You've got two greens. You've got the R. You've got the E. It feels like the win is right there, just a couple of taps away. But honestly, staring at that grid while the "ARE" suffix mocks you is a special kind of frustration. Wordle and its many clones love this pattern because it’s deceptive. It looks easy, right?
It isn't.
The English language is actually cluttered with these specific five-letter combinations. Some are common, everyday verbs you’d use without thinking twice, while others are obscure bits of vocabulary that only show up in crossword puzzles or old poetry. When you're down to your last two guesses, the difference between "STARE" and "SNARE" feels less like a game and more like a high-stakes gamble.
Why 5 letter words that end in are are such a trap
The problem is the consonant clusters. English relies heavily on the "ARE" ending for a variety of phonemes. You aren't just looking for one word; you're looking at a family of words that share almost identical DNA.
Think about the math for a second. If you have _ _ ARE, you have two slots to fill. If you guess "SHARE," you've burned a turn. If the answer was "SCARE," you’ve narrowed it down, but you still haven't confirmed that C. This is what gamers call a "hard mode trap." If you're playing on Wordle's hard mode, you're forced to use those green letters in your next guess. If there are six possible words and you only have three guesses left, you can literally lose the game through no fault of your own logic. It's just a coin flip.
Common culprits you’ll see every day
Most of the time, the game is going to throw something familiar at you. STARE is a huge one. It uses high-frequency letters like S and T. Then you have SHARE, which pops up constantly in social media contexts and daily speech. SPARE is another heavy hitter. Notice a pattern? That S is everywhere.
SCARE and SNARE are also high on the list. If you see that "ARE" at the end, your brain should immediately start testing S-combos. It’s the most statistically likely starting letter for this specific pattern. FLARE and GLARE bring in the L, which is another common letter that can trip you up if you’re focused solely on the "S" words.
The oddballs that ruin your streak
Then there are the words that feel unfair. QUARE is a real word—it's an older, mostly Irish dialect term for "strange" or "unusual"—but if that comes up in your daily puzzle, people are going to be mad. BLARE is common enough, but people often forget it in favor of "FLARE."
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What about AWARE? This one is a nightmare for players because it starts with a vowel. Most of us are trained to look for a consonant-vowel-consonant structure. When a word starts with a vowel and ends with a vowel-consonant-vowel like AWARE does, it breaks the visual rhythm of the grid.
Strategic ways to beat the "ARE" ending
Stop guessing one by one. Seriously.
If you aren't playing on hard mode, the best thing you can do when you see _ _ ARE is to play a "burner" word. This is a word that uses as many of the possible starting consonants as possible.
For example, if you're stuck between STARE, SHARE, SCARE, and SPARE, don't guess any of those. Instead, try a word like PATCH. Why? Because it tests the P, the C, and the H all at once. If the P lights up, you know it's SPARE. If the C lights up, it's SCARE. You've essentially traded one turn to guarantee a win on the next turn. It's a calculated sacrifice.
Understanding the phonics
We use "ARE" to create a specific long 'a' sound /ɛər/. This is a r-controlled vowel. In linguistics, this is often called the "square" vowel. Because it's so common, our brains tend to overlook the subtle differences in the beginning of the words.
- The Plosives: Words like SPARE and SCARE start with "stop" sounds.
- The Liquids: FLARE and GLARE use the L to soften the transition.
- The Nasals: SNARE is the primary culprit here.
If you can categorize the missing letters by how they sound, you can often narrow down the list faster. Most people just cycle through the alphabet in their heads: A-ARE, B-ARE, C-ARE... but that’s slow.
Does frequency matter?
Absolutely. The New York Times, which now runs Wordle, uses a curated list of words. They generally avoid plurals ending in S (like "CARES") and they try to stay away from overly obscure terms. However, they've been known to throw a curveball. Using a word like SHARE is much more likely than WARE, which usually refers to manufactured goods or pottery.
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Interestingly, BARE and FARE are also frequent flyers. These are "base" words. They aren't derived from anything else. They are short, punchy, and common in 19th-century literature, which is a weirdly good source for puzzle word lists.
Detailed breakdown of the "ARE" list
Let's look at the actual options you might face.
STARE is perhaps the most frequent. It’s a verb and a noun. It uses the "ST" cluster, which is the most common consonant cluster in English. If you have the "ARE," check for "ST" first.
SHARE is next. The "SH" sound is a digraph. If you’ve already ruled out T, H is your next best friend.
SPARE often gets overlooked because people think of "SPACE" first. Don't forget the P.
SCARE is the spooky cousin. It’s a classic.
SNARE is the one that breaks streaks. The N isn't as common in the second position as T or H, so it’s often the last thing people try.
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FLARE and GLARE are pair-words. If you find one, you have to consider the other. They both deal with light, which is a funny little linguistic coincidence.
BLARE is for loud noises. It's less common than "FLARE" but shows up in puzzles to catch people who are only thinking about visuals.
AWARE is the vowel-heavy outlier.
BARE and FARE and RARE. These are the "low-hanging fruit." They are easy to find, but because they are so short and simple, players sometimes look past them for something more "complex."
Actionable steps for your next game
Next time you see those three green letters at the end of your grid, don't panic. Take a breath.
First, check for the S. It is the most likely letter to be sitting at the front of a 5-letter word ending in "ARE." If the S is there, you're likely looking at STARE, SHARE, SPARE, SCARE, or SNARE.
Second, identify if you are in a trap. If you have four or more possibilities and only two guesses, stop guessing "ARE" words. Use a completely different word that combines the missing consonants (like "CLASP" or "THUMP") to eliminate multiple options at once.
Finally, don't forget the vowels. If no consonants seem to fit, try AWARE. It's the "hidden" word that saves a lot of games.
By systematically testing the most common clusters—ST, SH, SP, SC, and FL—you can move through the list of 5 letter words that end in are without losing your mind or your winning streak. Stop guessing and start filtering. It turns a game of luck back into a game of skill.