Words Starting With LU
100 wordsWords beginning with LU bring together light, luck, and the unglamorous. From the radiant Latin roots of LUNA and LUSTRE to the blunt practicality of LUMBERJACK, this cluster rewards players who appreciate both elegance and earthiness.
3-letter words
34-letter words
225-letter words
166-letter words
167-letter words
118-letter words
109-letter words
1110-letter words
511-letter words
512-letter words
1Pattern Guide
Insights and recommendations for these words.
The LU pattern offers surprising scoring potential and some of English's most satisfying vocabulary contrasts.
Vocabulary & Language
Linguistic patterns and usage statistics
LU words split into two distinct camps. Latin-derived terms cluster around light and clarity—lucid, luminous, lunar—all tracing back to 'lux' (light) and 'luna' (moon). Then there's the Germanic side: lump, lumber, lug. These blunter words entered through Middle English and describe heavy, awkward things. The contrast makes LU unusually expressive.
Total Words
310
0.1% of dictionary
Avg Length
7.9 letters
2.8 syllables
Top Scrabble
LUMBERJACKET
29 points
Longest Word
LUMPENPROLETARIAT
17 letters
Parts of Speech
With 67% nouns and an average length of 7.9 letters, LU words tend toward substantial, concrete terms rather than quick function words. The 20% adjective rate reflects all those Latin-derived descriptors like luminous and lustrous.
Latin and Middle English contribute equally here, creating that distinctive two-tone character. The Latin pathway is elegant: LUNA traveled through Old French 'lune' from Latin 'lūna,' while LUSTRE came through Italian from 'lūstrum.' Middle English contributions tend toward the practical and physical. This split mirrors English's broader pattern of borrowing refined vocabulary from Romance languages while keeping Germanic words for everyday labor.
Word Games
High-value words for board games
Short (2-4)
Long (8+)
a short warm outer jacket
(Marxism) the unorganized lower levels of the proletariat who are not interested in revolutionary advancement
in an unenthusiastically lukewarm manner
Short (2-4)
Long (8+)
a short warm outer jacket
(Marxism) the unorganized lower levels of the proletariat who are not interested in revolutionary advancement
surgical removal of a tumor without removing much of the surrounding tissue or lymph nodes; performed in some cases of breast cancer
LUMBERJACK scores 27 in Scrabble but jumps to 34 in Words With Friends, where J is worth 10 instead of 8. Similarly, LUMBERJACKET reaches 36 in WWF versus 29 in Scrabble. For shorter plays, LUXE delivers 11 points in Scrabble but climbs to 13 in WWF. The X-heavy words in this pattern consistently perform better in WWF's scoring system.
Wordle
5-letter words for daily puzzles
Length Extremes
Longest and shortest valid words
Short LU words like LUG and LUX pack utility into three letters, while LUMPENPROLETARIAT stretches to 17—a Marxist term too unwieldy for most game boards but fascinating as vocabulary. The gap reflects how Latin compounds expanded while Germanic roots stayed compact.
Hidden Gems
Rare but valid words to surprise opponents
a substance capable of reducing friction by making surfaces smooth or slippery
in a clear and lucid manner
"this is a lucidly written book"
having or bringing misfortune
be or become luminescent; exhibit luminescence
LUMINESCE means to exhibit luminescence—to glow without heat. It's a back-formation from 'luminescent,' making it feel modern despite its Latin bones. Valid in both Scrabble and WWF, it's the kind of scientific verb that surprises opponents who expect only common words.
Popular crossword answers
Words frequently used in crossword puzzles with common clues.