# Ending in -a **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 28, 1999, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ending-in-a/3698 "1999-09-28T03:18:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mister\_RogersAWC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Mister\_RogersAWC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_RogersAWC)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 1999, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ending-in-a/3698/1 "1999-09-28T03:18:00Z")
If this ranks up there with the gry question, I apologize, but I’ve really been thinking hard about it. Are there any words in the English language that end in -a? (Latin words don’t count because they are…LATIN) * * * **"No job’s too small, we bomb them all."** -Ace Wrecking Company ---
**Author:** ![Gaudere](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e495f1/32.png) [@Gaudere](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gaudere)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 1999, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ending-in-a/3698/2 "1999-09-28T03:31:00Z")
How about “tea”? Can’t get more English than that. 😉 I can think of a couple more English words off the top of my head: aura, charisma… do you want ones with a purely English etymology? How about “bra”? First showed up written in English in '36. * * * “Eppur, si muove!” - Galileo Galilei ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 1999, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ending-in-a/3698/3 "1999-09-28T04:17:00Z")
I believe the obvious one is “a”. But finding words that end in “-a”, now there’s a dilemma. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 1999, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ending-in-a/3698/4 "1999-09-28T04:32:00Z")
Even if you won’t accept words that come from Latin (why not?), there are plenty. Just in the animal kingdom alone, there are: flea, cobra, anaconda, zebra, panda, barracuda, koala Or, if you’re hungry, we have: pizza, banana, papaya, pasta Now, most of these words came from other languages, but at least it wasn’t Latin! ---
**Author:** ![Persephone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecc23a/32.png) [@Persephone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Persephone)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 1999, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ending-in-a/3698/5 "1999-09-28T04:34:00Z")
“flea” “pea” “patina” “era” “erotica” “cathedra” “silica” “hoopla” “cornea” “corona” There’s lots more, really. I just opened my Official Scrabble Player’s Dictionary & started picking words at random. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Angel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d26b3c/32.png) [@Johnny\_Angel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Angel)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 1999, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ending-in-a/3698/6 "1999-09-28T04:40:00Z")
Mister\_RogersAWC: First, let’s get rid of all the words from the Latin in your post, then tell me whether they count: > [@](#): > > If this ranks \_\_ there with the gry \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_, I \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_, but I’ve \_\_\_\_\_\_ been \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ hard about it. > > ``` > Are there any _______the English________ that end in -a? > > ( __________don't_____ because they are... _____ ) > > ------------------ > "No job's too small, we ____ them all." > - ___Wrecking_______ > > ``` ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 1999, 8:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ending-in-a/3698/7 "1999-09-28T08:53:00Z")
