AD Endings: Short, Sharp, and Everywhere
AD is one of the most common two-letter endings in English. BAD, DAD, FAD, GAD, HAD, LAD, MAD, PAD, RAD, SAD, TAD -- nearly every consonant pairs with AD to form a word. This makes AD endings incredibly useful in crosswords, where short words with common letters are the glue that holds grids together. Beyond the 3-letter words, AD builds into BREAD, SPREAD, INSTEAD, RAILROAD, and hundreds more.
For Scrabble strategy, the 3-letter AD words are your bread and butter (pun intended). They fit into tight corners, create parallel plays, and use tiles you'd otherwise struggle to place. GAD (to roam about) is underused by casual players but scores 5 points and opens up the G tile. SHAD (a type of fish) and CHAD (the little punched-out paper circle) are crossword favorites -- CHAD became famous after the 2000 U.S. presidential election and its "hanging chads." For longer plays, TRIAD scores 6 points and MYRIAD scores 12. Look at words ending in ER for words that overlap (LEADER, READER), or try words ending in K for another super-common short ending. Words starting with RE gives you REREAD, RELOAD, and other RE+AD combinations.
FAQ
What unusual words end in AD?
OREAD (a mountain nymph), DYAD (a pair), TRIAD (a group of three), NAIAD (a water nymph), and DRYAD (a tree nymph) are all mythology-sourced AD words that crossword constructors love. AOUDAD (a Barbary sheep) is another obscure gem. For more mythological vocabulary, check words ending in A and words ending in O.
Why does nearly every consonant pair with AD?
AD descends from a very old Germanic root, and the short vowel + D combination was natural in Old English. Words like BAD, MAD, SAD, and LAD are among the oldest words in the language. The pattern was so productive that new words kept forming with it. For another ancient, versatile ending, see words ending in T where a similar consonant-flexibility exists.