454 Words That Start With "Y"
454 words that start with "Y" in our 199K-word dictionary.
Browse the complete list of 454 English words starting with "Y". Each word in the grid below shows its IPA pronunciation, CEFR difficulty level (A1 beginner up to C2 mastery), and a one-line plain-English definition. Click any word to open its full dictionary entry. Use the filters to narrow by length, part of speech, or learner level.
Most Common Words That Start With "Y" (Top 1k)
No top-1k frequency words match this combination yet.
Less Common Words That Start With "Y" (Top 5k+)
-
Yacht /jɒt/noun B1
A fancy boat for recreation and sailing trips.
-
Yam /jæm/noun A2
A root vegetable similar to potato but with more natural sweetness.
-
Yang /jɑːʁ/noun C2
In Chinese philosophy, the masculine, active, bright force that balances yin.
-
Yank /jæŋk/verb B2
To pull something hard and suddenly.
-
Yard /jɑːd/noun A2
The outdoor space around a house, or a measure of distance equal to three feet.
-
Yarn /jɑːn/noun B2
Thick thread used for knitting, or a long story someone tells.
-
Yawn /jɔːn/verb B1
What your body does when you're tired, opening your mouth wide.
-
Yearling /ˈjɪəlɪŋ/noun C1
A young animal that has lived for about one year.
-
Yearn /jɜːn/verb B2
To want something very much, often with sadness or regret.
-
Yeast /jest/noun B2
A tiny living thing used to make bread rise and beer ferment.
-
Yelp /jelp/verb B2
A sharp, high-pitched cry or bark sound.
-
Yen /jen/noun C1
Japanese money, or a strong desire for something.
-
Yeti /ˈjeti/noun B2
A legendary creature said to live in the snowy mountains of the Himalayas.
-
Yew /juː/noun C1
An evergreen tree with dark wood and red berries.
-
Yield /jiːld/verb B2
To stop resisting and agree to what someone wants. Or, to produce something like a crop or profit. Or, to give way physically when something is pushed.
-
Yin /jɪn/noun C2
In Chinese philosophy, the feminine, dark, passive force that balances yang.
-
Yodel /ˈjoʊdəl/verb C1
To sing by rapidly changing between high and low voice sounds.
-
Yoga /ˈjoʊɡə/noun A2
An exercise and relaxation practice involving stretching and meditation.
-
Yogurt /ˈjoʊɡərt/noun A2
A thick, sour dairy product made from fermented milk.
-
Yoke /joʊk/noun B2
A wooden frame that connects two animals so they can pull a plow or cart together
-
Yokel /ˈjoʊkəl/noun C2
A person from the countryside, often considered simple or not well-educated.
-
Yolk /joʊk/noun A1
The yellow part of an egg containing nutrients and fat
-
Yore /jɔr/noun B2
A very long time in the past; ancient or former times
-
Your /jɔr/adj A1
Shows that something belongs to you or the person you are talking to.
-
Youth /juːθ/noun A2
The time of life when someone is young, usually before adulthood.
-
Youthful /ˈjuːθfəl/adj B2
Appearing young or having qualities of young people.
-
Yowl /jaʊl/verb C1
A loud, long, sad cry or howl.
-
Yummy /ˈjʌmi/adj A2
Tasting very good and delicious, especially used informally in casual conversation about food.
-
Yuppie /ˈjʌpi/noun C1
A young, educated, wealthy urban professional.
-
Yurt /jɜːrt/noun C1
A round tent-like house used by nomads in Asia.
424 More Words That Start With "Y" (definitions coming soon)
Words That Start With "Y" by Length
2 Letter Words That Start With "Y" (7)
See all 7 2-letter words that start with "Y" →
3 Letter Words That Start With "Y" (24)
-
Yam /jæm/noun A2
A root vegetable similar to potato but with more natural sweetness.
-
Yen /jen/noun C1
Japanese money, or a strong desire for something.
-
Yew /juː/noun C1
An evergreen tree with dark wood and red berries.
-
Yin /jɪn/noun C2
In Chinese philosophy, the feminine, dark, passive force that balances yang.
See all 24 3-letter words that start with "Y" →
4 Letter Words That Start With "Y" (72)
-
Yang /jɑːʁ/noun C2
In Chinese philosophy, the masculine, active, bright force that balances yin.
-
Yank /jæŋk/verb B2
To pull something hard and suddenly.
-
Yard /jɑːd/noun A2
The outdoor space around a house, or a measure of distance equal to three feet.
-
Yarn /jɑːn/noun B2
Thick thread used for knitting, or a long story someone tells.
-
Yawn /jɔːn/verb B1
What your body does when you're tired, opening your mouth wide.
See all 72 4-letter words that start with "Y" →
5 Letter Words That Start With "Y" (74)
See all 74 5-letter words that start with "Y" →
6 Letter Words That Start With "Y" (78)
See all 78 6-letter words that start with "Y" →
7 Letter Words That Start With "Y" (65)
See all 65 7-letter words that start with "Y" →
8 Letter Words That Start With "Y" (53)
See all 53 8-letter words that start with "Y" →
9 Letter Words That Start With "Y" (41)
See all 41 9-letter words that start with "Y" →
10 Letter Words That Start With "Y" (19)
See all 19 10-letter words that start with "Y" →
11 Letter Words That Start With "Y" (11)
See all 11 11-letter words that start with "Y" →
12 Letter Words That Start With "Y" (5)
See all 5 12-letter words that start with "Y" →
13 Letter Words That Start With "Y" (5)
Words That Start With "Y" by Part of Speech
Nouns That Start With "Y" (21)
-
Yacht /jɒt/noun B1
A fancy boat for recreation and sailing trips.
