rec.puzzles Archive

What are the word records for last letter next in alphabet after first letter?

language/english/spelling/alphabetical.order/subset.of.word/last.letter.next.in.alphabet.after New

New entry, edited from material collected for the archive and not yet in a released version.

Problem

What are the word records for last letter next in alphabet after first letter?
(Spelling / Alphabetical Order / Subset of Word)

  a.  shortest, for each letter

[ Editor: question framed by the editor from the headings of the Taxonomy of Wordplay. ]
Show solution
[ Editor: from the Taxonomy of Wordplay, www.questrel.com, retrieved 28 Oct 2026. Classes (common, uncommon, hyphenated words, phrases), scores, ties (-t) and the source codes in brackets are explained in language/english/word.records.introduction. ]

e.g., DONE, FOG, RAYS, WAX
a.  shortest, for each letter
       see list "Shortest Word with Last Letter Next In Alphabet after First for Each Letter" below

Shortest Word with Last Letter Next In Alphabet after First for Each Letter
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a        common words: adsorb, absorb, adverb, aplomb (6-t)
        uncommon word: ab (2)
b        common words: blanc, bronc, basic, boric (5-t)
        uncommon word: bc (2)
c        common words: cod, cud (3-t)
        uncommon word: cd (2)
d        common words: die, doe, due, dye (3-t)
        uncommon word: de (2)
e        common word: elf (3)
        uncommon word: ef (2)
f        common words: fig, fog (3-t)
g        common words: gash, gush (4-t)
h        common word: hi (2)
i        ?
j        common words: jack, jerk, junk (4-t)
        uncommon word: jak (3)
k        common words: keel, kill (4-t)
        uncommon word: kol (3)
l        common words: loam, loom (4-t)
        uncommon words: lam, lum, lym (3-t)
m        common words: man, men (3-t)
        uncommon word: mn (2)
n        common word: no (2)
o        common words: outcrop, overtop, overlap (7-t)
        uncommon word: op (2)
p        uncommon word: pdq (3)
q        common word: queer (5)
        uncommon word: qur (3)
r        common word: rs (2)
s        common words: sat, set, sit (3-t)
        uncommon word: st (2)
t        common words: thou, tofu (4-t)
        uncommon word: tu (2)
u        phrase: Ustinov (7)
        phrase: UV (2)
v        common word: vow (3)
w        common word: wax (3)
x        common word: xerography (10)
        uncommon word: xylary (6)
        hyphenated word: x-ray (4)
y        uncommon word: yez (3)
z        common word: zebra (5)
        uncommon word: za (2)

-- Taxonomy of Wordplay, www.questrel.com