Words Ending in EN: Hidden, Frozen, and a Thousand More
The -EN ending is one of the most versatile in English, serving double duty as both a suffix and a natural word ending. As a suffix, -EN turns adjectives into verbs (SOFT to SOFTEN, HARD to HARDEN, BRIGHT to BRIGHTEN) and creates past participles (HIDDEN, FROZEN, BROKEN, CHOSEN). As a natural ending, it appears in words like CHICKEN, KITTEN, GARDEN, and OXYGEN. Germanic languages love the -EN ending — it's a direct inheritance from Old English verb forms.
This pattern is a crossword solver's constant companion. With well over a thousand -EN words, you'll encounter this ending in every single puzzle you work. The common crossword answers are OFTEN, ALIEN, OMEN, LINEN, WOVEN, and RAVEN. For trickier puzzles, watch for ABDOMEN, SPECIMEN, and POLLEN. Scrabble players should note that -EN is a powerful word extender: play GOLD, then extend to GOLDEN on your next turn. Same with WOOD to WOODEN, SILK to SILKEN. This builds score incrementally while controlling the board. The -EN suffix also pairs well with words starting with RE — REOPEN, REWRITTEN, REFROZEN. For other productive endings, compare with words ending in A and words ending in C.
FAQ
Why do some past participles end in -EN and others in -ED?
The -EN ending belongs to "strong" verbs inherited from Germanic languages — these change their internal vowel (BREAK/BROKE/BROKEN, FREEZE/FROZE/FROZEN). The -ED ending belongs to "weak" verbs that add a suffix without vowel change (WALK/WALKED). Strong verbs are older and irregular; weak verbs are the default pattern. See words ending in X for another pattern with Old English roots.
What -EN words score highest in Scrabble?
OXYGENIZE doesn't end in -EN, so let's focus on real ones: QUICKEN (22 points with the Q and K), THICKEN (20), and BLACKEN (19) top the scoring list. FROZEN (18) and CITIZEN (18) are also strong plays. The trick is pairing -EN with high-value root tiles. Browse words starting with S for SOFTEN, SHARPEN, and STRENGTHEN.
Are words like OXEN and CHILDREN using the same -EN?
Yes — OXEN and CHILDREN are surviving examples of the Old English -EN plural, which was once as common as -S. Modern English standardized on -S for almost all plurals, but a handful of -EN plurals survived: OXEN, CHILDREN, BRETHREN. These are favorite crossword entries. For more on unusual plurals, explore words starting with MONO where Greek plural forms appear.
Three-Letter Words (12)
BENDENFENGENHENKENMENPENSENTENWENYEN
Four-Letter Words (23)
AMENBEENBRENEVENEYENGAENGIENGLENHAENKEENLIENMIENOMENOPENOVENOXENPEENSEENTEENTHENWEENWHENWREN
Five-Letter Words (75)
ADMENALIENARPENASHENASPENAXMENCODENCOPENCOVENCOZENDAVENDAWENDIZENDOVENDOYENDOZENEATENGIVENGREENHAVENHOSENHYMENLADENLATENLEBENLIKENLIMENLINENLIVENLODENLUMENMAVENMIZENNOMENNUMENOAKENOATENOFTENOLDENOWSENPATENPREENQUEENRAMENRAVENRIPENRISENRIVENROUENROVENROWENRUMENSEMENSEVENSHEENSIRENSKEENSYRENTAKENTOKENTREENTWEENUNPENVIMENVIXENWAKENWAXENWHEENWIDENWIZENWOKENWOMENWOVENYAMENZAZEN
