Crossword Gold: Words That End in HI
CHI, the 22nd letter of the Greek alphabet, anchors this category — and it's the word you'll see most often in crossword grids. But the real crossword-solver value lies deeper in the list. ELHI (relating to school grades 1 through 12) is an American English contraction that puzzle constructors adore because it's short, unusual, and perfectly clued as "K through 12." DASHI, the Japanese soup stock, has been popping up in crosswords more frequently as food vocabulary expands in puzzle culture.
What makes this group interesting linguistically is its split personality. Half these words are Italian or Latin plurals: BRONCHI (plural of bronchus), CACTI's cousin pattern, BOLOGNESI. The other half are borrowed from Japanese: DASHI, ROSHI, HIBACHI. This means that clue style is your best hint when solving — a medical or anatomical clue points to the Latin plurals, while a food or culture clue points to Japanese. For words starting with Z and other unusual letter combinations, the same strategy applies: figure out the language of origin and you'll narrow down answers fast.
Scrabble tip: CHI is only 8 points, but CHICHI (meaning fussy or pretentious) doubles up to 16 and uses common tiles. Also explore words starting with N for NIMCHI and other crossover words, or words starting with W for WASHI and similar Japanese loanwords.
FAQ
What does ELHI mean and where does it appear?
ELHI is an American English adjective meaning "relating to school grades 1 through 12" — a blend of "elementary" and "high." It's extremely common in crossword puzzles and valid in Scrabble (worth 7 points). You'll find a similar style of contracted words among words starting with EH.
Are the HI-ending plurals like BRONCHI valid in word games?
Yes, Latin and Italian plurals like BRONCHI, CACTI-pattern words, and BOLETI are accepted in standard Scrabble dictionaries. They're worth memorizing because many players don't realize these plurals exist. For more unusual plural forms, check words starting with MONO and their various endings.