5 letter words starting with Y

Y starts 94 five letter words, and this is the one page where the letter is doing its consonant job rather than its vowel job. Y opens a word as a consonant and closes one as a vowel, and only the first case is here.

Have the letters but not the word?

What five letter words start with Y?

There are 94, of which YACHT, YEAST, YIELD, YOUNG and YOUTH are the ones any solver would reach for. After those the list turns quickly to informal and borrowed words, which is normal for a letter this rare in the opening position.

The full list

Alphabetical, grouped by second letter, which is usually the fastest way to find what you want.

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Showing 94 of 94 words

YA words 23
  • yacht
  • yacks
  • yaffs
  • yager
  • yagis
  • yahoo
  • yaird
  • yamen
  • yamun
  • yangs
  • yanks
  • yapok
  • yapon
  • yards
  • yarer
  • yarns
  • yauds
  • yauld
  • yaups
  • yawed
  • yawls
  • yawns
  • yawps
YE words 20
  • yeans
  • yearn
  • years
  • yeast
  • yecch
  • yechs
  • yechy
  • yeggs
  • yelks
  • yells
  • yelps
  • yenta
  • yente
  • yerba
  • yerks
  • yeses
  • yetis
  • yetts
  • yeuks
  • yeuky
YI words 8
  • yield
  • yikes
  • yills
  • yince
  • yipes
  • yirds
  • yirrs
  • yirth
YL words 1
  • ylems
YO words 29
  • yobbo
  • yocks
  • yodel
  • yodhs
  • yodle
  • yogas
  • yogee
  • yoghs
  • yogic
  • yogin
  • yogis
  • yoked
  • yokel
  • yokes
  • yolks
  • yolky
  • yomim
  • yonic
  • yonis
  • yores
  • young
  • yourn
  • yours
  • youse
  • youth
  • yowed
  • yowes
  • yowie
  • yowls
YU words 13
  • yuans
  • yucas
  • yucca
  • yucch
  • yucks
  • yucky
  • yugas
  • yulan
  • yules
  • yummy
  • yupon
  • yurta
  • yurts

24 of these are common enough to be in everyday use. Turn on the filter above to hide the rest.

Only 24 of these 94 words are in everyday use, one of the lowest shares of any letter on the site. Y as an opening consonant was never productive in English, so what survives is a small set of old words plus a scatter of slang.

That tail is useful in a game precisely because it is unfamiliar: YOBBO, YOKEL, YUCCA, YAPOK, YODLE. They are all legal, and an opponent who has not seen this page will assume at least one of them is invented.

Other word lengths

The same complete list treatment for every length from 2 to 15 letters.

Five letter words by starting letter

Each letter has its own page with the full list and notes on how that letter behaves at five letters.