5-Letter Words Ending with OWN: Complete Wordle Word List

There are 11 valid 5-letter words ending in OWN that can appear in Wordle: adown, blown, brown, clown, crown, drown, flown, frown, grown, known, shown. That’s a short enough list to work through strategically — but long enough that you’ll want a plan before your guesses run out.

This guide gives you the full reference list, quick definitions for each word, and a filtering strategy so you can pinpoint the answer without burning through your six tries on random shots.

How to Use This Guide Without Spoiling the Answer

Before you scroll down to the complete list, decide how much you actually want to know. There are two valid ways to use this page:

Soft hint: Check only the definitions section. If you already have 2-3 confirmed letters, reading a definition might trigger recognition without just handing you the answer.
Full reference: Use the complete list below and cross off words based on your grey, yellow, and green tiles.

The most common mistake Wordle players make at this stage is guessing a word from the list without first eliminating letters. If you have grey tiles for letters like B, L, or F, you can immediately cut the list almost in half. Work your confirmed letters first, then match against the list — not the other way around.

One more thing: this list reflects valid Wordle solution words as of January 2025. The New York Times has occasionally removed or added words from the answer pool since acquiring the game, so a word being real English doesn’t guarantee it’s in the active list.

Complete List of 5-Letter Words Ending in OWN

#	Word	Part of Speech	Quick Definition
1	ADOWN	Adverb / Preposition	Downward; toward a lower position (archaic)
2	BLOWN	Adjective / Verb	Past participle of blow; distended or carried by wind
3	BROWN	Adjective / Noun	A dark, earthy color between red and yellow
4	CLOWN	Noun / Verb	A comic performer; to act foolishly
5	CROWN	Noun / Verb	A royal headdress; the top of something; to declare a winner
6	DROWN	Verb	To die from submersion in liquid; to overwhelm completely
7	FLOWN	Verb	Past participle of fly
8	FROWN	Noun / Verb	A facial expression of disapproval or concentration
9	GROWN	Verb / Adjective	Past participle of grow; fully developed
10	KNOWN	Verb / Adjective	Past participle of know; established or recognized
11	SHOWN	Verb	Past participle of show; displayed or demonstrated

Word Definitions and Usage

ADOWN is the wildcard here. It’s an archaic form of “down” — you’ll find it in older English poetry but almost never in modern speech. Wordle leans toward common vocabulary, so treat this one as a low-probability answer.

BLOWN shows up in phrases like “blown away” or “fully blown.” As an adjective it can describe something distended or damaged by wind. As a past participle, it pairs with “have”: “the fuse has blown.”

BROWN is one of the most common words on this list and statistically a strong candidate. It’s a color, a surname, and a verb (to brown meat in a pan).

CLOWN functions as both a noun (circus performer) and a verb — “stop clowning around.” Modern usage has expanded to describe anyone behaving recklessly or foolishly.

CROWN carries a lot of semantic weight: royalty, dental work, the top of a hill, a British currency unit, and the act of declaring a champion. High-frequency word, solid guess candidate.

DROWN means to suffocate in liquid, but also appears figuratively — “drowned in paperwork,” “drowned out by noise.” Straightforward verb, common in everyday English.

FLOWN is the past participle of “fly.” Used in constructions like “she has flown” or “time has flown.” Less common as a standalone word, which makes it a mid-tier Wordle probability.

FROWN refers specifically to a downturned expression signaling displeasure, thought, or confusion. Common, unambiguous, frequently used — another solid candidate.

GROWN as an adjective means fully mature (“a grown adult”); as a past participle it pairs with “have grown.” Very high frequency in everyday English.

KNOWN is one of the most used words in the English language, which historically makes it a slightly less likely Wordle answer — the puzzle tends to favor words that feel a little more satisfying to land. Still absolutely valid.

SHOWN is the past participle of “show.” Common enough, but the OWN ending makes it feel less obvious than BROWN or CROWN, which is exactly the kind of misdirection Wordle enjoys.

Strategic Tips for Eliminating Wrong Answers

Here’s the thing about this particular letter pattern: _OWN words cluster around a few shared consonant sets. B, C, D, F, G, K, S — those are your first-letter candidates for most of the list. So if your guesses have already confirmed or eliminated some of those, you can cut the list fast.

A practical filtering approach based on tile colours:

Grey B: Remove BLOWN and BROWN immediately.
Grey C: Remove CLOWN and CROWN.
Grey F: Remove FLOWN and FROWN.
Grey G: Remove GROWN.
Grey K: Remove KNOWN.
Grey S: Remove SHOWN.
Grey D: Remove DROWN.

Real talk: if you’re down to 2-3 guesses and still have 4-5 words on your list, consider whether you can guess a non-OWN word that tests multiple first letters at once. Something like BRISK or BLACK won’t solve the puzzle, but it’ll tell you whether B, R, C, L, K are live — and that narrows your remaining options to 1-2 words with a single guess to spare.

Also worth noting: ADOWN and FLOWN are significantly lower frequency than the others. If nothing else is eliminated, statistically you’re looking at BROWN, CROWN, GROWN, FROWN, or KNOWN as the most probable answers — these are the words that show up in the NYT’s historical solution data most often.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are all these words valid Wordle guesses?

Yes — all 11 words are accepted as valid guesses by the Wordle input system. However, not all of them are in the active solution pool. ADOWN in particular is a questionable solution candidate given its archaic status, though it will still register as a valid guess if you type it.

Can Wordle answers be past participles like BLOWN or FLOWN?

Absolutely. Wordle has used past participles as answers before — STUNG, STUCK, WOKEN all appeared in the solution history. There’s no rule excluding them.

Is CLOWN a valid Wordle answer or just a valid guess?

CLOWN is a common, everyday word that fits squarely within the vocabulary range Wordle uses for solutions. It’s a legitimate answer candidate, not just a filler guess.

How many 5-letter words ending in OWN exist in total?

The Wordle-valid list sits at 11. Broader English dictionaries include a few more obscure terms, but they fall outside the puzzle’s word pool — so for Wordle purposes, 11 is your working number.

What’s the best starting word if I suspect an OWN ending?

If you already know the ending is OWN, a guess like CLOCK or GRABS tests several common first letters (C, G, B) in one move. You’re not guessing the answer — you’re eliminating options efficiently, which is the smarter play when you have 4-5 guesses left.