211 words start with SH, few enough to read in one pass. 52 of them are possible answers.
Better than one word in five here can be the answer, 52 of them in total.
Best First Guesses
Start with one of these. All three are among the 211 words below, and the number beside each is how many would still be left in the worst case.
- SHARE: takes 211 down to 59 at worst. It is on the answer list.
- SHAKE: down to 67. It is on the answer list.
- SHAPE: down to 70. It is on the answer list.
What These Words Have in Common
S is the ending to expect here, closing 30 of these words. The letters that turn up alongside most often are S (211), H (211) and A (81). 27 of these 211 words turn up in ordinary writing. The rest are worth a read, but not worth a guess.
Best 5 Letter Words Starting with SH
The strongest picks, with answer-list words first.
- SHACK
- SHADE
- SHADY
- SHAFT
- SHAKE
- SHAKY
- SHALE
- SHALL
- SHALT
- SHAME
- SHANK
- SHAPE
- SHARD
- SHARE
- SHARK
- SHARP
- SHAVE
- SHAWL
- SHEAR
- SHEEN
- SHEEP
- SHEER
- SHEET
- SHEIK
- SHELF
- SHELL
- SHIED
- SHIFT
- SHINE
- SHINY
- SHIRE
- SHIRK
- SHIRT
- SHOAL
- SHOCK
- SHONE
- SHOOK
- SHOOT
- SHORE
- SHORN
- SHORT
- SHOUT
- SHOVE
- SHOWN
- SHOWY
- SHREW
- SHRUB
- SHRUG
- SHUCK
- SHUNT
- SHUSH
- SHYLY
- SHIPS
- SHOES
- SHOPS
- SHOTS
- SHOWS
5 Letter Words Starting With S and Ending In A
- SHAKA
- SHAMA
- SHAYA
- SHELA
- SHEMA
- SHEVA
- SHEWA
- SHINA
- SHITA
- SHIVA
- SHOLA
- SHONA
- SHOYA
- SHUBA
- SHURA
5 Letter Words Starting With S and Ending In D
- SHARD
- SHIED
- SHAND
- SHELD
- SHEND
- SHERD
- SHOAD
- SHOED
- SHOOD
- SHOUD
- SHOWD
- SHRED
5 Letter Words Starting With S and Ending In E
- SHADE
- SHAKE
- SHALE
- SHAME
- SHAPE
- SHARE
- SHAVE
- SHINE
- SHIRE
- SHONE
- SHORE
- SHOVE
- SHANE
- SHERE
- SHICE
- SHIDE
- SHITE
- SHIVE
- SHMOE
- SHODE
- SHOLE
- SHOPE
- SHOTE
- SHREE
- SHULE
- SHUNE
- SHURE
- SHUTE
5 Letter Words Starting With S and Ending In K
- SHACK
- SHANK
- SHARK
- SHEIK
- SHIRK
- SHOCK
- SHOOK
- SHUCK
- SHICK
- SHIOK
- SHMEK
- SHONK
- SHTIK
5 Letter Words Starting With S and Ending In L
- SHALL
- SHAWL
- SHELL
- SHOAL
- SHAUL
- SHEAL
- SHEEL
- SHEOL
- SHIEL
- SHILL
- SHIRL
- SHOOL
- SHORL
5 Letter Words Starting With S and Ending In N
- SHEEN
- SHORN
- SHOWN
- SHARN
- SHAWN
- SHEAN
- SHEWN
- SHISN
- SHOON
- SHULN
5 Letter Words Starting With S and Ending In P
- SHARP
- SHEEP
- SHAUP
- SHLEP
- SHOOP
- SHRAP
- SHRIP
- SHTUP
5 Letter Words Starting With S and Ending In R
- SHEAR
- SHEER
- SHIER
- SHIRR
- SHIUR
- SHOER
- SHOOR
- SHTAR
- SHYER
5 Letter Words Starting With S and Ending In S
- SHIPS
- SHOES
- SHOPS
- SHOTS
- SHOWS
- SHADS
- SHAGS
- SHAHS
- SHAMS
- SHANS
- SHAPS
- SHAWS
- SHAYS
- SHEAS
- SHEDS
- SHETS
- SHEWS
- SHIES
- SHIMS
- SHINS
- SHIRS
- SHITS
- SHIVS
- SHOGS
- SHOOS
- SHRIS
- SHULS
- SHUNS
- SHUTS
- SHWAS
5 Letter Words Starting With S and Ending In T
