Word lists › OY

Is OY a valid word?

O1
Y4

Yes. OY is a valid word.

OY is valid in the North American word list used for the Scrabble board game and other crossword tile games.

OY is in the NASPA Word List 2023 (NWL2023), the North American list that Tileside uses for challenges and the one used in club and tournament play.

Meaning

Used to express dismay or pain.

More on Wiktionary

About OY

OY is a cry of dismay, as in “oy vey”, borrowed from Yiddish. The Y is worth 4, so OY on a letter bonus is a nice small score.

Settle the next one at the table: score your game free in Tileside →

OY scores 5 points

Before any bonus squares: O 1 + Y 4 = 5. On a double-word square that's 10, on a triple-word 15, and every letter bonus under one of these tiles is applied first.

O1
Y4

Example: OY as the first play

OY through the ★: O 1 + Y 4 = 5, and the ★ doubles the first word: 10 points. New tiles are outlined.

Later in the game, put the Y on a 3L square and OY is worth 13 before any word bonus.

Hooks: one tile makes a new word

In front of OY (7):

  • BOYa youthful male person
  • COYaffectedly modest or shy especially in a playful or provocative way
  • FOY
  • HOYa flatbottom boat for carrying heavy loads (especially on canals)
  • JOYto rejoice
  • SOYa source of oil
  • TOYan artifact designed to be played with

Place that one tile so it also forms a word in the other direction and both words score.

Longer words from OY

Words that start with OY:

Show 4 more words

Change one tile

Swap any one letter of OY and these are still words:

  • AYaye, a yes vote
  • BYnear or next to; also, a pass in certain card games
  • MYthe possessive form of the pronoun I
  • ODa hypothetical force of natural power
  • OEa whirlwind off the Faroe Islands
  • OFcoming from
  • OHto exclaim in surprise, pain, or desire
  • OIused to express dismay or pain, or to call out
Show 4 more words
  • OKokay; all right
  • OMa mantra used in contemplation of ultimate reality
  • ONon top of or touching; also, the leg side in cricket
  • OPa style of abstract art

Same letters, other words

These use exactly the letters of OY:

  • YOused to call attention or to express affirmation
Add one tile: words from these letters plus one more

OY + B

  • BOYa youthful male person
  • YOBa cruel and brutal fellow

OY + C

  • COYaffectedly modest or shy especially in a playful or provocative way

OY + D

OY + F

OY + H

  • HOYa flatbottom boat for carrying heavy loads (especially on canals)

OY + J

OY + K

OY + M

OY + N

  • YONdistant but within sight (`yon' is dialectal)

OY + S

  • SOYa source of oil

OY + T

  • TOYan artifact designed to be played with

Memory tip

OY is a cry of dismay, like oi. It is one of the few homes for a lone Y: AY, BY, MY, OY.

On these lists

Other two-letter words starting with O

Check words at the table, free

Tileside keeps score, checks words like this one during a challenge, tracks the tiles left in the bag and times turns. It runs in your phone's browser with no account and works offline.

Tileside checks words against the North American list, the NASPA Word List 2023. Your group's chosen dictionary always wins. Playing the international (Collins) list? Turn on its 20 extra two-letter words in Setup.

Word list: NASPA Word List 2023, used under license. NASPA Word List 2023 Edition © NASPA 2023. The copy included in this app is licensed for personal use. You may not use it for any commercial purposes.

Works with the Scrabble board game, played at the table. Tileside is an independent product, not affiliated with or endorsed by the makers of Scrabble.