Words Ending in AL

-AL Words: Where Adjectives, Nouns, and Latin Roots Converge

The -AL suffix is one of English's most versatile endings. It turns nouns into adjectives (MUSIC becomes MUSICAL, NATION becomes NATIONAL), but plenty of -AL words are nouns themselves: ANIMAL, HOSPITAL, MINERAL, APPROVAL, SURVIVAL. This dual nature makes -AL endings extraordinarily common — and extraordinarily useful in word games. In Scrabble, adding -AL to an existing word is a reliable extension strategy: SEASON becomes SEASONAL, EMOTION becomes EMOTIONAL, COMIC becomes COMICAL.

Latin is the engine behind most -AL words. The suffix descends from the Latin adjective ending "-alis," which indicated "pertaining to" something. ABYSMAL (pertaining to an abyss), ACCRUAL (the act of accruing), ABYSSAL (of the deep ocean) — the Latin DNA is visible even in everyday English. One curiosity: English sometimes uses both -AL and -IC for the same root with different shades of meaning. HISTORIC refers to something important in history; HISTORICAL means anything related to history. That distinction keeps crossword constructors busy.

Tip for competitive Scrabble: -AL words are excellent for bingo plays (using all 7 tiles). SEASONAL, TROPICAL, CRIMINAL, and APPROVAL are all 8+ letters that combine common tiles. Hold onto A and L when your rack has potential. For other productive suffixes, see words ending in ED and words ending in A. Also check words starting with S for front-end extensions of -AL words (like SEASONAL).

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