3 Letter Words: List of 2200 Three Letter Words Examples

3 letter words are short English words made of exactly three alphabet letters. These are easy to learn and support early reading, writing, and vocabulary development. In this article, you’ll find a full list of 2200 three letter words with meanings to help children, ESL learners, and beginners improve spelling and word recognition. These simple words are often used as sight words in basic English learning and language exercises.

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What are 3 Letter Words?

Three letter words are words made up of exactly three letters, such as cat, sun, joy, and pen. They are small but powerful, appearing frequently in everyday conversations, reading materials, and writing tasks. For children, they are often the first words they learn after two-letter sight words. They also help English learners build confidence by practicing short, meaningful vocabulary.

Here are some easy examples of 3 letter words:

  • Cat – an animal
  • Sun – the star we see in the sky
  • Hat – something we wear on the head
  • Run – to move fast on foot
  • Pen – used for writing

Common Examples of Three Letter Words in English

  • cat
  • dog
  • sun
  • man
  • boy
  • mom
  • dad
  • bed
  • cup
  • pen
  • hat
  • fan
  • box
  • run
  • sit
  • eat
  • top
  • car
  • toy
  • red
  • big
  • hot
  • new
  • fun
  • leg
  • arm
  • lip
  • eye
  • ear
  • map
  • bus
  • cap
  • bag
  • bat
  • win
  • hop
  • fix
  • lay
  • net
  • pot
  • hen
  • pig
  • cow
  • rat
  • jam
  • egg
  • ice
  • key
  • toy
  • zip
  • joy

Easy Three Letter Words for Kids with Pictures

  • ant
  • bat
  • cat
  • dog
  • pig
  • rat
  • hen
  • cow
  • fox
  • bee
  • sun
  • cup
  • bed
  • fan
  • box
  • hat
  • pen
  • toy
  • bus
  • car
  • egg
  • map
  • jam
  • key
  • boy
3 Letter Words in English with Examples
3 Letter Words in English with Examples

Three Letter Nouns

Nouns name people, animals, places, or things. Common three letter nouns include:

  • cat
  • dog
  • sun
  • pen
  • car
  • map
  • boy
  • bed
  • bag
  • fan
  • toy
  • cup
  • bus
  • lip
  • ear
  • egg
  • hat
  • mom
  • dad
  • hen

Three Letter Pronouns

Pronouns replace nouns in a sentence. Three letter pronouns include:

  • she
  • her
  • him
  • you
  • our
  • his
  • its
  • thy
  • who
  • all
  • any
  • one
  • own
  • yer
  • tho
  • his
  • she
  • our
  • her
  • him

Three Letter Verbs

Verbs describe actions or states. Three letter verbs are simple and very common. Examples include:

  • run
  • sit
  • eat
  • dig
  • hop
  • cut
  • win
  • hit
  • let
  • put
  • lay
  • rid
  • row
  • zip
  • tie
  • jog
  • sip
  • sob
  • hug
  • mix

Three Letter Adjectives

Adjectives describe nouns. Common three letter adjectives are:

  • big
  • hot
  • new
  • red
  • sad
  • bad
  • low
  • dry
  • wet
  • icy
  • fat
  • shy
  • old
  • raw
  • dim
  • far
  • ill
  • mad
  • apt
  • tan

Three Letter Conjunctions

Conjunctions connect words or phrases. There are fewer of them, but examples include:

  • and
  • nor
  • but
  • yet
  • for
  • tho
  • not
  • all
  • any
  • our
  • his
  • her
  • via
  • per
  • off
  • out
  • now
  • too
  • ere
  • aye

Three Letter Articles

Articles define nouns. Some short three letter articles are:

  • the
  • all
  • one
  • any
  • our
  • her
  • his
  • thy
  • yer
  • its
  • own
  • all
  • one
  • any
  • our
  • his
  • her
  • thy
  • its
  • the

Three Letter Adverbs

Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. Examples of three letter adverbs include:

  • now
  • too
  • off
  • out
  • low
  • not
  • far
  • why
  • how
  • ago
  • ill
  • yet
  • nor
  • all
  • any
  • per
  • via
  • oft
  • ere
  • aye

Three Letter Prepositions

Prepositions show relationships in sentences. Common three letter prepositions include:

  • for
  • per
  • via
  • off
  • out
  • nor
  • put
  • set
  • let
  • bet
  • out
  • off
  • and
  • nor
  • but
  • yet
  • for
  • per
  • via
  • off

Three Letter Interjections

Interjections express emotions or reactions. Fun three letter interjections include:

