SH spells a single sound with two letters, so a player who confirms it has used two positions on one consonant. The 5 letter words starting with SH then depend entirely on the vowel that follows, since every position after the pair is still open.
A takes the third position more often than any other letter, with O close behind it. Share, Shape, Short and Shore cover both patterns, while C and W after SH produce almost no candidates worth a guess.
There are 148 five letter words starting with SH. Short, Share, Shown, Shape and Shirt are the strongest Wordle guesses because none of them repeat a letter. SHA and SHO hold the deepest runs, so test A and O in the third slot first.
5 Letter Words Starting With SH
S and H work as a single sound, which means the third letter is the first real clue you get. The wider set begins at five letter words in English.
| Shack | Shade | Shads | Shady |
| Shaft | Shags | Shahs | Shake |
| Shako | Shakt | Shaky | Shale |
| Shall | Shalm | Shalt | Shaly |
| Shama | Shame | Shams | Shand |
| Shank | Shans | Shape | Shaps |
| Shard | Share | Shark | Sharn |
| Sharp | Shash | Shaul | Shave |
| Shawl | Shawm | Shawn | Shaws |
| Shaya | Shays | Shchi | Sheaf |
| Sheal | Shear | Sheas | Sheds |
| Sheel | Sheen | Sheep | Sheer |
| Sheet | Sheik | Shelf | Shell |
| Shend | Shent | Sheol | Sherd |
| Shere | Shero | Shets | Sheva |
| Shewn | Shews | Shiai | Shied |
| Shiel | Shier | Shies | Shift |
| Shill | Shily | Shims | Shine |
| Shins | Shiny | Ships | Shire |
| Shirk | Shirr | Shirs | Shirt |
| Shish | Shiso | Shist | Shite |
| Shits | Shiur | Shiva | Shive |
| Shivs | Shlep | Shlub | Shmek |
| Shmoe | Shoal | Shoat | Shock |
| Shoed | Shoer | Shoes | Shogi |
| Shogs | Shoji | Shojo | Shola |
| Shone | Shook | Shool | Shoon |
| Shoos | Shoot | Shope | Shops |
| Shore | Shorl | Shorn | Short |
| Shote | Shots | Shott | Shout |
| Shove | Showd | Shown | Shows |
| Showy | Shoyu | Shred | Shrew |
| Shris | Shrow | Shrub | Shrug |
| Shtik | Shtum | Shtup | Shuck |
| Shule | Shuln | Shuls | Shuns |
| Shunt | Shura | Shush | Shute |
| Shuts | Shwas | Shyer | Shyly |
5 Letter Words Starting With SH By Third Letter
A and O take the third slot more than any other letters, and both open long runs. Five letter words with H as the second letter in English leaves the first letter open.
5 Letter Words Starting With SHA
| Shade | Shady | Shaft |
| Shake | Shale | Shall |
| Shame | Shape | Share |
| Shark | Sharp | Shave |
| Shawn | Shack | Shaky |
| Shalt | Shams | Shank |
| Shard | Shawl | Shags |
| Shahs | Shako | Shama |
| Shand | Shaul | Shaws |
| Shaya | Shays | Shads |
| Shakt | Shalm | Shaly |
| Shans | Shaps | Sharn |
| Shash | Shawm |
5 Letter Words Starting With SHE
| Sheep | Sheer | Sheet |
| Shelf | Shell | Sheaf |
| Shear | Sheds | Sheen |
| Sheik | Sheol | Shere |
| Shero | Sheva | Shewn |
| Sheal | Sheas | Sheel |
| Shend | Shent | Sherd |
| Shets | Shews |
5 Letter Words Starting With SHI
| Shift | Shine | Shiny |
| Ships | Shirt | Shits |
| Shied | Shill | Shins |
| Shire | Shirk | Shite |
| Shiva | Shiel | Shies |
| Shims | Shish | Shiso |
| Shive | Shiai | Shier |
| Shily | Shirr | Shirs |
| Shist | Shiur | Shivs |
5 Letter Words Starting With SHO
| Shock | Shoes | Shook |
| Shoot | Shops | Shore |
| Short | Shots | Shout |
| Shove | Shown | Shows |
| Shoal | Shone | Shorn |
| Showy | Shoed | Shogi |
| Shoji | Shojo | Shola |
| Shool | Shoos | Shope |
| Shoyu | Shoat | Shoer |
| Shogs | Shoon | Shorl |
| Shote | Shott | Showd |
5 Letter Words Starting With SHU
| Shunt | Shura | Shush |
| Shuts | Shuck | Shuns |
| Shute | Shule | Shuln |
| Shuls |
5 Letter Words Starting With SH By Ending Letter
S and E account for a third of the SH words between them, and T follows close behind. 5 letter words ending in SH runs the same letters from the other end.
