5-Letter Words Starting With IL
There are 9 five-letter words starting with IL in our dictionary; 2 of them are common words.
Type your own letters to find only the 5-letter words you can make, or leave it empty to open this list in the word finder.
All 9 words
- ileum7 points
- ilium7 points
- ileac7 points
- iliac7 points
- ileal5 points
- ileus5 points
- iliad6 points
- ilial5 points
- iller5 points
Quick facts
- Total words: 9
- By usage: 0 very common, 2 common, 7 rare
Highest scoring (classic tiles)
- ileac 7
- ileum 7
- iliac 7
- ilium 7
- iliad 6
- ileal 5
- ileus 5
- ilial 5
- iller 5
Most common
- ileum
- ilium
- ileac
- iliac
- ileal
- ileus
- iliad
- ilial
- iller
Definitions
- ileum (noun)
- The part of the small intestine between the jejunum and the cecum.
- ilium (noun)
- The upper and widest of the three bones making up the hipbone.
- iliac (adjective)
- Of or relating to the ilium.
- ileus (noun)
- Blockage of the intestine (especially the ileum) that prevents the contents of the intestine from passing to the lower bowel.
There are 9 five-letter words starting with IL, and 2 of them are words you would expect to see in everyday writing. The rest are technical terms, plurals, variant spellings and the odd loanword, all of which are legal in most tile games. The highest-scoring entry is ILEAC at 7 points. Scan the common words first, then dip into the rare ones when the board leaves you no other option.
How to use this page
Type your letters into the box at the top, including a question mark for any blank, and press search to filter this list to the words you can spell. Or read the list as it is: common words come first, scores are shown on each chip, and any word with a link has its own page of sub-words and anagrams.
Tips
A blank tile is the most powerful piece on your rack because it stands in for any letter. When you search this list with a blank, the tool underlines the letter the blank replaced so you know which tile to lay down. Spend a blank only when it unlocks a long word or a premium square; using it for a three-letter play is almost always a waste. If you hold two blanks, look for a word from this list that needs both, because a seven-tile play with the bonus outscores nearly everything else.
Questions
What is the highest-scoring word among the five-letter words starting with IL?
ILEAC scores 7 points with classic tile values, ignoring board multipliers. The full top ten is in the quick facts above; switch the tile set on the search tool if you play with different letter values.
Why are some of these words unfamiliar?
7 of the 9 words on this page are tagged rare, meaning they fall outside the usual spell-check vocabulary. They are still real words, and many are legal plays, but you should expect a challenge if someone asks you to define them.