Words that Start with Y
“Y” is the second to last and the twenty-fifth letter of the English alphabet. Scholars often consider W and Y vowels, with the reasoning being that the letters can often imitate the sounds made by certain vowels. The letter Y originates from the Latin Y known as I graeca. This character was borrowed from Latin to Old English to give the Y sound a written character. From being ‘wi’ in Middle English, it became ‘wy’ in Modern English.
Words that start with Y are very rare. Learning the words starting with Y will give you the added advantage of knowing uncommon words for both an expansive vocabulary and word games. You can never go wrong with learning rare words, as they could come handy in critical moments.
Words That Start With Y in Word Games
There is a wide array of word games on the internet for you to play. Some let you play against other players and some are simpler — puzzles such as crosswords or word searches, and games like Wordscapes and Word Cookies. In the non-competitive games, you don't need to put too much focus on the placement of the words as they are predestined. The stakes aren’t as high, and there’s less reason to memorize difficult words for these.
The competitive tile-based word game genre is different. When you play Words With Friends by Zynga, Scrabble by Hasbro Inc., and Bertheussen IT’s Wordfeud — you get points based on specific tiles. Most tiles have different points and there are bonuses based on where you place them. You get higher points for less commonly used letters and lower points for others.
You get 4 points for the letter Y — making it significantly higher than other letters — and if you can score bonuses with this letter, you could score up to 9 times the base value. Therefore, words that start with Y will certainly give you an extra benefit in these games. Moreover, Y words are not as common, so it’s less likely that your opponent will know them.
Different Lengths of Words Starting with Y
There are numerous words in the English lexicon, but only a few thousand words start with Y. If you’re fluent in the English language, you should already know a lot of common words that start with Y. Therefore, for the added convenience, you should focus on learning many rare words that start with the letter Y. This will help you in critical times when you’re stuck with this letter in the game.
Scrabble and Words With Friends usually deal with 4-8 letter words, so if you keep your knowledge of words in that range, it will benefit you as you don’t have to clutter your memory with crazy long words. To help you out with this, we have created a list of rare words that start with Y.
4 Letter Words That Start With Y
- YLEM
- YUZU
- YARK
- YOWL
- YEBO
5 Letter Words That Start With Y
- YAJNA
- YABBY
- YECCH
- YOCKS
- YUCCA
6 Letter Words That Start With Y
- YANQUI
- YAWPED
- YCLEPT
- YOBBOS
- YEOMAN
7 Letter Words That Start With Y
- YASHMAK
- YOBBERY
- YESHIVA
- YNGLING
- YIDAKIS
8 Letter Words That Start With Y
- YOKOZUNA
- YAHRZEIT
- YATAGHAN
- YEARLING
- YTTRIUMS
Frequently Asked Questions
This section informs you about the most frequently asked questions about words that start with Y.
What Are the Most Typically Used Words That Start With Y?
Since there aren’t many words that start with Y, it can be a bit difficult to find the common ones. Moreover, English is a language used all over the world, and as a result, many regions have generated their own dialects. This means that what’s common in one region may not be in another.
Despite having varying dialects and lexicons, the English language has some words that start with Y that just about everyone who speaks the language knows — whether they are proficient in English or not. Some of these words are: yes, you, young, yay, yummy, yuck, etc.
Can Learning Words That Start With Y Make Me Better at Word Games?
In competitive word games, all letters are significant no matter what their base points are. In this case, your vocabulary plays the most important role in determining whether or not you can win the game. You may know a lot of words, but it simply might not be enough.
The strategy you should take is to memorize and create a habit of remembering as many words as you can. The letter Y is no exception here and you shouldn’t have a hard time memorizing most words that start with Y.
What Are Some Scrabble Bingo Words That Start With Y?
In tile-based games like Scrabble and Words With Friends, there’s an amazing bonus that gets you a good chunk of points if you can play all 7 tiles at one turn. This is called a Bingo.
If you score a Bingo, you can easily turn the game around and get ahead of your opponent, so it’s essential that you explore as many 7-letter words as you can. A fair few 7-letter words start with Y, and we have created a list of words you can keep in mind as an ace up the sleeve the next time you play one of the aforementioned games.
- YAKUZAS
- YUCKING
- YUMMIES
- YELLOWY
- YAWNING
How Do I Learn More Words That Start With Y?
Finding words is a time-consuming process, especially if you use a dictionary for that. Not only do you have to go through page after page, but you will also have a hard time finding the 4-8 letter word ranges that are relevant in games like Scrabble.
You shouldn’t be worried though, because an online word finder tool will make the work easier for you. You can find words that start with Y and all other letters with these tools, and also determine the number of letters the word or words you’re looking for has.
That’s not all, you can also select the end letters and any other letters the words may contain, and sort them either by their points or in alphabetical order. Plus, you can also verify a dubious word by choosing either a word game reference book or an English dictionary to check if the words are legit.
Can a Word Finder Help Me Improve at Word Games?
Word finders are really helpful tools that can find you the relevant words in seconds. You don’t have to waste time scrolling through tons of irrelevant text because the tool sorts it all out for you — making the process of improving your vocabulary more efficient. You can also ask an opponent to use these tools so that you can practice for upcoming tournaments by pitting yourself against essentially a computer.
