4 Letter Words That Start With K

175 words in this list, every one checked against the YAWL dictionary.

Tap any word to copy it.

4 Letter Words 175

Which of these words score the most in Scrabble?

The highest scoring words from this list, ranked by Scrabble letter values.

Browse Words by First Letter

Word Finders by Length

Holding a rack rather than browsing? Most games are won at four, six, and seven tiles, so start with the 4 Letter Word Finder, the 6 Letter Word Finder, or the 7 Letter Word Finder, then pick any other length below.

This page holds all 175 four letter words that start with K, one of the mid sized first letter groups at this length and a useful one when a hard K tile lands on your rack. The words run from everyday picks like KING, KISS, and KNEE to the point heavy KYAK at the far end. Enter your tiles in the filter above and only the plays you can actually make stay on screen.

A compact but handy list

K is not a crowded opener at four letters, and that keeps this page quick to scan. A recognizable core clusters behind a few shapes: the KN words such as KNEE, KNOW, and KNIT, the KE words like KEEP, KELP, and KEEN, and the KI group with KIND, KILT, KILN, and KILO. Cover those clusters first and you will have worked through a good part of the list before you meet anything unusual.

Opening a Wordle grid with K

When a green K lands in the first slot, this is the page to browse. KIND, KNEE, KNOW, and KEEP give you common follow up letters, while KELP, KERB, and KHAN push into different consonant and vowel territory for a second guess. KAYO and KEPT are favorites among players who like to test a spread of letters early. Filter by anything you have already confirmed and the candidates shrink to a readable handful.

Where the points sit

The K tile is worth five points on its own, so a K word already banks value before the rest of the rack joins in. KYAK tops the list at 15 points, with KECK, KHAF, and KICK right behind at 14. KAPH and KOPH reach 13, and KAKA, KAKI, KEEK, and KEMP each land at 12. These are the words to reach for when a double or triple square is open and you want a K play that actually moves the score.

How the count is made

Every figure on this page is recomputed from a single pinned dictionary on each build, the same file the search tool reads, so the count and the filtered results can never disagree. If a total looks smaller than a rival site, that is the honest YAWL number, and the dictionary page explains the source list, its license, and its full tables. To rearrange a whole rack instead of browsing, hand your letters to the four letter word finder.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many four letter words start with K?
There are 175 four letter words that start with K in this list, a slice of the 5,249 four letter words in YAWL overall. Each count is computed from that dictionary when the site is built, so the total here and the results the filter returns always agree.
Is K a good letter to lead a word game with?
K is a mid value tile that opens some handy short words. KIND, KNEE, KNOW, and KEEP cover common letters for a Wordle style opener, while KILN, KELP, and KERB test less usual middles. Filter this list by any letters you have already placed to see only the words still possible.
What four letter K word scores the most in Scrabble?
KYAK leads at 15 points, with KECK, KHAF, and KICK close behind at 14. KAPH and KOPH reach 13, and KAKA, KAKI, KEEK, and KEMP each make 12. These are the plays to reach for when a bonus square is open.
Why is a K word I expected not on this list?
Pages here are built from YAWL, a public domain list made for word games, which leaves out proper nouns, abbreviations, and hyphenated forms. Names and brands that start with K will not show as a result. The [dictionary page](/dictionary/) records the exact list, its license, and its counts so you can check any word yourself.