Words Ending in YA: Borrowed Sounds from Around the World
The -YA ending reads like a linguistic passport. PAPAYA comes from Carib (via Spanish), MAYA from the ancient Mesoamerican civilization, ABAYA from Arabic, HOYA from Latin botanical naming, and BUNYA from an Australian Aboriginal language. These words entered English through wildly different routes — exploration, botany, religion, fashion — but they all share that distinctive open vowel ending that English doesn't naturally produce.
In word games, -YA words are niche but valuable precisely because opponents don't expect them. PAPAYA scores 14 points in Scrabble with nothing but common tiles. KABAYA (a loose blouse worn in Southeast Asia) hits 15 points. The Y tile is worth 4 points, and placing it near the end of a word often catches double-letter squares that other players leave untouched. For crosswords, PAPAYA is the most frequent answer — clued as a tropical fruit, it's a reliable 6-letter fill.
One useful fact: ALIYA (the immigration of Jews to Israel) and its variant ALIYAH both appear in crosswords with increasing frequency, reflecting the word's adoption into mainstream English. For other loanword endings, browse words ending in O and words ending in LY. Players who enjoy world-language vocabulary should check words ending in ZEN and words starting with X.
FAQ
Is BUNYA a valid Scrabble word?
Yes, BUNYA (also BUNYA-BUNYA) is accepted and refers to a large Australian pine tree whose seeds are edible. It scores 10 points. For more nature-related words from world languages, see words ending in O.
What does ABAYA mean?
An ABAYA is a loose-fitting full-length outer garment worn by some Muslim women. It's valid in Scrabble for 10 points and appears in crosswords clued as "modest robe" or "Gulf garment." For more clothing-related words, explore words ending in TION which includes fashion and textile terms.