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Words that start with Y

Young yellow yaks yodelling in Yongala.

Browse words in categories starting with Y

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Y is for Yabby

A yabby is a small crayfish that is found in creeks, rivers and billabongs in Australia. They can be caught and eaten in much the same way as larger crayfish.

Y is for Yacht

A yacht is a type of fast sailing boat. Sailboats do not have engines or motors, they move because the wind blows them along.

Y is for Yak

A yak is a relative of the cow. Yaks live in high mountains, and have long shaggy hair to keep out the cold.

Y is for Yam

A yam is the tuber of a vine, found in many countries around the world. Yam tubers can grow very big - up to 70kg. Yams have a rough skin that is hard to peel, but much softer flesh inside.
Many people call sweet potatoes yams or sweet yams, but they are actually different vegetables.
Some variety of yam can be eaten raw, but most need to be cooked. Yams can be fried, boiled, pounded down and made into a dough. They can also be dried and powdered and used to make something similar to instant mashed potato.

Y is for Yank

You yank something when you pull it suddenly and quite hard.

Y is for Yap

A yap is a short, sharp, high pitched bark. Small dogs tend to yap, and can be very annoying for people who live near them.

Y is for Yard

A yard is an outdoor area surrounded by a fence. Yards can be used to keep animals in, and unwanted visitors out. In suburbia, yards are close to houses and you usually grow a garden in your yard.

A yard is also a unit of measurement equalling 3 feet, 36 inches, or 0.9144 metres.

Y is for Yarn

Yarn is made from animal hair, spun into a long, thin string. It can be made in a range of thicknesses and then dyed in any color. People then use the yarn to knit things like socks out of.

Y is for Yawn

A yawn is where your mouth opens wide and you take a deep breath in and out. Yawns just happen by themselves, they are hard to stop.
People and animals yawn when they are tired, stressed, overworked or bored, or for no reason at all. Yawning is infectious - if someone near you yawns, you often start yawning too! You might even start to yawn by looking at a photo of someone yawning, so don't stare at the photo of the yawning cat for too long.

Y is for Year

A year marks a length of time of approximately 365 days. Each year has four seasons, summer, winter, autumn and spring.

Y is for Yearn

You yearn for something when you really, really want to have it. The lizard in the picture is yearning for the freedom of being outside.

Y is for Yeast

Yeast is a very tiny fungal organism. Some species of yeast are used in baking and brewing. Yeast can make bread rise and become light and fluffy, and it can be used to make some wines and beers.
Yeast extract is used to make some very strongly flavoured spreads like Vegemite.

Y is for Yell

You yell when you shout loudly. People often yell out to get someone's attention, or because they are hurt.

Y is for Yelled

Yelled is the past tense of yell.

Y is for Yellow

Yellow is a very bright colour often seen on insects, fruits and flowers. It is a primary colour, which means yellow paint can be used to make other colours but you can't use any other colours to make yellow paint. The rose in the picture is yellow.

Y is for Yellowish

Something is yellowish if it is a little bit yellow but not enough to describe it as completely yellow. Many white things become yellowed as they age, for example the pages of books.

Y is for Yelp

A yelp is a short, sharp noise made by a dog, often because they have been hurt. Anyone who makes a similar sound is also said to be yelping, for example "she let out a yelp of pain".

Y is for Yes

Yes is the response you make to a question or statement when you agree with it. For example, if someone asks you "do you want some icecream?" you say "yes" if you want some, and "no" if you don't.

Y is for Yesterday

Yesterday is the day before today. People sometimes use yesterday to describe something in the recent past, as in "yesterday food was a lot cheaper".

Y is for Yeti

A Yeti is a hairy, human-like creature said to live in the mountains in Nepal. Yetis are legendary creatures, but it hasn't been proven either way that they exist or are just a myth.