Words Ending in HA: From Aloha to Buddha
The -HA ending gathers words from an impressive range of languages and cultures. ALOHA comes from Hawaiian, BUDDHA from Sanskrit, HOOKAH from Urdu, ALPHA from Greek, BERTHA from German, and PASHA from Turkish. English acts like a magnet for foreign vocabulary, and -HA words are proof of that pull. Many entered English through trade, religion, or colonialism, and they've stuck around because no native English word quite captures the same meaning.
For crossword solvers, -HA words tend to come with distinctive clues. ALOHA gets "Hawaiian greeting" or "Lei party word." ALPHA shows up as "first Greek letter" or "dominant one." HOOKAH clues reference "water pipe" or "smoke lounge fixture." The pattern is reliable enough that seeing -HA at the end of a crossword answer should immediately trigger a mental scan of borrowed words. In Scrabble, these words are moderately useful — HOOKAH scores 16 points, PURDAH (a practice of female seclusion) hits 12, and CHUTZPAH is worth 27 if you can play all 8 letters.
Memorize a few uncommon ones for an edge: AGHA (a Turkish military commander), BUGSHA (a monetary unit), and APHTHA (a mouth ulcer). For related patterns, explore words ending in QUE for more borrowed vocabulary, and words starting with PH for Greek-origin words. Players chasing high scores should also check words starting with Z.
FAQ
What are the highest-scoring -HA words in Scrabble?
CHUTZPAH (27 points), MATRYOSHKA (if valid in your dictionary), and HOOKAH (16 points) lead the pack. Many -HA words use common tiles though, so their base scores are moderate. Pair them with premium squares for the best results. For other high-value endings, check words ending in X.
Is AGHA a valid Scrabble word?
Yes, AGHA (also spelled AGA) is a Turkish military title accepted in both TWL and SOWPODS. At 4 letters and 5 points, it's useful for tight board spots. It often appears in crosswords too, clued as "Turkish commander." See words starting with K for other short foreign-origin plays.
Why do so many -HA words come from other languages?
English rarely generates words ending in the /ha/ sound naturally — it's not a common English phoneme in word-final position. So virtually all -HA words are borrowings. Languages like Arabic, Sanskrit, Hawaiian, and Turkish commonly end words with this sound. Explore words ending in O for another ending dominated by loanwords.