Everyone wants an ample vocabulary. Whether you’re playing games (like Scrabble or Words with Friends) or writing a paper, getting acquainted with additional words can be amazing. Want accolades for your adjectives? Throw some A-words into the mix. A is the 1st letter of the English alphabet, and it introduces many astonishing, attractive, and advanced words! So, if you’re looking for an advantageous way to advance your vocabulary, begin by admiring a few words that start with the letter A. We’ve created this list of words for you, organized by the number of letters in each word. Many of these words have more than one meaning. For simplicity, we’ve only listed one definition for each word. Keep in mind, this word list doesn’t contain every single English word that starts with A; however, it’s a useful introduction to this very special letter.
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alkalinization – Noun | The process of becoming or making something more alkaline, higher pH (also called alkalization)
anamorphoscope – Noun | A curved mirror designed to correct an image distorted through anamorphosis
apprenticeship – Noun | A period of time during which a person undergoes specialized professional training
autobiographic – Adjective | Pertaining to a life story narrated by the author
13-Letter Words
accommodating – Adjective | Helpful and eager to please
advertisement – Noun | Paid announcements calling attention to something
anthroposophy – Noun | A 20th century mystical movement started by Rudolph Steiner
appropinquity – Noun | Nearness
12-Letter Words
acquaintance – Noun | Someone known, but not through a close or well-established relationship
arachnophobe – Noun | A person who fears spiders
asphyxiation – Noun | Unconsciousness or death caused by lack of oxygen
approximated – Verb | Came close to, was similar to
11-Letter Words
acclimatize – Verb | To become used to something
anthologize – Verb | To publish in an anthology
appliqueing – Verb | Applying orniment to a larger surface, especially to cloth
approvingly – Adverb | In a favorable or accepting manner
10-Letter Words
adjunctive – Adjective | Pertaining to something subordinate, attached or connected to a larger thing
alcoholism – Noun | A disorder characterized by excessive consumption of alcoholic drinks
appetizing – Adjective | Appealing, especially to the sense of taste
authorized – Adjective | Done with official approval
9-Letter Words
adjective – Noun | A modifying word, used to describe quality, quantity, or specific attributes
ampersand – Noun | The symbol &, often substituted for the word “and”
antiquity – Noun | The ancient past
aquaphobe – Noun | A person who fears water
8-Letter Words
acquaint – Verb | To make or become familiar
adequate – Adjective | Sufficient, enough
amorphic – Adjective | Formless
aqueduct – Noun | A large pipe or canal for carrying water supply
7-Letter Words
amazing – Adjective | Causing surprise, pleasure, and delight
amplify- Verb | To increase in number or strength
anagram – Noun | A word or phrase that results from rearranging the letters of another word or phrase
aquiver – Adjective | Quivering, trembling
6-Letter Words
acajou – Noun | A cashew tree or nut
acquit – Verb | To release from accusation or fault
akimbo – Adverb | In a manner with hands on hips and elbows pointed out
apathy – Noun | Indifference, lack of feeling
5-Letter Words
abuzz – Adjective | Buzzing with talk or excitement
acock – Adjective | To be in a cocked position, like a firearm prepared for firing
alack – Interjection | Expression of regret
annex – Verb | To incorporate within a larger domain
4-Letter Words
abut – Verb | To border something
acme – Noun | Pinnacle, highest point
acyl – Noun | A term in chemistry for a radical RCO
adze – Noun | A tool used for shaping wood
aery – Adjective | Ethereal, unsubstantial
agee – Adjective | Awry or ajar (also spelled ajee)
agha – Noun | A Turkish chief (also spelled aga)
agma – Noun | The velar nasal sound, ŋ
agon – Noun | A conflict in literature or drama
alky – Noun | American slang term for an alcoholic
ambo – Noun | A raised desk or pulpit in early Christian churches
ankh – Noun | An ancient Egyptian emblem, signifying enduring life
aqua – Noun | A light blue-green color
avow – Verb | To declare bluntly
axil – Noun | The angle between a leaf and the stem or branch that supports it
3-Letter Words
aah – Verb | To exclaim “ah” or “aah” in joy or surprise
aal – Noun | Indian mulberry
aby – Verb | To suffer for or pay a penalty for (also spelled abye)
aff – Preposition | Off (Scottish English)
ahi – Noun | The Hawaiian name for yellowfin tuna
ait – Noun | A small island, especially in a river (British English)
alb – Noun | A linen vestment, often white in color, worn by priests
amu – Abbreviation | An atomic mass unit (also called a dalton)
apo – Noun | An active volcano with three peaks, which is the highest elevation in the Phillipines
arb – Noun | A person who engages in arbitrage, or the purchase of stock with the intention of immediate resale
auk – Noun | A black-and-white seabird found in the northern hemisphere
awl – Noun | A tool for making holes in leather or wood
awn – Noun | Slender bristles found on the head of grasses, such as barley, oat, and wheat
2-Letter Words
ab – Noun | An abdominal muscle
an – Indefinite Article | A function word used before a singular noun that start with a vowel sound
aw – Interjection | Word used to express sympathy or mock sympathy
ax – Noun | A tool used for splitting wood (also spelled axe)
By looking at this list, you may be able to identify some common prefixes. Words that start with “aqua” often have something to do with water. Words beginning with “auto” involve the self. Understanding these linguistic patterns can help you to intuit what a word means, even when you don’t have a dictionary handy.
Use words that start with the letter A to express your apathy, admit to animosity, or announce your adoration. If you apply yourself, you’ll be able to amplify your aptitude. Acquire the ability to ace any word finder, word game, or crossword puzzle. From ax to achondroplastic, you’ll be armed with an appropriate A-word for any adventure that arises.
The Word Counter is a dynamic online tool used for counting words, characters, sentences, paragraphs, and pages in real time, along with spelling and grammar checking.
Kari Lisa Johnson
I’m an award-winning playwright with a penchant for wordplay. After earning a perfect score on the Writing SAT, I worked my way through Brown University by moonlighting as a Kaplan Test Prep tutor. I received a BA with honors in Literary Arts (Playwriting)—which gave me the opportunity to study under Pulitzer Prize-winner Paula Vogel. In my previous roles as new media producer with Rosetta Stone, director of marketing for global ventures with The Juilliard School, and vice president of digital strategy with Up & Coming Media, I helped develop the voice for international brands. From my home office in Maui, Hawaii, I currently work on freelance and ghostwriting projects.
Kari Lisa Johnson
November 20, 2019
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