Like most language enthusiasts, you probably long for a larger vocabulary. Don’t lallygag! Level up in your leisure time (and log points when you play Scrabble or Words with Friends) by learning to let loose with the letter L. Looking for a lovelier lexicon? Launch some L-words into your library of language. L is the 12th letter of the English alphabet, but it’s a leader in lots of likable words! So, if you love a linguistic challenge, try loading up on words that start with the letter L.
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 L; however, it’s a useful introduction to this very special letter.
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Here are some words that start with L [2-15 letter words]
15-Letter Words
labradorescence – Noun | The display of a range of reflected colors, especially from labradorite
lackadaisically – Adverb | Without enthusiasm or interest
lacto-vegetarian – Adjective | Including dairy but excluding meat and egg products
logarithmically – Adverb | In an exponential manner
14-Letter Words
labyrinthodont – Noun | An extinct amphibian of the superorder Labyrinthodontia
lasciviousness – Noun | A lewd or lustful state
latitudinarian – Adjective | Tolerant, especially in reference to religious views
libertarianism – Noun | A political philosophy marked by a belief in total liberty of thought and action
13-Letter Words
labialization – Noun | A linguistics term for rounding of the labia during pronunciation of certain consonants
lactobacillus – Noun | Bacteria of the genus Lactobacillus that produce lactic acid
laughingstock – Noun | The focus of ridicule
lexicographer – Noun | A person who compiles a dictionary
12-Letter Words
labyrinthine – Adjective | Maze-like
laryngoscope – Noun | An endoscope with light and magnification, designed to be passed through the mouth for the examination of the larynx
lithospheric – Adjective | Pertaining to the crust and upper mantle of the earth
lithotritize – Verb | To crush a stone in the urinary system so that it can be voided in urine
11-Letter Words
lacquerware – Noun | A decorative item made of wood, then coated in lacquer
lactiferous – Adjective | Secreting milk
lamentation – Noun | An expression of sadness or mourning
leatherback – Noun | A large sea turtle, Dermochelys coriacea
10-Letter Words
landscaper – Noun | A person hired to perform decorative gardening and yard work
lapidarian – Adjective | Pertaining to the cutting of gems or stones
letterhead – Noun | A printed heading on letter-sized stationary
lexigraphy – Noun | A system of writing in which words correspond to symbols
9-Letter Words
layperson – Noun | A person who is not a member of a particular profession
lemonfish – Noun | A large, percoid fish with a black stripe
liquorice – Noun | The sweet, dried root of Glycyrrhiza glabra (also spelled licorice)
lymphatic -Adjective | Pertaining to lymph, a clear coagulable fluid that resembles blood plasma
8-Letter Words
lability – Noun | Instability, changeableness
lacerate – Verb | To cut deeply
lackaday – Interjection | An expression of regret
lacrosse – Noun | A team sport played using a stick with a netted pocket
ladylike – Adjective | Befitting a gentlewoman
lakeside – Adjective | Located on the shore of a lake
7-Letter Words
labarum – Noun | An ecclesiastical banner, first carried by Constantine the Great
laconic – Adjective | Concise
ladybug – Noun | A colorful, spotted beetle of the family Coccinellidae
languor – Noun | A state of listlessness, relaxation
6-Letter Words
labile – Adjective | Unstable, likely to change
laches – Noun | Inexcusable delay
lackey – Noun | A manservant
lacuna – Noun | A gap or absent part
laddie – Noun | A young man, boy
lading – Noun | A load, freight
lagger – Noun | A gamer with a slow internet connection
lambda – Noun | The eleventh letter of the Greek alphabet
5-Letter Words
laded – Verb | Loaded cargo
lader – Noun | One who loads cargo
ladle – Noun | A long-handled dipping utensil
lagan – Noun | An object sunk in the sea but marked so as to be recoverable
lager – Noun | A type of beer aged at low temperature
lahar – Noun | A volcanic landslide
laker – Noun | A lake-dwelling fish, especially a lake trout
lanky – Adjective | Tall and thin
lapel – Noun | The front fold of a coat or jacket that attaches to the collar
lapis – Noun | A blue, semi-precious stone
largo – Adverb | At a slow tempo
4-Letter Words
laic – Adjective | Secular
lair – Noun | The den of an animal
lakh – Noun | One hundred thousand, especially that quantity of rupees
laky – Adjective | Pertaining to or resembling a lake
lard – Noun | The solid fat rendered from pork
lath – Noun | A strip of wood used as a base for slates, tiles, or plaster
laud – Verb | To praise
leek – Noun | A biennial herb with a thick cylindrical stalk, similar in taste to an onion
leer – Verb | To look at obliquely, especially with lascivious intent
lynx – Noun | Long-limbed wildcats of the genus Lynx or Felis
3-Letter Words
lav – Noun | A bathroom
lei – Noun | A Hawaiian wreath of flowers
lek – Noun | A unit of Albanian currency
leu – Noun | A unit of Moldavian or Romanian currency
lob – Verb | To throw or hit in an arc
lop – Verb | To cut from a woody plant
lox – Noun | Cured salmon
lug – Verb | To drag or carry with effort
lux – Noun | A unit of illumination equal to one lumen per square meter
lye – Noun | An alkaline solution rich in potassium carbonate, commonly used for making soap
2-Letter Words
la – Noun | The sixth tone of a major scale
lo – Interjection | An expression of wonder
By looking at this list, you may be able to identify some common prefixes. Words that start with “litho-” often have something to do with stone. Words beginning with “lex-” involve the law or written word. 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 L to lord your loquacity over longtime adversaries. Lampoon them with lawless lyrics and lament their lowly lodgings. After leafing through this list and laboring a little, you may find yourself lecturing others as a laureate of L-laden literature. No word finder, word game, or crossword puzzle will leave you feeling lackluster. From lo to labradorescence, you’ll luxuriate in this layered letter, as you lisp latinate L-words late into the night.
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.
