven-letter picks 20. Nothing here outscores HIGHFLYER — 22 points from 9 tiles on plain squares.
Chasing points? The best five entries here are HIGHFLYER (22), MULTIEMPLOYER (22), BRICKLAYER (21), COUNTERPLAYER (20), SWORDPLAYER (20). At 13 letters, COUNTERPLAYER is the longest word on the list; a typical entry scores around 13. If you are fishing for these words, keep Y (104 appearances), R (104) and E (104) on your rack.
Three words worth learning first
- SLAYER — 6 letters for 9 points; every tile in it is a common draw, so it shows up rack after rack.
- STAYER earns 9 points from just 6 tiles — and it is a word few opponents will bother to challenge.
- Playing LAYER across a double-word square turns its base 8 points into 16 — solid value for 5 tiles.
Five more everyday options from the same list: SAYER (8), SLYER (8), TOYER (8), TUYER (8), GRAYER (10).
-YER as a board weapon
Endings are Scrabble's cheapest points. A word finishing in -YER can often be built backwards from a tile already on the board, so you pay for fewer letters than you score. Scan the high scorers above, then look for a spot where the final -YER lands on a premium square — the multiplier applies to your whole word, not just the hook.
More endings
Narrow it down
Pair an ending with a length or starting letter in the Word Finder.