How many words start with YO?

This page lists 137 words starting with YO, each shown with its Scrabble score.

Are these words valid in official Scrabble play?

Not necessarily. This site uses the open ENABLE word list; check the official dictionary used by your game or tournament.

Words Starting With YO

All 137 words in our dictionary that begin with YO, sorted by Scrabble score. Use them to open a word on the board or fill a crossword clue.

137 words · number = Scrabble score · sorted highest score first

youthquakes30 youthquake29 yokozunas25 yokefellows24 yokozuna24 yokefellow23 youthfulnesses23 youthfully22 youthfulness21 yohimbines20 yohimbine19 youngberry19 yokelish18 yokemates18 youngberries18 yocking17 yokemate17 youthening17 youthful17 yocked16 yoghourts16 yourselves16 youthened16 yoghourt15 yoghurts15 yoicks15 yokeless15 yolkiest15 yolky15 youngish15 younglings15 youngnesses15 younkers15 yobboes14 yocks14 yodelling14 yoghurt14 yoking14 yolked14 yolkier14 yonkers14 youngling14 youngsters14 younker14 yourself14 youthens14 yowling14 yobbos13 yock13 yodeling13 yodelled13 yodellers13 yoked13 yokels13 yonker13 youngness13 youngster13 youthen13 yowing13 yowled13 yowlers13 yobbo12 yodeled12 yodelers12 yodeller12 yodhs12 yodling12 yoghs12 yokel12 yokes12 yolks12 yomim12 youngers12 youngest12 youpons12 youths12 yowed12 yowies12 yowler12 yodeler11 yodh11 yodled11 yodlers11 yogh11 yogic11 yoginis11 yogurts11 yoke11 yoks11 yolk11 younger11 youpon11 youth11 yowes11 yowie11 yowls11 yodels10 yodler10 yodles10 yogees10 yogini10 yogins10 yogurt10 yok10 yonder10 yonic10 youngs10 yowe10 yowl10 yows10 yobs9 yodel9 yodle9 yogas9 yogee9 yogin9 yogis9 young9 yow9 yob8 yods8 yoga8 yogi8 yom8 yond8 yonis8 yores8 yourn8 yours8 youse8 yod7 yoni7 yore7 your7 yon6 you6 yo5

Playing words that start with YO

Leading with YO lets you hook onto open columns and reach premium squares. Scan the high-scoring entries above first — they offer the best return when you have the tiles.

What the numbers say

The shape of this list: 137 entries between 2 and 14 letters long, peaking at 5 letters with 29 words. Five-letter picks number 29 and seven-letter picks 17. Nothing here outscores YOUTHQUAKES — 30 points from 11 tiles on plain squares.

The five biggest scorers on the page: YOUTHQUAKES (30), YOUTHQUAKE (29), YOKOZUNAS (25), YOKEFELLOWS (24), YOKOZUNA (24). The longest entry is YOUTHFULNESSES at 14 letters, and the average word here is worth about 13 points. If you are fishing for these words, keep Y (137 appearances), O (137) and E (70) on your rack.

Start with these three

YONIS earns 8 points from just 5 tiles — and it is a word few opponents will bother to challenge.
YORES — a 5-letter, 8-point play that slots into tight board lanes where longer words won't fit.
YOURN is easy to keep in memory: 5 letters, 8 points, and no awkward tiles to hunt for.

Five more everyday options from the same list: YOURS (8), YOUSE (8), YODELS (10), YODLER (10), YODLES (10).

One chunk, many words: YO

Letter chunks like YO are how vocabulary compounds: learn the pattern once and every word built on it gets easier to recall and to spell. Read down this list and you will see the same rhythm repeat across lengths — that repetition is exactly what makes these words stick for spelling bees, ESL study and crossword pattern-matching alike.

More starting letters

Narrow it down

Combine a starting letter with a length or pattern in the Word Finder for exact matches.