  • hey
  • wow
  • ooh
  • aha
  • yay
  • boo
  • ugh
  • meh
  • hmm
  • ehh
  • eek
  • yay
  • ohh
  • psh
  • ack
  • hah
  • grr
  • tsk
  • who
  • aha
Easy Three Letter Words for Kids with Pictures
Easy Three Letter Words for Kids with Pictures

Positive Three Letter Words

  • Joy
  • Fun
  • Win
  • Sun
  • Gem
  • Ace
  • Yes
  • Hug
  • Fan
  • Pal
  • Pro
  • Fit
  • Top
  • New
  • Wow
  • All
  • Run
  • Jam
  • Zen
  • Bee
  • God
  • Boy
  • Gal
  • Kid
  • Bro

Complete List of 3 Letter Words from A to Z

Three Letter Words that Start with A

  • ace
  • act
  • add
  • age
  • aid
  • aim
  • air
  • ale
  • all
  • amp
  • and
  • ant
  • any
  • ape
  • apt
  • arc
  • are
  • arm
  • art
  • ash
  • ask
  • ate
  • awe
  • awl
  • axe

Three Letter Words that Start with B

  • bad
  • bag
  • bam
  • ban
  • bar
  • bat
  • bay
  • bed
  • bee
  • beg
  • bel
  • bet
  • bib
  • big
  • bin
  • bit
  • boa
  • bob
  • bog
  • boo
  • bow
  • box
  • boy
  • bun
  • bus

Three Letter Words that Start with C

  • cab
  • cad
  • cam
  • can
  • cap
  • car
  • cat
  • cob
  • cod
  • cog
  • con
  • cop
  • cot
  • cow
  • coy
  • cry
  • cub
  • cue
  • cup
  • cut

Three Letter Words that Start with D

  • dab
  • dad
  • dam
  • day
  • den
  • dew
  • did
  • dig
  • dim
  • din
  • dip
  • doc
  • dog
  • don
  • dot
  • dry
  • dub
  • dug
  • duo
  • dye

Three Letter Words that Start with E

  • ear
  • eat
  • ebb
  • eco
  • egg
  • ego
  • eke
  • elf
  • elm
  • end
  • era
  • err
  • eve
  • ewe
  • eye
  • ebb
  • eke
  • elm
  • eve
  • ewe

Three Letter Words that Start with F

  • fab
  • fad
  • fan
  • far
  • fat
  • fax
  • fed
  • fee
  • fen
  • few
  • fig
  • fin
  • fir
  • fit
  • fix
  • flu
  • fly
  • fog
  • for
  • fox

Three Letter Words that Start with G

  • gab
  • gad
  • gag
  • gal
  • gap
  • gas
  • gay
  • gel
  • gem
  • get
  • gig
  • gin
  • gip
  • gob
  • god
  • got
  • gum
  • gun
  • gut
  • guy

Three Letter Words that Start with H

  • had
  • ham
  • has
  • hat
  • hay
  • hem
  • hen
  • her
  • hid
  • him
  • hip
  • his
  • hit
  • hog
  • hop
  • hot
  • how
  • hub
  • hug
  • hum

Three Letter Words that Start with I

  • ice
  • icy
  • ill
  • imp
  • ink
  • inn
  • ion
  • ire
  • irk
  • iso
  • its
  • ivy
  • ice
  • ink
  • inn
  • ion
  • ire
  • irk
  • ivy
  • iso

Three Letter Words that Start with J

  • jab
  • jag
  • jam
  • jar
  • jaw
  • jay
  • jet
  • jib
  • jig
  • job
  • jog
  • jot
  • joy
  • jug
  • jut
  • jam
  • jab
  • joy
  • jet
  • jog

Three Letter Words that Start with K

  • kab
  • keg
  • ken
  • key
  • kid
  • kin
  • kip
  • kit
  • koi
  • lab
  • keg
  • ken
  • kid
  • kin
  • kip
  • kit
  • koa
  • kos
  • kud
  • kuk

Three Letter Words that Start with L

  • lab
  • lad
  • lag
  • lap
  • law
  • lay
  • led
  • leg
  • let
  • lid
  • lie
  • lip
  • log
  • lop
  • lot
  • low
  • lug
  • lux
  • lye
  • lab

Three Letter Words that Start with M

  • mad
  • man
  • map
  • mat
  • maw
  • may
  • med
  • men
  • met
  • mid
  • mix
  • mob
  • mom
  • mop
  • mot
  • mud
  • mug
  • mum
  • mug
  • mut

