Caries
6 lettersnounmoderateUpdated June 2026
Definition
An area of progressive decay in the hard tissue of a tooth, caused by bacterial acid, which can eventually destroy the tooth if untreated.
“The dentist discovered early-stage caries in two of her back teeth during the routine check-up.”
Pronunciation
Syllables
car·ies
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Synonyms
Word Game Tips
Wordle
Vowel-heavy with A, I, and E packed into six letters, a strong guess for clearing vowels in Wordle
Scrabble
Worth 8 points, the IES ending is not extendable with a further S, but useful for offloading vowels
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Words one letter different
Change a single letter of “caries” to make these 6-letter words — useful for Wordle and crossword clues.
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