3 Letter Words Starting with R

There are 49 3-letter English words that start with R, ranging alphabetically from RAD to RYE. Top Scrabble® scorers on this list: RAJ (10), RAX (10), REX (10). Roughly 8% of these words end in E, so an E-hook on the board is worth watching for.

R

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	raj	10	12
2	rax	10	10
3	rex	10	10
4	rev	6	7
5	raw	6	6
6	ref	6	6
7	rif	6	6
8	row	6	6
9	rah	6	5
10	ray	6	5

Strategy for this list

R is worth 1 in Scrabble and starts ~4,000 words. R is essential in the top bingo stems (RETINA, SATIRE) and forms strong openers with vowels and consonant blends (RE-, RH-, RY-). High-value R-plays include RAZZ, RIZZ (Collins-only), ROQUE. In Wordle, R is one of the most common letters overall but less common in position 1 than positions 3-4.

FAQs

How many 3-letter words start with R?

49 valid 3-letter English words begin with R 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).

#	Word	Scrabble	WWF
1	raj	10	12
2	rax	10	10
3	rex	10	10
4	rev	6	7
5	raw	6	6
6	ref	6	6
7	rif	6	6
8	row	6	6
9	rah	6	5
10	ray	6	5

#	Word	Scrabble	WWF
1	raj	10	12
2	rax	10	10
3	rex	10	10
4	rev	6	7
5	raw	6	6
6	ref	6	6
7	rif	6	6
8	row	6	6
9	rah	6	5
10	ray	6	5

Word list

R

Top 10 highest-scoring words

Strategy for this list

FAQs

How many 3-letter words start with R?

Are these valid in Wordle and Scrabble?

Refine by length — words starting with R

#	Word	Scrabble	WWF
1	raj	10	12
2	rax	10	10
3	rex	10	10
4	rev	6	7
5	raw	6	6
6	ref	6	6
7	rif	6	6
8	row	6	6
9	rah	6	5
10	ray	6	5