5 Letter Words Starting With SH Ending In S
| Ships | Shits | Shoes |
| Shops | Shots | Shows |
| Shams | Sheds | Shins |
| Shuts | Shags | Shahs |
| Shaws | Shays | Shies |
| Shims | Shoos | Shuns |
| Shads | Shans | Shaps |
| Sheas | Shets | Shews |
| Shirs | Shivs | Shogs |
| Shris | Shuls | Shwas |
5 Letter Words Starting With SH Ending In E
| Shade | Shake | Shale |
| Shame | Shape | Share |
| Shave | Shine | Shore |
| Shove | Shire | Shite |
| Shone | Shere | Shive |
| Shope | Shute | Shmoe |
| Shote | Shule |
5 Letter Words Starting With SH Ending In T
| Shaft | Sheet | Shift |
| Shirt | Shoot | Short |
| Shout | Shalt | Shunt |
| Shakt | Shent | Shist |
| Shoat | Shott |
5 Letter Words Starting With SH Ending In L
| Shall | Shell | Shawl |
| Shill | Shoal | Shaul |
| Sheol | Shiel | Shool |
| Sheal | Sheel | Shorl |
5 Letter Words Starting With SH Ending In K
| Shark | Shock | Shook |
| Shack | Shank | Sheik |
| Shirk | Shuck | Shmek |
| Shtik |
5 Letter Words Starting With SH With A
A takes the third slot in 38 SH words, so a confirmed A points straight at the SHA run. 5 letter words starting with ST works the same way.
| Shade | Shady | Shaft |
| Shake | Shale | Shall |
| Shame | Shape | Share |
| Shark | Sharp | Shave |
| Shawn | Shack | Shaky |
| Shalt | Shams | Shank |
| Shard | Shawl | Sheaf |
| Shear | Shiva | Shoal |
| Shura | Shags | Shahs |
| Shako | Shama | Shand |
| Shaul | Shaws | Shaya |
| Shays | Sheva | Shola |
| Shads | Shakt | Shalm |
| Shaly | Shans | Shaps |
| Sharn | Shash | Shawm |
| Sheal | Sheas | Shiai |
| Shoat | Shwas |
5 Letter Words Starting With SH With O
O runs second only to A here, and SHO holds most of it. 5 letter words starting with SP works the same way.
| Shock | Shoes | Shook |
| Shoot | Shops | Shore |
| Short | Shots | Shout |
| Shove | Shown | Shows |
| Shoal | Shone | Shorn |
| Showy | Shako | Sheol |
| Shero | Shiso | Shoed |
| Shogi | Shoji | Shojo |
| Shola | Shool | Shoos |
| Shope | Shoyu | Shmoe |
| Shoat | Shoer | Shogs |
| Shoon | Shorl | Shote |
| Shott | Showd | Shrow |
5 Letter Words Starting With SH For Wordle
Every word here uses five different letters, so no slot goes to a repeat. 5 letter words starting with SM works the same way.
| Short | Share | Shown |
| Shape | Shirt | Shift |
| Shame | Sharp | Shock |
| Shake | Shore | Shine |
| Shade | Shark | Shout |
| Shelf | Shaft | Shiny |
Fifty six SH words repeat a letter. Ruling those out before you guess removes more than a third of the field.
5 Letter Words Starting With SH For Scrabble
J and K carry the points here, and Shojo and Shoji share the top mark at 15.
| Word | Points |
|---|---|
| Shojo | 15 |
| Shoji | 15 |
| Shaky | 15 |
| Shyly | 14 |
| Shuck | 14 |
| Showy | 14 |
| Shock | 14 |
| Shmek | 14 |
| Shack | 14 |
| Shchi | 13 |
| Shawm | 13 |
| Shtik | 12 |
| Showd | 12 |
| Shook | 12 |
| Shirk | 12 |
5 Letter Words Starting With SH And Their Meanings
A handful of these reach Scrabble boards through Japanese, Hebrew and Scots, so the meaning is worth fixing before you play them.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Shako | A tall cylindrical military cap finished with a plume |
| Shard | A sharp fragment broken from pottery or glass |
| Sheaf | A bundle of grain stalks tied after reaping |
| Sheik | An Arab chief or the head of a tribe |
| Sheol | The abode of the dead in Hebrew scripture |
| Sherd | A broken piece of pottery recovered at a dig |
| Shiso | A Japanese herb of the mint family used in cooking |
| Shoji | A Japanese sliding screen of paper over a wooden frame |
| Shoal | A shallow stretch of water, or a large school of fish |
| Shoat | A young pig just after weaning |
| Shrew | A small insect eating mammal with a pointed snout |
| Shrub | A woody plant smaller than a tree, branching from the base |
| Shunt | To move something onto a side track or divert it aside |
| Shush | To quiet someone with a soft hissing sound |
| Shute | A channel down which goods or water are dropped |
| Shive | A flat cork or bung used to seal a cask |
| Shirk | To avoid a duty that belongs to you |
| Shorn | Cut close, especially of wool taken from a sheep |
| Shoyu | Japanese soy sauce brewed from soybeans and wheat |
| Shura | A consultative council in Islamic governance |
FAQs
The strongest are Short, Share, Shown, Shape and Shirt, since none of them repeat a letter. Shall, Shell and Shush hand a slot to a repeat, so hold them back.
The U words are Shout, Shuts, Shrug, Shrub, Shunt, Shush, Shuck and Shuns. Shura, Shute and Shoyu carry one as well.
SHR is a short run of six: Shred, Shrew, Shrub, Shrug, Shris and Shrow. Shred and Shrug are the two that turn up in Wordle.
The I words run to Shirt, Shift, Ships, Shine, Shiny, Shire, Sheik, Shill, Shins and Shirk. Thirty three SH words carry an I.
Shojo and Shoji share the top score at 15 points, with Shaky level alongside them. Shyly, Shuck, Showy, Shock, Shmek and Shack each reach 14.
Yes, but only two. Shrew and Shrow are the W endings, and Shrew is the one that turns up outside a Scrabble game.
SHE gives you Sheet, Sheep, Shelf, Shell, Sheer, Shear, Sheds, Sheaf, Sheik and Shewn, along with Sheol, Sherd and Shero.
Yes, Shoji is valid and scores 15 points. It names a Japanese sliding screen made of paper stretched over a wooden frame.