- SHAFT
- SHALT
- SHEET
- SHIFT
- SHIRT
- SHOOT
- SHORT
- SHOUT
- SHUNT
- SHAKT
- SHANT
- SHART
- SHEAT
- SHENT
- SHIPT
- SHIST
- SHOAT
- SHOTT
5 Letter Words Starting With S and Ending In Y
- SHADY
- SHAKY
- SHINY
- SHOWY
- SHYLY
- SHALY
- SHAPY
- SHAWY
- SHILY
- SHIVY
5 Letter Words Starting With S and Ending In B, F, G and other letters
- SHRUB
- SHLUB
- SHRAB
- SHELF
- SHEAF
- SHILF
- SHRAF
- SHUFF
- SHURF
- SHRUG
- SHANG
- SHENG
- SHRAG
- SHROG
- SHUSH
- SHASH
- SHETH
- SHIAH
- SHILH
- SHISH
- SHLUH
- SHAHI
- SHARI
- SHCHI
- SHIAI
- SHOGI
- SHOJI
- SHOOI
- SHALM
- SHAWM
- SHRAM
- SHTUM
- SHYAM
- SHADO
- SHAKO
- SHERO
- SHIKO
- SHISO
- SHOJO
- SHAKU
- SHEDU
- SHEMU
- SHOYU
- SHREW
- SHROW
Less Familiar Words Here
This page carries a lot of words most players would not define. Reading them once is quicker than meeting them cold in a puzzle.
- SHERD: A broken piece of a brittle artifact.
- SHOED: Wearing footgear.
- SHAKO: Tall hat; worn by some British soldiers on ceremonial occasions.
- SHOGI: A form of chess played on a board of 81 squares; each player has 20 pieces.
- SHOJI: A translucent screen made of a wooden frame covered with rice paper.
- SHUCK: Remove from the shell. It is on the answer list.
- SHYLY: In a shy or timid or bashful manner. It is on the answer list.
- SHEAF: A package of several things tied together for carrying or storing.
- SHIRK: Avoid dealing with. It is on the answer list.
- SHILL: Act as a shill.
- SHREW: A scolding nagging bad-tempered woman. It is on the answer list.
- SHUSH: Silence (someone) by uttering `shush!'. It is on the answer list.
- SHOWY: Displaying brilliance and virtuosity. It is on the answer list.
- SHUNT: Transfer to another track, of trains. It is on the answer list.
FAQs
Can a Wordle answer start with SH?
Yes. SHORT, SHARE and SHALL have all been answers, so the pattern is worth playing for rather than ruling out.
Do any of these use the same letter twice?
Yes. SHOWS and SHALL are two of them. Crossing off a letter after one grey square is the quickest way to miss an answer like these.
Is SHIRR really a word?
Yes. Bake (eggs) in their shells until they are set. It has never been the puzzle, so keep it for Scrabble.
Which one has the best chance of just being the answer?
SHORT. It is the most ordinary word on this list that has already been the puzzle, so it is the guess to make when you want to win the round rather than learn from it.
Are all of these accepted as guesses?
Yes. Every word on this list is a legal guess, including the ones that look wrong. SHWAS and SHURF are among them. Only a smaller set has ever been the answer, and those are the ones marked in green.
Which of these would most players overlook?
SHIED, SHORN and SHUCK. All three are on the answer list, and none is a word you would reach for early, so they are worth remembering once the obvious guesses run out.