29 words — filter by type, see definitions, find your best Wordle guess.
SH is one of the most useful confirmed openings in Wordle. After shine, shade, or shore, the leftover pool usually splits on the vowel in slot 3 (A/I/O) and whether you still need T, R, or P. If shine comes back with only S and H green, shade tests A and D without repeating I.
In 5-letter words starting with SH, the most common letters in position 3 are: A, E, O, I, R.
| Word | Type | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| SHACK | noun | a small roughly built shelter or cabin |
| SHADE | noun | partial darkness or a degree of color |
| SHADY | adjective | full of shade or somewhat dishonest |
| SHAFT | noun | a long narrow rod, handle, or central stem |
| SHAKE | verb | to move back and forth with quick motions |
| SHAME | noun | a painful feeling caused by guilt or disgrace |
| SHAPE | noun | the form or outline of something |
| SHARE | verb | to use, enjoy, or divide something with others |
| SHARK | noun | a large predatory fish with a cartilaginous skeleton |
| SHARP | adjective | having a fine edge or point; keen or exact |
| SHAVE | verb | to remove hair with a razor or blade |
| SHEAR | verb | to cut wool, hair, or another material with a clipping motion |
| SHEEP | noun | a wool-covered farm animal raised for meat or fleece |
| SHEER | adjective | complete, utter, or very thin and transparent |
| SHEET | noun | a broad flat piece of paper, fabric, or another material |
| SHELF | noun | a flat ledge used to hold or store things |
| SHELL | noun | the hard outer covering of some animals or objects |
| SHIFT | verb | to move, change, or transfer position |
| SHINE | verb | to give off light or be bright and polished |
| SHINY | adjective | bright from reflecting light |
| SHIRT | noun | a garment worn on the upper body |
| SHOCK | noun | a sudden upsetting surprise or a violent impact |
| SHOOT | verb | to fire a weapon or send something forward quickly |
| SHORE | noun | the land along the edge of a sea, lake, or river |
| SHORT | adjective | not long in size, height, or duration |
| SHOUT | verb | to speak or cry out loudly |
| SHOVE | verb | to push roughly or force aside |
| SHRED | verb | to tear or cut into small strips |
| SHRUG | verb | to raise the shoulders to show doubt or indifference |
← All 5-letter words starting with S
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This list has 29 five-letter words starting with SH that have definitions. 29 are common everyday words. Wordle's answer list includes 15 of them.
Start with shine if you need I/N/E, or shade if you still have A and D open. Shore is the better third probe when O and R are untested. Short and shame are common answers but they waste a slot on a repeated letter.
Do not follow shine with shirt or shiny — they repeat I. Shade or shore each bring two new letters. If N was yellow in shine, think thong-style patterns or just open the Wordle Helper with N marked.