-
Yam /jæm/noun A2
A root vegetable similar to potato but with more natural sweetness.
-
Yard /jɑːd/noun A2
The outdoor space around a house, or a measure of distance equal to three feet.
-
Yo-yo /ˈjoʊjoʊ/noun B1
A toy that goes up and down on a string.
-
Yoga /ˈjoʊɡə/noun A2
An exercise and relaxation practice involving stretching and meditation.
-
Yogurt /ˈjoʊɡərt/noun A2
A thick, sour dairy product made from fermented milk.
-
Yolk /joʊk/noun A1
The yellow part of an egg containing nutrients and fat
-
Youth /juːθ/noun A2
The time of life when someone is young, usually before adulthood.
-
Yarn /jɑːn/noun B2
Thick thread used for knitting, or a long story someone tells.
-
Yearling /ˈjɪəlɪŋ/noun C1
A young animal that has lived for about one year.
-
Yeast /jest/noun B2
A tiny living thing used to make bread rise and beer ferment.
-
Yen /jen/noun C1
Japanese money, or a strong desire for something.
-
Yeti /ˈjeti/noun B2
A legendary creature said to live in the snowy mountains of the Himalayas.
-
Yew /juː/noun C1
An evergreen tree with dark wood and red berries.
-
Yoke /joʊk/noun B2
A wooden frame that connects two animals so they can pull a plow or cart together
-
Yore /jɔr/noun B2
A very long time in the past; ancient or former times
-
Yuppie /ˈjʌpi/noun C1
A young, educated, wealthy urban professional.
-
Yurt /jɜːrt/noun C1
A round tent-like house used by nomads in Asia.
-
Yang /jɑːʁ/noun C2
In Chinese philosophy, the masculine, active, bright force that balances yin.
-
Yin /jɪn/noun C2
In Chinese philosophy, the feminine, dark, passive force that balances yang.
See all 21 nouns that start with "Y" →
Verbs That Start With "Y" (7)
-
Yawn /jɔːn/verb B1
What your body does when you're tired, opening your mouth wide.
-
Yank /jæŋk/verb B2
To pull something hard and suddenly.
-
Yearn /jɜːn/verb B2
To want something very much, often with sadness or regret.
-
Yelp /jelp/verb B2
A sharp, high-pitched cry or bark sound.
-
Yield /jiːld/verb B2
To stop resisting and agree to what someone wants. Or, to produce something like a crop or profit. Or, to give way physically when something is pushed.
-
Yodel /ˈjoʊdəl/verb C1
To sing by rapidly changing between high and low voice sounds.
-
Yowl /jaʊl/verb C1
A loud, long, sad cry or howl.
See all 7 verbs that start with "Y" →
Adjectives That Start With "Y" (3)
-
Your /jɔr/adj A1
Shows that something belongs to you or the person you are talking to.
-
Yummy /ˈjʌmi/adj A2
Tasting very good and delicious, especially used informally in casual conversation about food.
-
Youthful /ˈjuːθfəl/adj B2
Appearing young or having qualities of young people.
See all 3 adjectives that start with "Y" →
Adverbs That Start With "Y" (0)
No adverbs entries yet — coming soon.
How to Use Words That Start With "Y"
Scrabble and Word Games
In Scrabble and Words With Friends, words starting with "Y" can be valuable when you need to play through an existing tile on the board. Higher-tier letters like J, Q, X, and Z multiply your score quickly when stacked on bonus squares — scan the list below for short words that contain them. Two and three-letter words starting with "Y" are especially useful for parallel plays where you build along an existing word and earn points for every adjacent tile.
Crossword Puzzles
For crossword puzzles, the most useful entries are mid-length common words — 5 to 8 letters — that fit standard grid patterns. Filter the list by length to match the cells in your clue. Pay attention to the CEFR level: clues from mainstream newspapers favour B1–B2 vocabulary, while themed and cryptic puzzles draw on rarer C1 and C2 words. The IPA shown on each card also helps confirm a guess — a clue marked "two syllables" should match a word with a simple stress pattern.
Creative Writing and Poetry
Writers and poets often look for groups of words starting with "Y" to build alliteration, rhythm, or near-rhymes. Sort the list by length, scan the rare and C1+ words for fresh imagery, and use the linked dictionary entries to confirm connotation before you commit. The plain-English definitions are intentionally short so you can scan dozens of options without losing flow.
Longest Word That Start With "Y"
Frequently Asked Questions About Words That Start With "Y"
- How many words starting with "Y"?
- There are 454 words starting with "Y" in our 199,000-word English dictionary. The list ranges from common everyday words to rarer specialised vocabulary.
- What is the longest word starting with "Y"?
- The longest word starting with "Y" in our list is "YEKATERINBURG" — 13 letters long. Tap the word to see its full definition.
- Are these words valid in Scrabble?
- Most of the words in this list are valid in Scrabble and similar word games (we cross-reference standard tournament dictionaries). A handful of proper nouns and very rare technical terms may not be — when in doubt, double-check with the official Scrabble dictionary used in your league.
- How many 5-letter words starting with "Y"?
- 74 5-letter words starting with "Y" — useful for Wordle, daily puzzles, and short crosswords. Filter by length above to see only 5-letter results.