Words That End With V
Only 17 words in our 168,401-word dictionary end with V — few enough to show every one, with its meaning.
English words almost never end in a bare V — spelling convention adds a silent E (give, love). The exceptions are clipped informal forms and borrowings, and several are pub-quiz favourites.
Every word ending in V
| Word | Scrabble value | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| dev | 7 | informal short form of developer |
| ganev | 9 | a thief or rascal, from Yiddish |
| guv | 7 | British informal address to a boss or customer |
| improv | 13 | improvised performance, especially comedy |
| isogriv | 11 | a line on a chart joining points of equal magnetic grivation |
| lav | 6 | British informal short form of lavatory |
| leitmotiv | 14 | a recurring musical or literary theme (also leitmotif) |
| lev | 6 | the currency of Bulgaria |
| luv | 6 | informal spelling of love, as an address |
| maglev | 12 | a train levitated and driven by magnets |
| moshav | 14 | a cooperative settlement of small farms in Israel |
| rev | 6 | a revolution of an engine; to rev it |
| schav | 13 | a chilled sorrel soup of Eastern European Jewish cooking |
| shiv | 10 | a makeshift knife |
| spiv | 9 | a flashily dressed black-market dealer, in British slang |
| tav | 6 | the last letter of the Hebrew alphabet |
| vav | 9 | the sixth letter of the Hebrew alphabet |
Because the list is complete, it makes excellent crossword and Scrabble ammunition: an opponent who challenges any of these loses a turn. See also the even shorter list of words ending in J.
Frequently asked questions
How many words end with V?
Just 17 in our 168,401-word dictionary: dev, ganev, guv, improv, isogriv, lav, leitmotiv, lev, luv, maglev, moshav, rev, schav, shiv, spiv, tav, vav. All are listed above with meanings.
Why do so few words end in V?
English spelling convention avoids it, so the only words that end this way are borrowed from other languages or clipped informal forms — which is what makes the complete list such good word-game ammunition.
Are these words valid in Scrabble?
They are all in our public-domain game lexicon (ENABLE). Tournament dictionaries evolve, so under Collins or NASPA rules check the current edition before challenging.