There are almost a million words in the English language, but if you're a crossword puzzle fan, it can feel like the real number is a whole lot smaller. No matter the size of the grid or difficulty level of the clues, crosswords tend to feature the same words over and over again — or should I say oft or anew?
As a professional puzzle constructor, I'm as guilty as anyone of using certain words far more frequently than others. This is typically due to their short length or abundance of vowels, which makes them easier to fit into a grid and connect with other answers. While some of these words are commonly used in everyday speech, others are rare to spot outside of a crossword — such as aeon.
Even if you can't help but eye-roll every time you type in eke or erg, knowing which words are more likely to be used than others is key to improving your solving skills, since the insight can increase your speed and turn complicated clues into easy solves.
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Close up hand holding pencil over crossword puzzle on newspaper. Game on for writing some letters to solve and completing the empty table. Focus on empty crossword table.
Plus, you have to admit that part of the fun of being a puzzle fan is mastering "crossword-ese," the language used by constructors and solvers, which includes these nine words:
Era
For most of crossword history, era — a perfect example of a vowel-heavy, short word constructors love — was defined as a distinct historical period or, on a harder day, an abbreviation for the Equal Rights Amendment. In recent years, however, some pop-loving constructors like myself began cluing era as one of many embodied by Taylor Swift or, as a plural, the name of the singer's record-breaking tour.
Similar words: area, ere, err, Erie
Ore
As someone who didn't exactly thrive in school science classes, I can thank crosswords for providing much of my knowledge about Earth's makeup. In addition to teaching me the definitions of loam and magma, puzzles also got me all too familiar with ore, aka unrefined, mineral-filled rock. Have I ever used it in regular speech? Absolutely not. Have I thrown it into dozens of crosswords? You bet.
Similar words: oral, Orr, Oreo, ode
Ante
I've only played a handful of poker games in my life, but from how often I add ante into a puzzle, you'd think I was a gambling superfan. Referring to an initial poker bet, and often clued with "up" at the end, ante fits naturally into so many grids and became a crossword staple.
Similar words: anti, ant, Etna, eta
Eno
Confession: Before I started solving crosswords, I was unfamiliar with the musician Brian Eno. Now, I could rattle off a list of fun facts about the ambient music pioneer, from his collaborations with David Bowie to his work composing the Windows 95 start-up theme.
Similar words: Enos, Ono, one, ano
Aria
If you don't go to the opera or didn't watch “Pretty Little Liars,” aria is likely not in your regular vocabulary. The term for a musical solo is a crossword favorite, along with other music-related words like arietta.
Similar words: Arie, air, are, arr
Eros
Making and solving puzzles helped revive my childhood interest in Greek mythology, and I'm sure I'm far from the only one. Eros, the god of love, has appeared in countless crosswords — especially those published around Valentine's Day.
Similar words: Ares, roe, amor, eroo
Aha
Exclamation points don't appear often in crossword puzzles, but you can imagine one coming at the end of aha nearly every time it's used in a grid. Constructors like myself can't help but include the word time and time again, usually with a clue like "I've got it!" or "Brain blast!"
Similar words: oho, ahem, ahh, ahoy
Epee
Unless you have a background in fencing, you probably didn't know that epee was a type of sword used in the sport until you began solving crosswords (neither did I!). Perhaps puzzles taught you about the saber and foil, too?
Similar words: epic, eel, ape, alee
Erg
Sometimes it's clued as a unit of work, other times as a fraction of a joule or an informal name for a rowing machine. No matter the definition used, erg is quite a common sight in crossword puzzles.
Similar words: ergo, age, ego, ago