According to the most recent Scrabble dictionary, there are 2880 words (between 2-15 letters long) that end in -A. They are as follows: AA ABA ABACA ABAKA ABASIA ABBA ABDOMINA ABELIA ABOLLA ABOMA ABOMASA ABOULIA ABRACADABRA ABRACHIA ABROSIA ABSCISSA ABULIA ACACIA ACADEMIA ACAPNIA ACCIACCATURA ACCIDIA ACEDIA ACELDAMA ACEQUIA ACEROLA ACETA ACETABULA ACHALASIA ACHILLEA ACHLORHYDRIA ACHOLIA ACHONDROPLASIA ACICULA ACIDEMIA ACIDURIA ACRASIA ACROMIA ACROPHOBIA ACTA ACTINIA ADDENDA ADENOCARCINOMA ADENOMA ADENOMATA ADNEXA ADULARIA ADVENTITIA ADYNAMIA ADYTA AECIA AECIDIA AERENCHYMA AERENCHYMATA AEROBIA AFICIONADA AFTOSA AGA AGAMA AGENDA AGENESIA AGHA AGMA AGNOMINA AGNOSIA AGORA AGORAPHOBIA AGRAPHA AGRAPHIA AGRIA AGRYPNIA AHA AHIMSA AILUROPHOBIA AJIVA AJUGA AKELA ALA ALAMEDA ALASKA ALBA ALBATA ALBIZIA ALBIZZIA ALBUMINURIA ALEXIA ALFA ALFALFA ALFILARIA ALFORJA ALGA ALGAROBA ALGARROBA ALGEBRA ALGOLAGNIA ALIYA ALLELUIA ALLODIA ALLUVIA ALMA ALODIA ALOHA ALOPECIA ALPACA ALPHA ALTHAEA ALTHEA ALULA ALUMINA ALUMNA AMA AMANITA AMARNA AMBERINA AMBLYOPIA AMBOINA AMBOYNA AMBROSIA AMBULACRA AMEBA AMENORRHEA AMENTIA AMETROPIA AMIA AMIGA AMINOACIDURIA AMMONIA AMNESIA AMNIA AMOEBA AMPHIBIA AMPHISBAENA AMPHORA AMPULLA AMREETA AMRITA AMUSIA AMYGDALA AMYOTONIA ANA ANABAENA ANACOLUTHA ANACONDA ANAEMIA ANAESTHESIA ANALECTA ANALEMMA ANALEMMATA ANALGESIA ANALGIA ANAPHORA ANAPLASIA ANASARCA ANATHEMA ANATHEMATA ANCHOVETA ANCHOVETTA ANCHUSA ANCILLA ANDROECIA ANDROMEDA ANECDOTA ANEMIA ANERGIA ANESTHESIA ANGA ANGARIA ANGELICA ANGINA ANGIOMA ANGIOMATA ANGORA ANHEDONIA ANHINGA ANIMA ANIMALCULA ANISEIKONIA ANISOMETROPIA ANNA ANOA ANOOPSIA ANOPIA ANOPSIA ANOREXIA ANOSMIA ANOXEMIA ANOXIA ANSA ANTA ANTEFIXA ANTENNA ANTEPENDIA ANTEPENULTIMA ANTHELIA ANTHEMIA ANTHERIDIA ANTHODIA ANTIANEMIA ANTIASTHMA ANTIDORA ANTIGUERRILLA ANTIMALARIA ANTIMARIJUANA ANTINAUSEA ANTISERA ANTONOMASIA ANTRA ANURIA AORTA APHAGIA APHASIA APHELIA APHONIA APHTHA APIMANIA APLASIA APNEA APNOEA APOCRYPHA APOLOGIA APOTHECIA APPOGGIATURA APPRESSORIA APRAXIA APTERIA AQUA AQUARIA AQUILEGIA ARABICA ARAPAIMA ARAROBA ARAUCARIA ARBORETA ARCADIA ARCANA ARCHAEBACTERIA ARCHEGONIA ARCHESPORIA AREA ARECA ARENA AREOLA ARETHUSA ARGALA ARGUMENTA ARIA ARIETTA ARISTA ARMADA ARMAMENTARIA ARMILLA ARMONICA ARNICA AROMA ARRHYTHMIA ARROBA ARTEMISIA ARTHRALGIA ARUGOLA ARUGULA ARYTHMIA ASAFETIDA ASAFOETIDA ASANA ASCIDIA ASCOGONIA ASEA ASPERGILLA ASPHYXIA ASPIDISTRA ASPIRATA ASRAMA ASTASIA ASTERIA ASTHENIA ASTHMA ASTIGMIA ASTROCYTOMA ASTROCYTOMATA ASYLA ASYNDETA ATALAYA ATARAXIA ATAXIA ATEMOYA ATHEROMA ATHEROMATA ATMA ATRESIA ATRIA ATROPHIA AUBRETIA AUBRIETA AUCUBA AUDITORIA AURA AUREOLA AURICULA AURORA AUTOMATA AUTOSTRADA AVA AVIFAUNA AWA AXILLA AYAHUASCA AYURVEDA AZALEA AZOOSPERMIA AZOTEMIA AZOTURIA BA BAA BABA BABESIA BABIRUSA BABKA BABUSHKA BACCA BACCARA BACCHANALIA BACTEREMIA BACTERIA BACTERIURIA BACULA BAIDARKA BAIZA BAKLAVA BAKLAWA BALACLAVA BALALAIKA BALATA BALBOA BALLERINA BALLETOMANIA BALLISTA BALSA BANANA BANDANA BANDANNA BANDERILLA BANDORA BANKSIA BAPTISIA BARATHEA BARILLA BARRACOUTA BARRACUDA BARRAMUNDA BARRANCA BARYTA BASIDIA BASILICA BASOPHILIA BATTALIA BAUHINIA BAZOOKA BEDSONIA BEFLEA BEGONIA BEGORRA BELGA BELLADONNA BELUGA BEMA BEMATA BERETTA BERRETTA BERTHA BETA BETHESDA BETTA BHAKTA BIBLIOMANIA BIBLIOTHECA BIDARKA BIENNIA BIGNONIA BILBOA BILHARZIA BIMA BIOTA BIRETTA BIRRETTA BISNAGA BIZNAGA BLASTEMA BLASTEMATA BLASTOMA BLASTOMATA BLASTULA BOA BOCCIA BODDHISATTVA BODEGA BODHISATTVA BOFFOLA BOHEA BOHEMIA BOLA BOLIVIA BOLOGNA BOLTONIA BONANZA BONITA BORA BOTA BOTANICA BOTHRIA BOUGAINVILLAEA BOUGAINVILLEA BOUSOUKIA BOUZOUKIA BOYLA BRA BRACHIA BRACIOLA BRADYCARDIA BRAHMA BRANCHIA BRASSICA BRAVA BRAVURA BRAZA BRECCIA BREGMA BREGMATA