# Words in the English language that end

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-in-the-english-language-that-end/193774>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 8, 2003, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-in-the-english-language-that-end/193774 "2003-08-08T05:22:29Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 14\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Ranger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Ranger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger)\
**Post date:** [August 8, 2003, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-in-the-english-language-that-end/193774/1 "2003-08-08T05:22:29Z")

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How many words in the English language end in G or Y? I can only think of

Catagory  
Gory  
Allegory

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**Author:** ![Joe\_Random](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Joe\_Random](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joe_Random)\
**Post date:** [August 8, 2003, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-in-the-english-language-that-end/193774/2 "2003-08-08T05:36:04Z")

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I managed to find two more, although they’re a bit obscure.

Amphigory  
Phantasmagory

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**Author:** ![Trigonal\_Planar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/0ea827/32.png) [@Trigonal\_Planar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trigonal_Planar)\
**Post date:** [August 8, 2003, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-in-the-english-language-that-end/193774/3 "2003-08-08T05:41:02Z")

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I’m confused; the OP said words that end in G or Y. There are tons of words that end in both letters:

Silly  
Goofy  
Chilly  
Mildly  
…about a million adverbs.

But based on the replies so far, it seems the OP mean words that end in -ORY?

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**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\
**Post date:** [August 8, 2003, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-in-the-english-language-that-end/193774/4 "2003-08-08T05:48:32Z")

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It’s **Ranger** ’s variation on the “gry” joke – He can only think of three words that end in “g or y” (or -gory).

(Sorry to spoil your fun, **Ranger** – I hate to see people falling for this sort of joke!)

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**Author:** ![Joe\_Random](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Joe\_Random](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joe_Random)\
**Post date:** [August 8, 2003, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-in-the-english-language-that-end/193774/5 "2003-08-08T05:52:30Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Polycarp \*  
> **It’s Ranger’s variation on the “gry” joke**

I figured that’s what it was, but far be it from me to pass up an oppurtunitgry to hone my google skills.

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**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\
**Post date:** [August 8, 2003, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-in-the-english-language-that-end/193774/6 "2003-08-08T05:54:21Z")

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Gory is right.

It’s been nice knowing you.

your humble TubaDiva  
you asked for it!

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**Author:** ![dnooman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/839c29/32.png) [@dnooman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dnooman)\
**Post date:** [August 8, 2003, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-in-the-english-language-that-end/193774/7 "2003-08-08T06:00:57Z")

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Which is is, G or Y? Both? Do you mean words ending in -ory?

I could list dozens and dozens of words that end in either letter, but it seems you’re looking for a numerical answer.

Why?

Surely you would run into issues of whether or not a given word was actually a “word” as defined by a dictionary, as such, this would turn into either a wild goose chase or a semantic argument of some sort. Please explain.

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**Author:** ![KarmaComa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e36b37/32.png) [@KarmaComa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarmaComa)\
**Post date:** [August 8, 2003, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-in-the-english-language-that-end/193774/8 "2003-08-08T06:04:58Z")

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Think again, **Ranger**! “Catagory” isn’t a word in the English language at all!  
:wally:

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**Author:** ![Ranger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Ranger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger)\
**Post date:** [August 8, 2003, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-in-the-english-language-that-end/193774/9 "2003-08-08T06:10:37Z")

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Category. Picky picky.

Geeze, whatever happened to senses of humor around here?

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**Author:** ![dnooman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/839c29/32.png) [@dnooman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dnooman)\
**Post date:** [August 8, 2003, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-in-the-english-language-that-end/193774/10 "2003-08-08T06:10:49Z")

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Wow, \<----- sucker!!! At first I thought it was some dumbass asking a stupid question thinking that he was being profound. Then, I realised that he was being a profound dumbass, asking a stupid question! I guess you learn something new every day, or at least _some_ of us do.

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**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\
**Post date:** [August 8, 2003, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-in-the-english-language-that-end/193774/11 "2003-08-08T06:41:06Z")

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Every word in the English language ends.

In German, however…

😉

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**Author:** ![littlekid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@littlekid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/littlekid)\
**Post date:** [August 8, 2003, 10:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-in-the-english-language-that-end/193774/12 "2003-08-08T10:43:27Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Derleth \*  
> \*\*Every word in the English language ends.
> 
> In German, however…
> 
> 😉 \*\*

I live in Germany and I haven’t ever seen a word, that doesn’t end 😉

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**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\
**Post date:** [August 8, 2003, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-in-the-english-language-that-end/193774/13 "2003-08-08T12:39:24Z")

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“Shhh, I’m waiting for the verb!”

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**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\
**Post date:** [August 8, 2003, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-in-the-english-language-that-end/193774/14 "2003-08-08T15:36:53Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by littlekid \*  
> \*\*I live in Germany and I haven’t ever seen a word, that doesn’t end 😉 \*\*

Then how do you explain things like untergrundelektrischebahnhofplatz? By the time you finish reading it, the subway you wanted to catch has already left. At least I can only hope words like that get whacked down to something like U-bahn, much like Chicago calls their subway the El, or Boston has their T.

Certainly, all words eventually end, but some just take longer to do it.