Three Letter Words that Start with N

  • nab
  • nag
  • nap
  • nay
  • net
  • new
  • nib
  • nil
  • nip
  • nod
  • nor
  • not
  • now
  • nub
  • nut
  • nag
  • nap
  • net
  • new
  • nip

Three Letter Words that Start with O

  • oak
  • oar
  • oat
  • odd
  • ode
  • off
  • oft
  • oil
  • old
  • one
  • opt
  • orb
  • ore
  • our
  • out
  • owl
  • own
  • oxo
  • oxy
  • oat

Three Letter Words that Start with P

  • pad
  • pal
  • pan
  • pap
  • par
  • pat
  • paw
  • pay
  • pea
  • peg
  • pen
  • pep
  • pet
  • pew
  • phi
  • pig
  • pin
  • pip
  • pit
  • ply

Three Letter Words that Start with Q

  • qua
  • qis
  • qat
  • qin
  • quo
  • que
  • qis
  • qat
  • qua
  • qin
  • quo
  • qis
  • qat
  • qua
  • qin
  • que
  • quo
  • qis
  • qat
  • qua

Three Letter Words that Start with R

  • rab
  • rad
  • rag
  • ram
  • ran
  • rap
  • rat
  • raw
  • ray
  • red
  • ref
  • rem
  • rep
  • rev
  • rib
  • rid
  • rig
  • rim
  • rip
  • rob

Three Letter Words that Start with S

  • sad
  • sag
  • sap
  • sat
  • saw
  • say
  • sea
  • sec
  • see
  • set
  • sew
  • she
  • shy
  • sip
  • sir
  • sit
  • six
  • sky
  • sly
  • sob

Three Letter Words that Start with T

  • tab
  • tad
  • tag
  • tan
  • tap
  • tar
  • tat
  • tea
  • ted
  • tee
  • ten
  • the
  • thy
  • tic
  • tie
  • tin
  • tip
  • toe
  • ton
  • top

Three Letter Words that Start with U

  • udo
  • ugh
  • ump
  • uni
  • ups
  • urb
  • use
  • ute
  • urn
  • udo
  • uke
  • ulu
  • ult
  • uds
  • urs
  • uta
  • ute
  • ulu
  • uns
  • urb

Three Letter Words that Start with V

  • van
  • vat
  • veg
  • vet
  • vex
  • via
  • vie
  • vig
  • vim
  • vow
  • vox
  • vug
  • vaw
  • vau
  • vid
  • vis
  • von
  • vak
  • vos
  • val

Three Letter Words that Start with W

  • wad
  • wag
  • war
  • was
  • wax
  • way
  • web
  • wed
  • wee
  • wen
  • wet
  • who
  • why
  • win
  • wit
  • woe
  • won
  • woo
  • wow
  • wry

Three Letter Words that Start with X

  • xat
  • xed
  • xen
  • xis
  • xit
  • xus
  • xyl
  • xyr
  • xis
  • xed
  • xat
  • xen
  • xis
  • xit
  • xus
  • xyr
  • xyl
  • xed
  • xen
  • xis

Three Letter Words that Start with Y

  • yak
  • yam
  • yap
  • yar
  • yaw
  • yea
  • yen
  • yep
  • yes
  • yet
  • yew
  • yin
  • yip
  • yon
  • you
  • yow
  • yup
  • yaw
  • yin
  • yam

Three Letter Words that Start with Z

  • zag
  • zap
  • zax
  • zen
  • zig
  • zip
  • zit
  • zoo
  • zed
  • zek
  • zos
  • zow
  • zim
  • zai
  • zao
  • zuz
  • zho
  • zzz
  • zuq
  • zan
100 Useful Three Letter Words Examples and Usage
100 Useful Three Letter Words Examples and Usage

Top 3 Letter Words for Kindergarten Students with Sounds

These words are perfect for teaching sounds and spelling:

  • Cat – /k/ /a/ /t/
  • Dog – /d/ /o/ /g/
  • Sun – /s/ /ʌ/ /n/
  • Hat – /h/ /æ/ /t/
  • Pen – /p/ /ɛ/ /n/
  • Bat – /b/ /æ/ /t/
  • Box – /b/ /ɒ/ /k/ s
  • Car – /k/ /ɑː/ /r/
  • Egg – /ɛ/ /g/
  • Fan – /f/ /æ/ /n/
  • Bed – /b/ /ɛ/ /d/
  • Rat – /r/ /æ/ /t/
  • Bag – /b/ /æ/ /g/
  • Pig – /p/ /ɪ/ /g/
  • Bus – /b/ /ʌ/ /s/
  • Jam – /ʤ/ /æ/ /m/
  • Map – /m/ /æ/ /p/
  • Net – /n/ /ɛ/ /t/
  • Toy – /t/ /ɔɪ/
  • Log – /l/ /ɒ/ /g/