BRITSKA BRITZKA BRITZSKA BRONCHIA BROUHAHA BRUCELLA BUBINGA BUCKRA BUDDLEIA BUGSHA BULIMIA BULLA BUNYA BUQSHA BURA BURSA BURSERA BUSHWA BUZUKIA BWANA CABALA CABALETTA CABANA CABBALA CABOMBA CABRESTA CABRETTA CABRILLA CACA CACHEXIA CACHUCHA CADENZA CAECA CAEOMA CAESURA CAFETERIA CALCANEA CALCARIA CALCTUFA CALDARIA CALDERA CALENDULA CALESA CALISAYA CALLA CALVARIA CALYPTRA CAMARILLA CAMBIA CAMBOGIA CAMELIA CAMELLIA CAMERA CAMISA CAMISIA CAMORRA CAMORRISTA CAMPAGNA CAMPANULA CANASTA CANCHA CANDELA CANDELABRA CANDIDA CANELLA CANNA CANNULA CANOLA CANTALA CANTATA CANTILENA CANTINA CANULA CANZONA CAPITA CAPITULA CAPONATA CAPYBARA CARACARA CARAGANA CARAMBA CARAMBOLA CARBONARA CARBORA CARCINOMA CARCINOMATA CARCINOSARCOMA CARDIA CARINA CARIOCA CARNAUBA CARNIVORA CARPALIA CARPOGONIA CASA CASABA CASAVA CASCARA CASCARILLA CASITA CASSABA CASSATA CASSAVA CASSIA CASUARINA CATALPA CATAMENIA CATAPHORA CATATONIA CATAWBA CATENA CATHEDRA CATTLEYA CAUSALGIA CAVALLA CAVATINA CECA CEDILLA CEDULA CEIBA CELESTA CELLA CELOMATA CELOSIA CEMENTA CENTAUREA CENTRA CERCARIA CEREBELLA CEREBRA CERIA CESTA CESURA CHACMA CHAETA CHAKRA CHALAZA CHALAZIA CHALLA CHAQUETA CHARISMA CHARISMATA CHARKA CHARKHA CHATCHKA CHAULMOOGRA CHAUTAUQUA CHELA CHELICERA CHERIMOYA CHIA CHIASMA CHIASMATA CHICKPEA CHIMAERA CHIMERA CHIMICHANGA CHIMLA CHINA CHINCHILLA CHIONODOXA CHIRIMOYA CHLAMYDIA CHLOASMA CHLOASMATA CHLORELLA CHLORENCHYMA CHLORENCHYMATA CHOANA CHOLERA CHOLLA CHONDROCRANIA CHOREA CHORIOCARCINOMA CHRISMA CHRISTIANIA CHROMA CHROMONEMA CHROMONEMATA CHUCKAWALLA CHUCKWALLA CHUFA CHUKKA CHUTZPA CIBORIA CICADA CICALA CIGUATERA CILIA CINCHONA CINEMA CINERARIA CINGULA CIRCA CISTERNA CITHARA CITOLA CITRONELLA CLADOPHYLLA CLARKIA CLAUSTRA CLAUSTROPHOBIA CLEPSYDRA CLINTONIA CLITELLA CLIVIA CLOACA CLOSTRIDIA COAGULA COALA COBIA COBRA COCA COCCIDIA COCHLEA COCINERA COCOA COCOBOLA CODA CODEIA CODEINA COELENTERA COELOMATA COGNOMINA COLA COLEOPTERA COLEORHIZA COLLECTANEA COLLEGIA COLLENCHYMA COLLENCHYMATA COLLOQUIA COLLUVIA COLLYRIA COLOBOMA COLOBOMATA COLORATURA COLUMBARIA COLUMELLA COLZA COMA COMATULA COMITIA COMMA COMMATA COMPENDIA COMPUTERPHOBIA CONCERTINA CONCHA CONDYLOMA CONDYLOMATA CONFERVA CONGA CONIDIA CONJUNCTIVA CONSORTIA CONTAGIA CONTINUA CONTRA COPAIBA COPPRA COPRA COPREMIA COPROPHILIA COPULA COQUINA CORBICULA CORBINA CORDILLERA CO ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 1999, 10:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ending-in-a/3698/8 "1999-09-28T10:00:00Z")
No doubt about it, he lives up to his username whenever he can. ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 1999, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ending-in-a/3698/9 "1999-09-28T13:21:00Z")
… proving again that just because something CAN be done, doesn’t mean it SHOULD be done. ---
**Author:** ![Satan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Satan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Satan)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 1999, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ending-in-a/3698/10 "1999-09-28T13:45:00Z")
Hey… All I did was my bit towards ignorance elimination. Unappreciative fuckers… 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Atrael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Atrael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atrael)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 1999, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ending-in-a/3698/11 "1999-09-28T13:56:00Z")
I thought it was funny as hell Satan… ---
