93 Letter Y Words for Kids: A Fun and Easy Word List

Looking for letter Y words for kids?

Y can be a surprisingly tricky letter! There aren’t nearly as many familiar Y words as there are B or S words for kids, but there are still plenty to learn.

• Check out this list of X words for kids!

Below, you’ll find simple words that start with Y for kids, along with action words, descriptive words, animal names, and longer vocabulary words. Some words could easily fit into multiple categories but appear only once in the list.

• Download this letter Y coloring sheet! ⤵️

CVC Letter Y Words

CVC words are made with a consonant-vowel-consonant pattern. These short Y words are especially useful for early readers:

1. Yak
2. Yam
3. Yap
4. Yen
5. Yes
6. Yet
7. Yip
8. Yum
9. Yup

Easy Letter Y Words for Kids

These familiar Y words are a great place to begin with preschoolers and kindergarteners:

10. Yard
11. Yarn
12. Yawn
13. Year
14. Yell
15. Yellow
16. Yo-yo
17. You
18. Young
19. Yummy
20. Yucky
21. Yogurt
22. Yolk
23. Yeti
24. Yay

Things That Start With Y

Challenge kids to draw, find, or talk about these things beginning with Y:

25. Yacht
26. Yardstick
27. Yearbook
28. Yeast
29. Yew
30. Yoke
31. Yurt
32. Yule log
33. Yarnball

A yurt is a round, portable home traditionally used in Central Asia. Looking at pictures of less familiar objects can help make new vocabulary more meaningful.

Action Words That Start With Y

Kids can act out many of these Y words, making them especially fun for movement games or charades:

34. Yank
35. Yearn
36. Yelp
37. Yield
38. Yodel
39. Yowl

You might have kids pretend to yank an imaginary rope, yodel from a mountaintop, or yowl like a cat. Adding movement makes it easier and a lot more fun to remember new words.

Y Words That Describe Someone or Something

Here are some describing words that begin with Y:

40. Yearly
41. Yeasty
42. Yellowish
43. Yielding
44. Youthful
45. Yappy
46. Yawning
47. Yellow-bellied

Some of these words aren’t used as often in everyday conversations, so take time to talk about what they mean. Kids don’t need to memorize unusual words simply because they begin with Y. It’s much more meaningful to explore words they can understand and use.

Feelings and Exclamations That Start With Y

These Y words can be used to express feelings, excitement, or reactions:

48. Yahoo
49. Yikes
50. Yippee
51. Yo
52. Yuck
53. Yow
54. Yowza

Animals That Start With Y

There aren’t many familiar animal names beginning with Y, but these are fun ones to explore:

55. Yabby
56. Yellowfin
57. Yellowhammer
58. Yellowjacket
59. Yellowtail
60. Yellowthroat
61. Yapok
62. Yeti crab
63. Yorkshire terrier

A yapok is a type of water opossum, while a yabby is a small freshwater crustacean found in Australia. Let kids choose one unfamiliar animal to investigate through books, pictures, or videos.

Places That Start With Y

These place names are useful for geography activities and map exploration:

64. Yellowstone
65. Yemen
66. Yokohama
67. York
68. Yorkshire
69. Yosemite
70. Yukon
71. Yuma

Kids can look for these places on a globe or map and find out whether each one is a city, region, country, park, or territory.

Longer Letter Y Words for Kids

Older kids may be ready to explore these longer Y words:

72. Yardwork
73. Yearning
74. Year-round
75. Yesterday
76. Yourself
77. Youngster
78. Youth
79. Youthfulness
80. Yellowwood

Don’t Forget Words That End With Y

Like many other letters, Y can make different sounds. At the beginning of a word, it often makes the /y/ sound. At the end of a word, it may sound more like a vowel.

Here are a few familiar words that end in Y:

81. Baby
82. Bunny
83. Candy
84. Cherry
85. Cloudy
86. Funny
87. Happy
88. Puppy
89. Rainy
90. Silly
91. Sleepy
92. Snowy
93. Sunny

Comparing these words with words that begin with Y can help kids notice how the letter’s sound changes depending on where it appears.

Fun Ways to Learn Letter Y Words

Kids don’t need to sit down and memorize a long vocabulary list. New words tend to stick when they’re connected to play, conversations, books, and everyday experiences.

Here are a few simple ways to explore letter Y words for kids:

• Act out some of the Y action words
• Make up a silly sentence using several Y words
• Look for places beginning with Y on a map
• Talk about something that happened yesterday
• Be on the look out for the letter Y on signs, packages, and in books

Final Thoughts on Letter Y Words for Kids

There may not be an enormous number of familiar letter Y words for kids, but there are still plenty to inspire playful learning. Start with short CVC words and common words that kids can connect to objects, foods, movements, and experiences. Once those are familiar, you can introduce some of the longer or less common words.

Keep it fun and low-pressure. Talk, read, draw, move, and play with words instead of worrying about memorizing them. That’s how kids build vocabulary that actually sticks.