All 5 Letter Words With No Vowels (Real) | Future Educators (2023)

We thought it would be a fun exercise to list all the 5 letter English words without vowel letters. The following list are real words only. We found other lists with old or made-up, silly words. You’ll enjoy this list of interesting words if you’re a fan of word puzzles.

The five-letter words with no vowels (consonants only) are short words not containing “a, e, i, o or u”. They almost always use the letter “y” effectively as the vowel. The list of words without vowels (a, e, i, o, u) can be used when you play Wordle®, Words with Friends®, Scrabble®, and more.

5 letter words, with definitions and example sentences

Here are real words that you can find definitions for in modern English dictionaries. To show the words without vowels are legitimate, we’ve included the definition and used each word in an example sentence.

This list also counts as showing the 5 letter words with the most consonants. They all have 5 consonants, noting that “y” and “w” are generally considered to be consonants even though they may also be used as vowels.

crwth

crwth: An ancient Celtic musical instrument (stringed) that was popular in medieval Wales. “The musician played a beautiful melody on his crwth, the sweet, mellow sound filling the room.”

crypt

crypt: a stone chamber or underground room, often used as a chapel or burial place, which may contain religious relics. It is typically found in a church or other religious building. “After the funeral service, the deceased was laid to rest in the crypt beneath the church.”

cysts

cysts: A cyst is a closed sac, usually filled with liquid, semisolid, or gaseous material. Cysts can occur anywhere in the body. “The ultrasound revealed multiple cysts on her ovary, so the doctor recommended surgery to remove them.”

dryly

dryly: In a dry manner; in a way that is lacking in moisture or interest. “She replied dryly that she had no interest in going to the party.”

flyby

flyby: A flight past or over something, especially a spacecraft flying past the moon or other celestial body. “The astronauts were able to get a good look at the planet’s surface during the flyby.”

fyrds

“fyrds”: Old English. A military force or army. “The king called upon the fyrds of his kingdom to defend against the invading army.”

ghyll

ghyll: A ravine or narrow valley with a stream running through it (variant of “gill”). “The hikers followed the ghyll until it opened up into a wider valley.”

glyph

glyph: A carved or inscribed symbol or character, especially in an ancient script. “The archaeologists were excited to find an ancient glyph carved into the stone.”

grrrl

grrrl: A young woman who is independent and assertive, especially one associated with the feminist punk movement. “The grrrl band’s music was loud and political, addressing issues of sexism and homophobia.”

gypsy

gypsy: A member of a traditionally itinerant people (an Indo-Aryan ethnic group) who originated in northern India and now live chiefly in south and southwest Asia, Europe, and North America. “The gypsy fortune teller told the young woman that she would meet the love of her life on a journey.”

hymns

hymns: A religious song or poem of praise, especially to God or a deity. “The choir sang hymns during the Sunday morning service.”

hyphy

hyphy: A subgenre of hip hop music that originated in the San Francisco Bay Area in the early 2000s, characterized by its fast tempo and aggressive lyrics. “The hyphy rapper’s fast-paced beats and energetic performances made him a fan favorite.”

lymph

lymph: A transparent, usually slightly yellowish fluid that is present in the lymphatic vessels in the human body and that helps to maintain the balance of body fluids. “The doctor ordered a lymph node biopsy to check for cancer.”

lynch

lynch: To put to death, especially by hanging, by mob action and without legal authority, for an alleged offense. “The mob lynched the accused thief without a fair trial.”

myrrh

myrrh: A fragrant resin obtained from certain trees and used in perfumes, incense, and medicines. “The frankincense and myrrh were gifts brought to the baby Jesus by the wise men.”

myths

myths: A traditional story, especially one concerning the early history of a people or explaining some natural or social phenomenon, and typically involving supernatural beings or events. “The myths of ancient Greece told stories of gods and heroes.”

mythy

mythy: Adjective. Resembling, concerned with, or of a subject for myth. “The supernatural thriller had a mythy theme.”

nymph

nymph: A beautiful, graceful young woman. The word comes from ancient Greek mythology, with the minor deity imagined as a beautiful maiden inhabiting woodland. “The nymph danced gracefully through the forest, her long hair flowing behind her.”

phpht

phpht: An interjection that is used to express disdain or contempt. It is similar to the sound made by exhaling sharply through the lips, and it is often used to show that something or someone is not worth paying attention to or is not worth considering seriously. “I can’t believe he had the audacity to ask for a raise after missing so many deadlines. Phpht, he doesn’t deserve it.”

psych

psych: An abbreviation for “psychology,” the scientific study of the human mind and behavior. It can also refer to when you mentally prepare one’s mind. “The psych major was fascinated by the ways in which the mind worked.”

pygmy

pygmy: A member of an ethnic group who are characterized by their endemic short stature and traditional way of life. “The pygmy tribe lived in harmony with the forest, using its resources without depleting them.”

pyxis

pyxis: A small box or container, especially one used for holding the consecrated bread and wine in the Eucharist. “The pyxis was used to hold the consecrated bread during the Eucharist.”

rynds

rynds: Plural form of “rynd”, which is an iron bar that spans the hole in the upper millstone and supports the stone on the spindle. “The miller carefully inspected the rynds to make sure they were in good condition before starting the mill.”

shyly

shyly: In a shy, reserved or timid manner. “She shyly offered him a piece of her homemade pie.”

skyfs

skyfs: Cigarettes (slang from South Africa). “Skyfs are a common cause of preventable death and disease, as they contain nicotine, which is highly addictive, and other harmful chemicals that can cause cancer and other serious health problems.”

slyly

slyly: An action done in a clever or sneaky way. It suggests the person is trying to be cunning or crafty, often with the intention of achieving something without being detected or exposed. “She slyly slipped the extra piece of cake into her bag when no one was looking.”

