The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word PRONOUNS
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
P
R
O
N
O
U
N
S
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "wo/r/d/s of certain type" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case wo/r/d/s of certain type = pronouns.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does PRONOUNS mean?
PRONOUNS noun- (grammar) A type of noun that refers anaphorically to another noun or noun phrase, but which cannot ordinarily be preceded by a determiner and rarely takes an attributive adjective. English examples include I, you, him, who, me, my, each other.