100 Useful Three Letter Words with Meanings and Sentences

Here’s a list of 100 useful three letter words with simple meanings and example sentences to help learners understand and use them easily:

  1. Act – To do something.
    She will act in the play.
  2. Age – How old someone or something is.
    My dog’s age is five years.
  3. Air – The invisible gas we breathe.
    The air feels fresh today.
  4. And – Used to join words or ideas.
    I like apples and oranges.
  5. Ant – A small insect.
    The ant is carrying food.
  6. Arm – Part of the body from shoulder to hand.
    He broke his arm.
  7. Bad – Not good.
    The weather is bad today.
  8. Bag – A container to carry things.
    She has a big bag.
  9. Bat – An animal or a sports tool.
    The bat flies at night.
  10. Bed – Where you sleep.
    I go to bed early.
  11. Bet – To risk money on a result.
    He made a bet on the game.
  12. Big – Large in size.
    That is a big house.
  13. Bus – A large vehicle for carrying passengers.
    The bus is late today.
  14. Car – A vehicle with four wheels.
    She drives a red car.
  15. Cat – A small pet animal.
    The cat is sleeping.
  16. Cow – A farm animal that gives milk.
    The cow eats grass.
  17. Cut – To divide with a sharp tool.
    Be careful not to cut yourself.
  18. Day – A period of 24 hours.
    Today is a sunny day.
  19. Den – A small cozy room or animal’s home.
    The fox hides in its den.
  20. Dog – A common pet animal.
    The dog barks loudly.
  21. Dry – Without water or moisture.
    The clothes are dry now.
  22. Ear – The body part for hearing.
    She whispered into my ear.
  23. Eat – To take food into the mouth.
    We eat lunch at noon.
  24. Egg – Food from birds, used in cooking.
    I had an egg for breakfast.
  25. End – The final part of something.
    This is the end of the book.
  26. Eye – The organ for seeing.
    She has blue eyes.
  27. Fan – A device to move air or a supporter.
    Turn on the fan, please.
  28. Far – At a great distance.
    The school is far from here.
  29. Fat – A part of the body or food.
    Some foods have a lot of fat.
  30. Fly – To move through the air.
    Birds fly in the sky.
  31. Fun – Enjoyment or amusement.
    We had fun at the park.
  32. Gap – An empty space.
    There is a gap in the fence.
  33. Gas – A state of matter like air or fuel.
    Cars run on gas.
  34. Get – To receive or obtain.
    I get presents on my birthday.
  35. God – A supreme being in many religions.
    People pray to God.
  36. Gun – A weapon that shoots bullets.
    The police carry a gun.
  37. Hat – Something worn on the head.
    He wears a hat in winter.
  38. Hen – A female chicken.
    The hen lays eggs.
  39. Hit – To strike someone or something.
    He hit the ball hard.
  40. Hot – Having high temperature.
    The sun is hot today.
  41. Ice – Frozen water.
    I put ice in my drink.
  42. Ink – Colored liquid used for writing.
    The pen has blue ink.
  43. Jar – A container for holding things.
    The jam is in the jar.
  44. Jet – A fast airplane or stream of fluid.
    The jet flies very fast.
  45. Job – Work someone does.
    He has a new job.
  46. Joy – A feeling of happiness.
    She felt joy on her birthday.
  47. Key – Used to open locks.
    I lost my house key.
  48. Kid – A child or young goat.
    The kid plays in the yard.
  49. Leg – Part of the body used for walking.
    My leg hurts.
  50. Lip – The edge of the mouth.
    She smiled with red lips.
  51. Log – A cut piece of a tree.
    We burned the log in the fire.
  52. Man – An adult male human.
    The man is tall.
  53. Map – A drawing showing locations.
    The map shows our route.
  54. Mat – A small piece of material on the floor.
    Wipe your feet on the mat.
  55. Mud – Wet dirt.
    The ground is full of mud.
  56. Net – A mesh used to catch things.
    The fisherman uses a net.
  57. New – Recently made or found.
    She bought a new dress.
  58. Not – Used to make negatives.
    I do not like spinach.
  59. Now – At this moment.
    I am busy now.
  60. Nut – A hard fruit with a seed inside.
    Squirrels eat nuts.
  61. Oak – A type of tree.
    The oak tree is very tall.
  62. Oil – A liquid used for cooking or machines.
    Use oil to fry the food.
  63. Old – Having lived for many years.
    My grandmother is old.
  64. One – The number 1.
    I have one pencil.
  65. Out – Away from inside.
    He went out of the room.
  66. Pet – An animal kept for company.
    I have a pet dog.
  67. Pig – A farm animal.
    The pig rolls in the mud.
  68. Pin – A small sharp object.
    Use a pin to fix the cloth.
  69. Pot – A container for cooking.
    The soup is in the pot.
  70. Put – To place something somewhere.
    Put the book on the table.
  71. Rat – A small rodent.
    The rat runs fast.
  72. Red – A color.
    The apple is red.
  73. Run – To move quickly on feet.
    She likes to run daily.
  74. Sad – Feeling unhappy.
    He feels sad today.
  75. Sat – Past of sit; to rest on a seat.
    She sat on the chair.
  76. Sea – Large body of salt water.
    The sea is calm today.
  77. See – To use eyes to look.
    I see a bird.
  78. Set – To put things in place.
    Set the table for dinner.
  79. Sit – To rest on the bottom.
    Please sit down.
  80. Sky – The space above the earth.
    The sky is blue.
  81. Sun – The star that gives light and heat.
    The sun is bright.
  82. Tap – To hit lightly.
    Tap the drum gently.
  83. Ten – The number 10.
    I have ten fingers.
  84. Toy – An object children play with.
    The child has many toys.
  85. Try – To attempt to do something.
    Try your best in exams.
  86. Two – The number 2.
    I have two books.
  87. Use – To do something with a tool.
    Use a pencil to write.
  88. Van – A type of vehicle.
    The van is parked outside.
  89. War – Fighting between groups or countries.
    The war ended long ago.
  90. Was – Past form of “is” or “was.”
    She was happy yesterday.
  91. Wet – Covered with water.
    My clothes are wet.
  92. Win – To be the best or succeed.
    They win the game.
  93. Yes – Used to agree.
    Yes, I will help you.
  94. You – Used to talk to a person.
    You are kind.
  95. Zip – To close with a zipper.
    Zip up your jacket.
  96. Zoo – A place with animals.
    We visited the zoo.
  97. Bug – A small insect.
    The bug crawled on the leaf.
  98. Cap – A hat with a flat top.
    He wears a cap.
  99. Dip – To put something briefly into liquid.
    Dip the bread in soup.
  100. Row – A line of things or to move a boat.
    They sit in a row.