stymy

stymy: (or “stymie” more commonly) is an American English verb that means to block or hinder the progress or development of something. “The new regulations were designed to stymy the growth of small businesses by imposing heavy fines and bureaucratic red tape.”

sylph

sylph: A slender, graceful woman or girl. “Sylph” was imagined as a small, feminine elemental spirit of the air, with insect-like wings and pointed ears. “The sylph was a beautiful, ethereal creature that lived in the forest.”

synch

synch: To synchronize. “The director synched the sound and the video in post-production.”

syncs

syncs: Abbreviation for “synchronizes.” “The syncs between the audio and the video were off, causing a delay in the production.”

synth

“Synth” is short for “synthesizer,” an electronic instrument capable of generating a wide range of sounds. “Synth” can be used in games such as Scrabble or Boggle, as it is a commonly recognized word. “I just bought a new synth and I can’t wait to start experimenting with all of the different sounds it can make.”

thymy

thymy: Fragrant, as if with thyme. “The thymy scent of the herbs filled the kitchen as she cooked.”

tryps

tryps: A shortened form of “trypsin” or “trypsinization”. “The cells were difficult to isolate, so we had to use a higher concentration of tryps to dissociate them from the tissue.”

tryst

tryst: A private meeting or romantic rendezvous between lovers. “The lovers met at their secret trysting place by the river.”

typps

typps: “Typp” is a unit of measurement for the thickness of a yarn, equal to the weight in pounds of one thousand yards of the yarn. The plural is “typps”. “The thickness of the strand was 1.5 typps.”

wryly

wryly: In a wry manner; with a twist or bend that is often humorous or ironic. “She looked at him wryly and asked if he really thought that was a good idea.”

wynds

wynds: A narrow street or lane, especially in a Scottish burgh. “The narrow wynds of the old Scottish town were easy to get lost in.”

xylyl

xylyl: A chemical compound that belongs to the class of compounds known as aryl alkyls. It is an aromatic compound with the chemical formula C8H10. “The researcher used xylyl as a starting material to synthesize a new compound with potential medicinal properties.”

xysts

xysts: Ancient Greek or Roman covered walkways, especially those used for exercise or promenade. “The ancient Greeks were known for their use of xysts, which served as a place for physical exercise and socialization.”

Other Words That Aren’t Used in Modern English

Here are more five letter words. But know that you won’t normally find a definition for these in modern English dictionaries. These are “words” you can’t usually use in a word game unless you can find them in the dictionary you’re using: byrls, chynd, cwtch, FHLMC, grrls, grypt, gwynn, gymps, gynny, gyppy, hwyls, kydst, kynds, PDFLP, SHDSL, skyrs, synds, syphs, TYMPs, Wynns.

To check that these are invalid, you can always use online dictionaries like these: Collins, Merriam-Webster.

What Are Vowels Anyway?

In the English language, vowels are a type of speech sound that is made with the vocal cords open and the airflow unrestricted. They are syllabic speech sounds produced in an open way. Vowels are an essential part of spoken language, as they help to convey the meaning of words and sentences.

There are 26 letters in the English alphabet, and five of them are vowel letters: A, E, I, O, and U (and sometimes Y). Vowels can be short or long, and they can be pronounced in different ways depending on their position in a word and the sounds that come before and after them.

You can form words using the semivowels, such as W and Y, when playing Scrabble or any other word game. For example, the “w” in the word “we” and the “y” in the word “yet” are pronounced like vowel sounds. The technique is especially useful when you’re caught holding just consonant letter tiles and no vowels.

The vowel sounds in English can be grouped into two categories: monophthongs and diphthongs. Monophthongs are 12 vowel sounds that are pronounced with a single, pure vowel sound, such as “a” in “cat” and “e” in “pet”. Diphthongs are more complex vowel sounds that are pronounced with a combination of two vowel sounds, such as “oy” in boy or “ow” in “cow”.

Word Games Where This List May Be Handy

Five letter words with no vowels can score you points or get you out of trouble in word games. Popular games include Scrabble, Wordle, and Words with Friends.

Scrabble

Scrabble is a game in which players use letter tiles to create words on a game board. Each letter tile has a point value, and players score points by adding tiles to form new words. Players draw letter tiles from the bag to replace the ones they use, maintaining 7 tiles for each play.

5 letter words without vowels are handy when vowels are in short supply. This can happen when you hold few or no vowels, and few vowels are available to use on the game board. You probably won’t score very much though. For example. “glyph” (8 points), “lynch” (8 points), and “nymph” (9 points) are less valuable then longer words with more complex letter combinations

Wordle

Wordle is a word puzzle game in which players are presented with a set of letters and must use those letters to create as many words as possible. The game is typically played online and may involve a time limit or other constraints. Players may be scored based on the length or difficulty of the words they create.

Wordle can be a fun way to improve vocabulary and problem-solving skills. Studying word lists like the one on this page alone can enhance your vocab. Worldle, and also Quordle and Octordle, use 5-letter words for each clue. You should know that, when using the list of 5 letter words without vowels, Wordle may choose common words as the correct answer.

Words with Friends

Words with Friends is a popular mobile game that is similar to the board game Scrabble. Players take turns placing letter tiles on a game board to form words. Each word earns the player points, based on the length and rarity of the letters used.

Words with Friends has various modes, including a classic mode in which players take turns making moves, and a speed mode in which players try to make as many words as possible in a limited amount of time. Being able to produce 5 letter words without vowels offers a distinct advantage.

Words with Friends is available to play on smartphones and tablets, and can be downloaded from the App Store or Google Play. It can also be played online through the game’s website.