KA Words: Borrowed Sounds from Around the World
KA is a two-letter Scrabble word meaning the spirit or soul in ancient Egyptian religion — and it's one of those tiles-in-your-pocket plays that every serious player memorizes. Beyond KA itself, this word family draws heavily from languages outside the usual Latin-French pipeline. KABOB comes from Arabic. KAMIKAZE is Japanese. KANGAROO is from the Guugu Yimithirr language of Aboriginal Australia. KARMA is Sanskrit. KAYAK is Inuit. Few letter openings in English showcase global borrowing quite like KA-. That variety makes KA- words fascinating for word nerds and occasionally tricky for crossword solvers, since the clues can reference cuisine, spirituality, animals, or boating.
K is worth 5 points in Scrabble with just one tile in the bag, so drawing it is significant. KA- words let you deploy that 5-point tile early while keeping your options open. KAYAK (14 points) is a palindrome — it reads the same backward — and scores well for five tiles. KARATE (10 points) and KARMA (11 points) are everyday words that most players can spot. For deeper cuts, try KAMEEZ (a tunic, 21 points) or KATYDID (an insect, 15 points). The short KA plays — KAB, KAE, KAT — are valid in SOWPODS and useful for dumping the K tile quickly.
Quick strategy: K pairs awkwardly with many consonants, so look for vowel-rich board positions when playing KA- words. The A-after-K opening gives you natural access to common vowel patterns. For other borrowed-word families, explore words starting with ZA (Arabic origins) or words starting with X for Greek and Chinese loans. Also see words ending in K for the flip side of K-tile strategy.
FAQ
Is KA a valid Scrabble word in tournament play?
KA is valid in both TWL and SOWPODS dictionaries, scoring 6 points (K=5, A=1). It refers to the spiritual double or soul in Egyptian mythology — a concept central to mummification practices. For other high-scoring two-letter words, check words starting with QA — QI is the top-scoring two-letter play at 11 points.
Why are so many KA words borrowed from other languages?
Native English words almost never start with KA- because Old English preferred C for the /k/ sound before A (CAT, CAN, CAST). Words starting with KA entered English from Arabic (KABOB, KAFTAN), Japanese (KARATE, KAMIKAZE), Sanskrit (KARMA), and Aboriginal Australian languages (KANGAROO). See words starting with RE for contrast — a prefix rooted firmly in Latin.
What KA word scores highest in Scrabble?
KAMIKAZE scores 27 points base before any premium squares — one of the highest-scoring KA words possible. KAMEEZ at 21 and KIBBUTZNIK (though it starts with KI) are also strong. Realistically, KAYAK at 14 points is the KA word you'll play most often. For other high-value tile strategies, see words ending in Z.