3 Letter Words Starting with V
There are 21 3-letter English words that start with V, ranging alphabetically from VAC to VUG. Top Scrabble® scorers on this list: VEX (13), VOX (13), VAV (9). Roughly 14% of these words end in E, so an E-hook on the board is worth watching for.
Word list
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 | vex | 13 | 14 |
| 2 | vox | 13 | 14 |
| 3 | vav | 9 | 11 |
| 4 | vaw | 9 | 10 |
| 5 | vow | 9 | 10 |
| 6 | vac | 8 | 10 |
| 7 | vim | 8 | 10 |
| 8 | vug | 7 | 10 |
| 9 | veg | 7 | 9 |
| 10 | vig | 7 | 9 |
Strategy for this list
V is worth 4 in Scrabble and starts ~1,800 words. V has no legal two-letter words in either dictionary, which is why it's often called a bingo-killer letter — holding a V blocks a bingo shape. V-openers with premium potential include VIZIER, VIZOR, VIXEN. In Wordle, V is a rare opening letter — testing it isolates a small candidate pool.
FAQs
How many 3-letter words start with V?
21 valid 3-letter English words begin with V 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).