How many Scrabble words end in V?

Very few English words end in V. In the TWL dictionary, there are approximately 15-20 valid words ending in V, including REV, DEV, GOV, LEV, TAV, VAV, LUV, GUV, PERV, SPIV, and GANEV. SOWPODS includes additional words like DERV and OLLAV. This makes V-ending words rare and valuable knowledge for competitive play.

What are the best V-ending plays in Scrabble?

The best V-ending plays exploit the rarity of these words. REV (6pts) and DEV (7pts) are quick dumps that free your rack. For higher scores, PERV (9pts) and SPIV (9pts) are 4-letter options. The real value is defensive — ending a word in V limits your opponent's hook options since very few letters can follow V to form valid words.

Can you hook onto a word ending in V?

Hooking onto V-ending words is extremely limited. Most words ending in V cannot take an S hook. This makes V-endings defensively strong — your opponent has very few ways to extend your word. However, some words like REV can form REVS in certain dictionaries, so always check your specific tournament dictionary.

Words Ending in V: Complete Scrabble List

June 20, 2026 7 min read Word Finder

English has a peculiar aversion to ending words with V. While hundreds of words contain V in the middle or beginning, the number that actually terminate in V is shockingly small. For Scrabble players, this rarity creates both a challenge (how do you dump a V tile late?) and an opportunity (V-endings are nearly impossible for opponents to hook). Here is every valid V-ending word you need to know.

~20

V-Ending Words (TWL)

4 pts

V Tile Value

V Tiles in Bag

Common S-Hooks

Complete V-Ending Words by Length

These are all the valid Scrabble words that end in the letter V, organized by word length. Memorize the short ones first — they are your escape routes when V is stuck on your rack.

3-Letter V-Ending Words

REV (6pts) — to increase engine speed · DEV (7pts) — a Hindu god · GOV (7pts) — a governor · GUV (7pts) — informal for governor · LEV (6pts) — Bulgarian currency · LUV (6pts) — informal for love · TAV (6pts) — Hebrew letter · VAV (9pts) — Hebrew letter · LAV (6pts) — lavatory

4-Letter V-Ending Words

PERV (9pts) — a voyeur · SPIV (9pts) — a petty criminal · DERV (8pts) — diesel fuel (SOWPODS) · CHIV (12pts) — a knife · SHIV (10pts) — a knife · ERUV (7pts) — Jewish boundary

5-Letter V-Ending Words

GANEV (9pts) — a thief · SCHAV (13pts) — a cold soup · PAREV (10pts) — kosher designation · OLLAV (8pts) — SOWPODS only

6+ Letter V-Ending Words

IMPROV (13pts) — improvisation · MAZEL TOV is not one word in Scrabble · Most 6+ letter V-endings are SOWPODS exclusives and extremely rare in tournament play

Why V-Ending Words Are Rare

English spelling conventions almost always add a silent E after V at the end of words. Think LOVE, GIVE, HAVE, MOVE — all end in VE, not V alone. The words that do end in V are mostly borrowed from other languages: Hebrew (TAV, VAV), Bulgarian (LEV), Yiddish (GANEV), or British slang (GUV, LUV).

💡 Linguistic Insight

The "no English word ends in V" rule is one of the oldest spelling conventions in the language. It dates back to Middle English when scribes added -e to distinguish V from U (which shared the same character). Words like REV and GOV are modern abbreviations that break this ancient rule.

✓ Origin: Hebrew Letters

TAV and VAV are Hebrew alphabet letters. Both are valid in TWL and SOWPODS, making them essential V-ending knowledge for any player.

✗ Common Mistakes

BRAV, NARV, SOLV, GRAV — none of these are valid. Players often try abbreviations or invented words ending in V. Stick to the known list above.

Strategy for V-Ending Hooks

V-ending words are defensively powerful because they are nearly impossible to extend. Most V-ending words cannot take an S hook, and very few front hooks work either. Use this to your advantage.

Defensive V-endings: When you play a word ending in V near a premium square, your opponent has almost no way to hook onto it. This protects Triple Word squares effectively — play REV or DEV next to a TW and sleep easy.

Quick V dump in endgame: If you are stuck with V late in the game, REV, DEV, GOV, and LUV all use common letters (R, E, D, G, O, L, U). You will almost always have the companion letter to offload V.

SOWPODS advantage: International players have slightly more options with DERV, OLLAV, and other SOWPODS-exclusive V-endings. Know your dictionary — check whether your tournament uses TWL or SOWPODS before relying on these.

VAV is the V-play MVP: VAV scores 9 points and uses two V tiles (if you have both). Since V is worth 4 points each, getting both V tiles down in one word is highly efficient. Plus VAV on a DW square scores 18 points.

V Tile Management

The V tile (4 points, 2 in bag) is one of the trickiest consonants to manage. It pairs poorly with other consonants and demands vowels — particularly E, A, I, and O.

🧩 V Management Decision Tree

Draw V → Check for VE, VA, VI combinations in longer words first (OVER, FIVE, GIVE, HAVE)

If no good VE word → Play a V-ending word (REV, DEV, GOV) to dump it efficiently

If stuck with both V tiles → Look for VAV (uses both), VIVID, VALVE, or REVIVE opportunities

Late game with V on rack → Exchange if 7+ tiles remain in bag. Otherwise play REV/DEV for quick dump

V4 pts ×2in bag REVmost common SCHAVhighest pts

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