3 Letter Words with Vowels and Consonants for Pronunciation Practice

With short vowels:

  • Cat, Pen, Dog, Bus, Log

With long vowels:

  • Bee, Toe, Aye, Oar, Eel

Consonant-heavy:

  • Fly, Sky, Cry, Try, Dry

Mixed with blends:

  • Fit, Get, Hot, Mud, Net

How to Remember and Memorize 3 Letter Words Fast and Easy

  1. Group by sounds – like “bat, cat, mat”
  2. Use flashcards – for quick practice
  3. Practice writing – simple spelling tasks
  4. Say aloud – for pronunciation
  5. Learn 5 daily – small steps help memory

FAQs about 3 Letter Words

What are 3 letter words?

3 letter words are simple English words made up of three letters, often combining vowels and consonants, used to help beginners with reading and writing.

Why should kids learn 3 letter words first?

Because they are easy to read and spell, 3 letter words build a strong foundation for children’s vocabulary and improve their early language skills.

How can I practice 3 letter words at home?

You can practice by reading aloud, writing the words, and playing phonics games to help remember spelling and pronunciation.

Are 3 letter words helpful for English pronunciation?

Yes, they help learners recognize basic sound patterns, improving both speaking clarity and listening skills.

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About the author

Muhammad Qasim

Muhammad Qasim is an English language educator and ESL content creator with a degree from the University of Agriculture Faisalabad and TEFL certification. He has over 5 years of experience teaching grammar, vocabulary, and spoken English. Muhammad manages several educational blogs designed to support ESL learners with practical lessons, visual resources, and topic-based content. He blends his teaching experience with digital tools to make learning accessible to a global audience. He’s also active on YouTube (1.6M Subscribers), Facebook (1.8M Followers), Instagram (100k Followers) and Pinterest( (170k Followers), where he shares bite-sized English tips to help learners improve step by step.