3 Letter Words Starting with N
There are 34 3-letter English words that start with N, ranging alphabetically from NAB to NUT. Top Scrabble® scorers on this list: NIX (10), NAW (6), NEW (6). Average word length in this list is 3 letters.
Word list
N
Point values shown are Scrabble® (letters only, before board bonuses). Browse deeper via the word-lists hub.
Top 10 highest-scoring words
Scored on letters only (no board bonuses). WWF uses different tile values from Scrabble — J, Q and Z are worth 10 points in WWF; X is worth 8.
| # | Word | Scrabble | WWF |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | nix | 10 | 11 |
| 2 | naw | 6 | 7 |
| 3 | new | 6 | 7 |
| 4 | now | 6 | 7 |
| 5 | nah | 6 | 6 |
| 6 | nay | 6 | 6 |
| 7 | noh | 6 | 6 |
| 8 | nth | 6 | 6 |
| 9 | nub | 5 | 8 |
| 10 | nab | 5 | 7 |
Strategy for this list
N is worth 1 in Scrabble and starts ~2,800 words. N is essential in bingo stems (SATINE, RETINA, TISANE all contain N) but rarely dominates the opening letter. N-openers include NAZI (not always legal), NOSY, NUTS. In Wordle, N is common in position 4 (STAIN, BRAIN, TRAIN) — very rare in position 1 for daily answers.
FAQs
How many 3-letter words start with N?
34 valid 3-letter English words begin with N in the ENABLE English word list.
Are these valid in Wordle and Scrabble?
Words on this page come from the ENABLE English word list. UK Scrabble (Collins Scrabble Words) accepts the overwhelming majority; a handful may not be legal in the North American NASPA Word List (NWL2023).