Words Ending in IN: Cabin, Villain, and a Thousand Others
The -IN ending is everywhere in English, and the words it produces couldn't be more diverse. You've got the short and common — BIN, DIN, FIN, GIN, KIN, PIN, SIN, TIN, WIN — plus the longer everyday words: CABIN, SATIN, RAISIN, VILLAIN, CURTAIN, FOUNTAIN, MOUNTAIN. Then there's a whole set of scientific and medical terms: INSULIN, ASPIRIN, MELANIN, KERATIN, GELATIN. The -IN ending also creates one of English's most common verb forms: words ending in -AIN like OBTAIN, CONTAIN, MAINTAIN, SUSTAIN, ABSTAIN.
For Scrabble, the short -IN words are indispensable. GIN (4 points), BIN (5 points), and JIN (10 points with the J) are reliable plays. TOXIN scores 12 points, and SATIN gets 5. The real power move is extending: turn an existing word into an -IN word, or extend an -IN word with a suffix. OBTAIN to OBTAINING, CABIN to CABINS. In crosswords, the -AIN words dominate: TRAIN, BRAIN, CHAIN, PLAIN appear weekly. Look for ASPIRIN with medical clues and SATIN with fabric clues. One trick for tricky crosswords: -IN words borrowed from other languages are common stumpers — DJINN (Arabic), MANDOLIN (Italian), ASSASSIN (Arabic again). For related patterns, explore words ending in K for another consonant ending, words ending in R for similar-length word lists, and words ending in LY to extend many -IN adjectives.
FAQ
What three-letter -IN words are valid in Scrabble?
BIN, DIN, FIN, GIN, JIN, KIN, PIN, RIN, SIN, TIN, WIN, and YIN are all valid. JIN (10 points) is the highest scorer of the group. AIN (meaning "own" in Scottish) is also valid at 3 points. These short words are perfect for parallel plays and tight board positions. See words starting with Q for QIN-related plays.
Why do so many English words end in -AIN?
The -AIN ending comes from Latin -INERE (to hold) through Old French. CONTAIN (hold together), RETAIN (hold back), OBTAIN (hold toward), MAINTAIN (hold by hand) — they all trace to the same Latin root with different prefixes. This is why they conjugate identically. For more Latin-prefix patterns, explore words starting with QU.
Are ASPIRIN and INSULIN capitalized in word games?
No — ASPIRIN was once a brand name (Bayer) but became generic and lowercase. INSULIN was never trademarked. Both are valid Scrabble plays in lowercase: ASPIRIN (9 points) and INSULIN (7 points). For other formerly-capitalized words that are valid plays, check words ending in A.
Two-Letter Words (1)
Three-Letter Words (16)
Four-Letter Words (39)
Five-Letter Words (85)
Six-Letter Words (196)
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Seven-Letter Words (203)
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Eight-Letter Words (194)
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Nine-Letter Words (152)
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