Six-Letter Words (198)
ACUMENAIDMENAIRMENARISENASHMENATWEENAWAKENAWOKENAXEMENBADMENBAGMENBALEENBARMENBARRENBATMENBATTENBAYMENBEATENBIDDENBIOGENBITTENBOREENBOWMENBRAZENBROKENBURDENBUSMENCABMENCAREENCARMENCARVENCHOSENCLOVENCOWMENCRAVENDAIMENDAMPENDARKENDEADENDEAFENDEEPENDOLMENDRIVENDUDEENELEVENEXAMENEXOGENFALLENFASTENFATTENFLAMENFLAXENFLYMENFOEMENFROZENGAGMENGARDENGASMENGERMENGLUTENGOLDENGORHENGOTTENGRABENGRAVENGULDENGUNMENGUNNENHAPPENHAPTENHARDENHARKENHASTENHAUSENHEAVENHEMPENHIDDENHITMENHODDENHOIDENHOLDENHOLPENHOYDENHYPHENICEMENKEPPENKHAZENKIPPENKITTENKRAKENKRONENKUCHENLATEENLATTENLAWMENLAYMENLEADENLEAVENLEGMENLENTEN
and 98 more — use the solver above to search
Seven-Letter Words (245)
ABDOMENACROGENADWOMENAGNOMENALBUMENALMSMENANLAGENANTIGENAUTOMENAUTOPENBASEMENBATSMENBEADMENBEDEMENBEDIZENBEECHENBELLMENBETAKENBETOKENBETWEENBIRCHENBIRDMENBITCHENBITUMENBLACKENBOATMENBOGYMENBONDMENBOOKMENBOUNDENBRACKENBROADENBUCKEENBULLPENBURTHENBUSHMENCANTEENCAVEMENCERUMENCHAPMENCHASTENCHAZZENCHEAPENCHICKENCHIDDENCHIRRENCHORTENCITHRENCITIZENCLUBMENCOARSENCOLLEENCREWMENCRISPENCRYOGENDASHEENDAYSMENDEADMENDENIZENDESKMENDOORMENDRAYMENDRUNKENDURAMENDUSTMENEARTHENENDOGENENLIVENFIFTEENFIREMENFLAGMENFLANKENFLATTENFLEHMENFOOTMENFORAMENFOREMENFREEMENFRESHENFROGMENGATEMENGLADDENGLEEMENGLISTENGOMBEENGOODMENGREATENGREISENGREYHENGRIPMENGRUTTENHACKMENHALOGENHANGMENHARSHENHEADMENHEARKENHEARTENHEATHENHEGUMEN
and 145 more — use the solver above to search
Eight-Letter Words (226)
AIRWOMENALDERMENALLERGENAMIDOGENAMYLOGENANDROGENBACLOFENBAILSMENBANDSMENBARGEMENBEADSMENBEDARKENBEDEAFENBEDESMENBEFALLENBEGOTTENBEHOLDENBEMADDENBESCREENBESPOKENBLUESMENBOARDMENBOATSMENBOGEYMENBONDSMENBOOGYMENBOUGHTENBRAKEMENBRETHRENBRIGHTENCARAGEENCHAINMENCHAIRMENCHESSMENCHILDRENCHOREMENCHRISTENCLANSMENCOACHMENCODRIVENCOGNOMENCOLLAGENCOLORMENCORPSMENCRAGSMENCULTIGENCYANOGENCYCLAMENDAIRYMENDAKERHENDALESMENDRAGOMENDUTCHMENEARTHMENEIGHTEENEMBOLDENESTROGENEVERYMENFEDAYEENFERRYMENFLORIGENFOILSMENFORESEENFORGIVENFORSAKENFOUGHTENFOURTEENFREEDMENFRESHMENFRIGHTENFRONTMENFUGLEMENFUNNYMENGAMESMENGLASSMENGLYCOGENGOWNSMENGRAVAMENGROSCHENHANDYMENHAZELHENHEADSMENHEIGHTENHELMSMENHENCHMENHENEQUENHENIQUENHERDSMENHISTOGENHORSEMENHOTELMENHOUSEMENHUNTSMENHYALOGENHYDROGENIMBOLDENKHAMSEENLANDSMENLAYWOMENLEADSMEN
and 126 more — use the solver above to search
Nine-Letter Words (157)
ANCHORMENANTIALIENATTACKMENBEDRIDDENBONDWOMENBOOGERMENBOOGEYMENBOOGIEMENBREAKEVENBUSHELMENCAMERAMENCARETAKENCARRAGEENCATTLEMENCHALCOGENCHARWOMENCHROMOGENCHURCHMENCLERGYMENCLUBWOMENCORNERMENCOWRITTENCRACKSMENCRAFTSMENDAMASKEENDEATHSMENDISBURDENDISPROVENDOORWOMENDRAFTSMENEALDORMENENERGUMENENLIGHTENEVERGREENEXCISEMENFELLAHEENFELLOWMENFIELDSMENFISHERMENFORBIDDENFORETOKENFOREWOMENFORGOTTENGARAGEMENGENTLEMENGESTALTENGOITROGENGRANTSMENGROOMSMENGUARDSMENGUILDSMENHAGRIDDENHANDWOVENIBUPROFENIMMUNOGENIRONWOMENJOYRIDDENJURYWOMENKINSWOMENLEBKUCHENLETTERMENLIVERYMENLUMBERMENMAYHAPPENMIDDLEMENMINUTEMENMISCHOSENMISDRIVENMISSHAPENMISSPOKENMORPHOGENMORTARMENMUCINOGENMUSCLEMENNEWSWOMENNONFROZENNONPROVENOARSWOMENOESTROGENOFFSCREENOMBUDSMENOUTBIDDENOUTBRAZENOUTDRIVENOUTRIDDENOUTSPOKENOVEREATENOVERLADENOVERTAKENOYSTERMENPALANKEENPANTRYMENPATROLMENPHELLOGENPISTAREENPLAINSMENPLANTSMENPOLICEMENPRAENOMENPREBIDDEN
and 57 more — use the solver above to search
Ten-Letter Words (89)
ALDERWOMENAUTOBAHNENBACKBITTENBESTRIDDENBROWBEATENCARCINOGENCARRAGHEENCATECHUMENCAVALRYMENCHAIRWOMENCHAPFALLENCHOPFALLENCOCHAIRMENCOUNCILMENCOUNTERMENCOUNTRYMENDEEPFROZENDEFENCEMENDEFENSEMENDERMATOGENDISHEARTENDOWNFALLENEVERYWOMENEXPRESSMENFIBRINOGENFORESPOKENFORETOPMENFREEDWOMENGARBAGEMENGROUNDSMENHANDMAIDENHARVESTMENHAUSFRAUENHIGHWAYMENHORSEWOMENHUSBANDMENINTERWOVENISOANTIGENJOURNEYMENKEESHONDENLAUNDRYMENLEDERHOSENLOBSTERMENLONGBOWMENMANGOSTEENMARKSWOMENMAVOURNEENMIDSHIPMENMILITIAMENMISSILEMENMISWRITTENMUJAHEDEENMUJAHIDEENNOBLEWOMENNONCITIZENNURSERYMENOUTCHIDDENOUTSTRIVENOUTWRITTENOVERBEATENOVERBIDDENOVERBURDENOVERDRIVENOVERRIDDENPEPSINOGENPITCHWOMENPOULTRYMENPREMOISTENPRESWEETENRECHRISTENRESTRICKENSALESWOMENSCRUBWOMENSERVICEMENSKYWRITTENSTRAIGHTENSTRENGTHENSTUNTWOMENSUPERWOMENTOWNSWOMENTRAWLERMENTRIGGERMENUNBEHOLDENUNDEREATENUNDERTAKENUNFORESEENWEATHERMENWINDSCREENWORKINGMEN
Eleven-Letter Words (54)
ALLOANTIGENANCHORWOMENASSEMBLYMENAWESTRICKENBACKSLIDDENBUSINESSMENCAMERAWOMENCHURCHWOMENCLERGYWOMENCONGRESSMENCRAFTSWOMENCRESTFALLENCROSSBOWMENDELIVERYMENDOWNTRODDENDRAUGHTSMENFISHERWOMENFORESHORTENFREEWRITTENFROSTBITTENGENTLEWOMENGODCHILDRENGODFORSAKENHANDWRITTENHEARTBROKENHOUSEBROKENINFANTRYMENLANDSLIDDENMERCHANTMENMISBEGOTTENMISSTRICKENMULTISCREENNEEDLEWOMENOUTDOORSMENOUTSTRIDDENOVERSWEETENOVERTIGHTENOVERWRITTENOXYHYDROGENPLAINSPOKENPLASMINOGENPOLICEWOMENPRESHRUNKENPROGESTOGENSAUERBRATENSNAKEBITTENSPOKESWOMENSPORTSWOMENSUPERHARDENTRENCHERMENTRYPSINOGENTYPEWRITTENWASHERWOMENWINTERGREEN
Twelve-Letter Words (31)
AGGLUTINOGENANTIESTROGENARTILLERYMENBACKCOURTMENBACKWOODSMENCHURCHWARDENCOCARCINOGENCOCHAIRWOMENCOMMITTEEMENCOUNCILWOMENCOUNTRYWOMENDELICATESSENFRONTIERSMENGHOSTWRITTENHALLUCINOGENHALTERBROKENHAMANTASCHENKINDERGARTENLONGSHOREMENLUFTMENSCHENMOONCHILDRENNEWSPAPERMENOVERLENGTHENOVERSTRIDDENRESTRENGTHENSERVICEWOMENSPIEGELEISENSTEPCHILDRENUNDERWRITTENWAREHOUSEMENWORKINGWOMEN
Thirteen-Letter Words (16)
ACETAMINOPHENASSEMBLYWOMENBRAINCHILDRENBUSINESSWOMENCOASTGUARDMENCONGRESSWOMENGRANDCHILDRENHANDCRAFTSMENMILLIROENTGENNONCARCINOGENPHYTOPATHOGENSEMIEVERGREENSUPERSALESMENTROPOCOLLAGENUNDERCLASSMENUPPERCLASSMEN
Fourteen-Letter Words (9)
ANTICARCINOGENCOASTGUARDSMENCOMMITTEEWOMENENCEPHALITOGENHANDICRAFTSMENNEWSPAPERWOMENPRECIPITINOGENSCHOOLCHILDRENSPORTFISHERMEN
Fifteen-Letter Words (5)
AGRIBUSINESSMENCOUNTERSTRICKENPLAINCLOTHESMENPREKINDERGARTENTHUNDERSTRICKEN