Top 29 Positive Words Starting With Y (Adjectives, Inspirational Words, etc)

“Y” is perhaps the most confusing letter of the alphabet for early English learners. We learn that the vowels are “a, e, i, o, u… and sometimes y.”

Why only sometimes? Most letters are strictly consonants or vowels, but “y” is unique in that it can be pronounced in several different ways, making either a “y” sound (as in “yard”), an “i” sound (as in “toy”), or an “e” sound (as in “monkey”).^[1]

“Y” isn’t one of the most commonly-used letters in our alphabet, falling behind about 15 others.^[2] However, there are still plenty of words that begin with it.

Below, we list the words starting with “y” to describe a person positively and others with a more generally positive or inspiring meaning.

Scroll past the list for some examples of these words in sentences!

Adjectives to Describe a Person

1. Youthful
2. Yeomanly:
   loyal and brave
3. Yare:
   agile or lively
4. Youngster
5. Young

Generally Positive/Inspiring Words

1. Yay:
   expression of excitement
2. Yes
3. Yippee:
   expression of excitement
4. Yeah
5. Yum
6. Yern:
   eagerly or heartily
7. Yip:
   a sharp cry of delight or glee
8. Yee-haw:
   expression of enthusiasm
9. Yuk:
   an energetic laugh; sometimes spelled “yuck”
10. Yep
11. Yield:
    produce
12. Yearly:
    an annual tradition
13. Yourself
14. Yoga:
    meditative exercise for health and relaxation
15. YOLO:
    acronym for “you only live once”
16. Yukking:
    laughing heartily; sometimes spelled “yucking”
17. Yule:
    Christmas season
18. Youth
19. Yahweh:
    Hebrew name for God
20. Yup:
    yes
21. Yea:
    yes
22. Yahoo:
    expression of delight
23. Yummy:
    delicious
24. Yep:
    yes

Examples of Sentences Using Positive “Y” Words

Wondering how to use some of the less common words from our list above?

Here are some examples of using them in sentences:

• “She had a youthful enthusiasm for ice cream.”
• “He approached the task in a yeomanly manner.”
• “Mr. Jones was as yare as a cheetah.”
• “Sophie gave a yip when she saw her best friend arrive.”
• “The apple trees yield a great harvest each fall.”
• “My family takes a yearly vacation to Hawaii.”
• “The boys were yukking at their friend as he danced wildly.”
• “We decorated our home for the Yule season.”
• “She found the appetizer particularly yummy.”