**Author:** ![Persephone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecc23a/32.png) [@Persephone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Persephone)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 1999, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ending-in-a/3698/12 "1999-09-28T14:43:00Z")
> [@](#): > > According to the most recent Scrabble dictionary, there are 2880 words (between 2-15 letters long) that end in -A. That’s the reason why I put my OSPD down, Satan! Yoinks! ---
**Author:** ![kellibelli](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e480ec/32.png) [@kellibelli](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kellibelli)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 1999, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ending-in-a/3698/13 "1999-09-28T15:39:00Z")
Please tell us you didnt have to type those all out yourself! It was pretty funny! ---
**Author:** ![John\_W.Kennedy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_w.kennedy/32/1031_2.png) [@John\_W.Kennedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_W.Kennedy)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 1999, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ending-in-a/3698/14 "1999-09-28T15:46:00Z")
For what it’s worth, though, virtually all those words are not of Anglo-Saxon origin. In fact, I didn’t, in a quick scan, see a single one that was neither foreign nor of the “pea/flea” variety, apart from “a”, “ma”, and “pa” and relations. Old English had lots of words ending in -a, though. * * * John W. Kennedy “Compact is becoming contract; man only earns and pays.” – Charles Williams ---
**Author:** ![BoBettie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@BoBettie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BoBettie)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 1999, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ending-in-a/3698/15 "1999-09-28T16:59:00Z")
Satan, Good one… 🙂 * * * Some mornings it just doesn’t seem worth it to gnaw through the leather straps. Emo Philips (stolen from matt’s webpage) ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 1999, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ending-in-a/3698/16 "1999-09-28T18:54:00Z")
OK, Satan, here’s one for you: How many verses in the bible (KJV) contain the word “the”? I once saw a “complete bible concordance” that listed them. * * * Jacques Kilchoer Workers of the world, unite! You have nothing to lose but your chains. ---
**Author:** ![WallyM7](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b5e925/32.png) [@WallyM7](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WallyM7)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 1999, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ending-in-a/3698/17 "1999-09-28T20:41:00Z")
Satan, one of the words has a typo. ---
**Author:** ![Nickrz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bbce88/32.png) [@Nickrz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nickrz)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 1999, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ending-in-a/3698/18 "1999-09-28T22:05:00Z")
All I can say is “I’ll be dipped in shit.” 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 1999, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ending-in-a/3698/19 "1999-09-29T00:29:00Z")
Satan has _ **WAY, WAY, WAY** _ too much time on his hands. Anyone disagree? … … … No one? Didn’t think so. * * * “I had a feeling that in Hell there would be mushrooms.” -The Secret of Monkey Island ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 1999, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ending-in-a/3698/20 "1999-09-29T02:31:00Z")
To all those people pickin’ on Satan. Come on guys, don’t you have a scroll key on your computer. I have it on my cheap old WebTV. 🙂 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ending-in-a/3698.md?page=2)