Words Starting With UP

100 words

Words starting with UP form one of English's most productive prefix patterns, turning base words into expressions of elevation, completion, and intensification. This collection spans casual terms like UPDO to formal vocabulary like UPPERCLASSMAN, offering useful options for word games at every skill level.

2-letter words

4-letter words

5-letter words

6-letter words

7-letter words

8-letter words

9-letter words

10-letter words

11-letter words

13-letter words

Pattern Guide

Insights and recommendations for these words.

The UP- prefix pulls double duty in English—sometimes literal, sometimes metaphorical—and that versatility creates interesting strategic opportunities.

Vocabulary & Language

Linguistic patterns and usage statistics

UP- functions as both a standalone word and a remarkably flexible prefix that can attach to verbs (uphold), nouns (upstream), and adjectives (upbeat). Many UP- compounds started as two-word phrases that fused through common usage—'up stairs' became 'upstairs' as the spatial concept solidified. This prefix often carries a sense of completion or thoroughness, as in 'uproot' or 'upset,' where the action is done fully.

Total Words

165

0.1% of dictionary

Avg Length

7.7 letters

2.6 syllables

Top Scrabble

UPBRAIDINGLY

21 points

Longest Word

UPROARIOUSNESS

14 letters

Parts of Speech

Nouns

43%

Verbs

14%

Adjectives

30%

Adverbs

11%

Other

Nouns dominate at 43%, reflecting how UP- often creates concrete compound terms for objects and roles. The 30% adjective share is notably high, driven by descriptive compounds like upbeat and upscale that characterize states of elevation.

Middle English overwhelmingly shapes this pattern, which makes linguistic sense—UP itself traces through Middle English 'up' to Old English 'upp' and deeper into Proto-Germanic roots. This ancient Germanic foundation means most UP- words evolved within English rather than being borrowed from Latin or French. The pattern represents English building vocabulary from its native word-forming resources.

Word Games

High-value words for board games

Short (2-4)

UPDO

7 pts

UPAS

6 pts

UPON

On; -- used in all the senses of that word, with which it is interchangeable.

6 pts

Medium (5-7)

UPCHUCK

eject the contents of the stomach through the mouth

20 pts

UPHEAVE

lift forcefully from beneath

15 pts

UPTHREW

15 pts

Long (8+)

UPBRAIDINGLY

21 pts

UPPERCLASSMAN

21 pts

UPPERCUTTING

19 pts

UPSTRETCHED

19 pts

UPCHUCK demonstrates the scoring gap between games—20 points in Scrabble versus 24 in WWF, thanks to WWF's higher value for uncommon consonants. UPDO offers reliable short-word scoring in both games, though WWF rewards it slightly better at 9 points versus 7. The medium-length sweet spot includes UPBOUND and UPBUILD, which leverage B's value effectively in WWF for 17 points each. For Scrabble players, UPHEAVE at 15 points and UPTHREW provide solid options when the board opens up.

Wordle

5-letter words for daily puzzles

Good Starters (E, A, R, S, T)

UPSETStarter

having been turned so that the bottom is no longer the bottom

Common Words (likely answers)

UPSETCommon

having been turned so that the bottom is no longer the bottom

UPPERCommon

a central nervous system stimulant that increases energy and decreases appetite; used to treat narcolepsy and some forms of depression

UPENDCommon

become turned or set on end

UPSET makes a strong opening guess with its two common vowels (U, E) and frequently-used consonants (P, S, T). The combination tests five distinct, high-frequency letters that appear across countless English words.

Length Extremes

Longest and shortest valid words

Longest

UPROARIOUSNESS14 letters

UPSTANDINGNESS14 letters

UPPERCLASSMAN13 letters

UPBRAIDINGLY12 letters

Shortest

UP2 letters

UP- words cluster around medium lengths because the prefix naturally adds two letters to existing words. The longest examples like UPROARIOUSNESS stack additional suffixes onto already-prefixed bases, creating layered formations.

Hidden Gems

Rare but valid words to surprise opponents

UPFIELD

away from the defending teams' end of the playing field

UPPERCASE

one of the large alphabetic characters used as the first letter in writing or printing proper names and sometimes for emphasis

"uppercase letters; X and Y and Z etc"

UPRIGHTNESS

the property of being upright in posture

UPWARDLY

spatially or metaphorically from a lower to a higher position

"upwardly mobile"

UPFIELD means 'away from the defending team's end of the playing field'—sports jargon that's completely valid in word games. It scores well with that F, and opponents rarely expect specialized athletic terminology. Worth memorizing for those tight game situations where common words won't fit.