All 3,938 S-ending short words (2-5 letters) from NASPA 2023
Hooking is the single most powerful scoring technique in competitive Scrabble. Adding a single letter to an existing word to form a new valid word scores both words on one turn. These 3,938 S-ending words represent the most common hook pattern in the game. Every word below was formed by adding S to a shorter base word—master this list and you'll double your scoring opportunities on virtually every turn.
Showing 100 of 3,938 words (Page 1 of 40)
Hooking means adding a single letter to an existing word on the board to create a new valid word, while simultaneously playing your own word through that letter. It's a "two-for-one" play that scores both words:
Tournament analysis shows that hooking accounts for 25-35% of all points scored in championship games. Players who master hook words outscore non-hookers by an average of 50-80 points per game. It's the single biggest skill gap between casual and competitive players.
These S-hook words create the highest-value scoring opportunities because the base words they hook onto are common and high-scoring:
The S tile is worth only 1 point, but its strategic value is enormous. An S-hook scores the full value of the existing word again (not just 1 point) while simultaneously forming a new word. This means a single S tile routinely generates 15-30 extra points per play. Championship players treat the S tile as a premium asset—never waste it on a low-value play. Hold your S tiles for hook opportunities or bingo plays where the S extends an existing word.
While S-hooks get the most attention, front hooks are equally powerful and far less expected by opponents:
How Front Hooks Work: A letter added to the front of an existing word creates a new valid word. If "ATE" is on the board, placing your word so a letter lands in front of ATE creates BATE, DATE, FATE, GATE, HATE, LATE, MATE, PATE, RATE, or SATE.
Why Front Hooks Are Powerful: Opponents often don't expect them. They plan for S-hooks at the end of their words but leave the front wide open. A front hook into a premium square can be devastating.
Common Front-Hookable 2-Letter Words:
Strategy: Before every play, scan the board for front-hook opportunities. Many 2-letter and 3-letter words accept 10+ different front hooks, giving you massive flexibility in word placement.
Knowing which words cannot be S-hooked is just as important as knowing which words can. Playing an invalid S-hook loses your turn and costs the challenge penalty. These common words do NOT take S:
2-Letter Words That Don't Take S: Many 2-letter words do not form valid 3-letter words with an S added. Always verify before assuming a 2-letter word takes S. For example, words ending in certain letter combinations may not pluralize.
Common Trap Words: Some words look like they should take S but don't. Memorize these to avoid challenges:
Tournament Rule: If you play an invalid hook and your opponent challenges, you lose your turn. If your opponent plays a hook you think is invalid and you challenge incorrectly, YOU lose a turn. Both errors are costly—study this list to avoid either one.
After every game (practice or real), go through the final board position and identify every hook opportunity you missed. For each word on the board, ask: "Could I have S-hooked this? Could I have front-hooked it? What letter would have worked?" Keep a notebook of hooks you missed. Within two weeks of this post-game analysis, you'll start seeing hook opportunities instantly during live play. Most players find they miss 3-5 hook plays per game before training—that's 30-75 points left on the table.
The ultimate hook play combines an S-hook with premium square placement. This is where the biggest scores in Scrabble happen:
The Triple Word Score S-Hook: Play a word that reaches a TWS, where the S also hooks onto an existing word. You score your new word tripled PLUS the hooked word. A 20-point word on TWS (60 points) plus a 15-point hook word = 75 points from a single play.
The Double-Double: Occasionally an S-hook lands on a DWS while the hooked word also crosses a DWS. Both words get doubled. This rare alignment produces spectacular scores.
TLS Under S: Even a Triple Letter Score under the S (worth only 3 points on TLS) is valuable because it enables the hook. The hook word's points far exceed the 2 extra points from the TLS.
Advanced players create hook chains—sequences of plays where each word sets up the next hook opportunity:
Example Chain: Turn 1: Play CAT. Turn 2: Opponent extends board. Turn 3: Hook CATS while playing SAIL through the S. Turn 4: Later, someone hooks SCATS by adding SC in front. Each step builds scoring potential.
Multi-Hook Plays: In crowded board positions, a single play can hook two or more words simultaneously. Playing a word perpendicular to the board that hooks words on both sides of its path scores all hooked words independently.
Analysis of championship games reveals the massive impact of hook plays:
The numbers are clear: hook mastery is the single largest differentiator between casual and competitive Scrabble. Players who hook effectively score 50-80 more points per game than those who don't.