Why words ending in O matter
Endings drive Scrabble more than openings. Words ending in O are how you reach a triple-word square sitting at the right edge of the board, and how you hook off existing tiles to score two words in one turn.
Every entry below is valid in the French dictionary and sorted by Scrabble score so the best plays appear first.
Hooks and parallel plays with O
If a word on the board ends with the letter before O in your candidate word, you can often add a single tile to make a new word — that is the classic Scrabble hook. Look for places where adding O to the end of an existing word creates a new valid word, especially when that single tile lands on a premium square.
Parallel plays — laying a word alongside an existing one so multiple two-letter words form down the spine — are often the highest-scoring turns in a game. Words ending in O make those plays easier because they give you a fixed final tile to work backwards from.
Picking the right O-ending word
Don't always reach for the longest word in the list. The right play is the one that scores well and leaves a clean rack — ideally one or two consonants and one or two vowels, no duplicates. A 24-point play that leaves you with QQUU is usually worse than an 18-point play that leaves you set up for a bingo next turn.
If you are holding a premium tile (J, Q, X, Z), look for O-words that include it. Combining a high-value letter with a closing tile that lands on a triple-word square is the single highest-scoring pattern in Scrabble outside of a bingo.
Frequently asked questions
- How many words end in O?
- This page lists every French word in our dictionary that ends with O. The total appears above the grid and entries are sorted by Scrabble point value.
- Why do so many Scrabble players obsess over the letter S?
- S is the most flexible hook in the game — it pluralises most nouns on the board and lets you score two words in one turn. Many tournament players hold their S until they can use it to extend an existing word onto a triple-word square.
- Are these words valid in Words With Friends?
- Yes. Every O-ending word on this page is legal in both Scrabble and Words With Friends.
- What is the best strategy for using these words?
- Look for places where the final O lands on a premium square (especially a triple-word square in the right column of the board), or where adding the rest of the word to an existing tile creates a hook play that scores two words simultaneously.