If you want to add some “kick” to your word game strategy, starting with the letter K is a brilliant move. While it’s not the most common letter, K is a high-impact consonant that can help you unlock difficult Wordle grids or land a massive score in Words With Friends. In this guide, we’ve put together a simple list of 5 letter words starting with K. To help you win your next match, we’ve included the Words With Friends point values as a small subscript next to each word.

Highest Scoring 5 Letter Word Starting With K
In competitive play, K is worth 5 points, making it a great base for high-scoring turns. If you have tiles like J, Z, or X , try to memorize these three heavy-hitters:
- KOPJE₂₁ – This is the king of ‘K’ words. It uses the J (10 points) and P (4 points) to hit a massive 21 points. It’s a great term for a small hill that can lead to a big win!
- KUDZU₂₁ – A perfect 21-point play if you have a Z . It’s a fast-growing vine, and it will make your score grow just as quickly.
- KLUTZ₂₀ – Everyone’s favorite word for a clumsy person is actually a very smart move in word games. It uses the Z and scores a solid 20 points.
5 Letter Words starting with K
| KOPJE₂₁ | KUDZU₂₁ | KANZU₂₀ | KARZY₂₀ | KHAZI₂₀ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KLUTZ₂₀ | KAJAL₁₉ | KANJI₁₉ | KYLIX₁₉ | KAREZ₁₈ |
| KAZOO₁₈ | KICKY₁₈ | KYACK₁₈ | KEMPY₁₇ | KLICK₁₇ |
| KNACK₁₇ | KNICK₁₇ | KNOCK₁₇ | KAMIK₁₆ | KAPOK₁₆ |
| KECKS₁₆ | KEXES₁₆ | KHAPH₁₆ | KICKS₁₆ | KINKY₁₆ |
| KOMBU₁₆ | KOPEK₁₆ | KABAB₁₅ | KABOB₁₅ | KAPPA₁₅ |
| KAYAK₁₅ | KEBAB₁₅ | KEBOB₁₅ | KELPY₁₅ | KEMPS₁₅ |
| KEMPT₁₅ | KENCH₁₅ | KHAKI₁₅ | KHOUM₁₅ | KIBBE₁₅ |
| KIBBI₁₅ | KIPPA₁₅ | KOOKY₁₅ | KOPPA₁₅ | KUKUS₁₅ |
| KULAK₁₅ | KUMYS₁₅ | KVELL₁₅ | KYAKS₁₅ | KAPHS₁₄ |
| KEECH₁₄ | KETCH₁₄ | KEVEL₁₄ | KEVIL₁₄ | KHAFS₁₄ |
| KHYAL₁₄ | KINKS₁₄ | KIPAH₁₄ | KIPSY₁₄ | KIRBY₁₄ |
| KLIKS₁₄ | KNAVE₁₄ | KNOWN₁₄ | KONKS₁₄ | KOPHS₁₄ |
| KOTCH₁₄ | KUKRI₁₄ | KULFI₁₄ | KYPES₁₄ | KAIAK₁₃ |
| KAKAS₁₃ | KAKIS₁₃ | KALAM₁₃ | KALIF₁₃ | KALPA₁₃ |
| KAPUR₁₃ | KAPUT₁₃ | KARKS₁₃ | KAVAS₁₃ | KCALS₁₃ |
| KEAKI₁₃ | KEEKS₁₃ | KEEVE₁₃ | KELEP₁₃ | KELIM₁₃ |
| KELLY₁₃ | KELPS₁₃ | KENAF₁₃ | KHETH₁₃ | KHUDS₁₃ |
| KHULA₁₃ | KIBLA₁₃ | KIDDY₁₃ | KIEVE₁₃ | KIKOI₁₃ |
| KILIM₁₃ | KINDY₁₃ | KIOSK₁₃ | KIRKS₁₃ | KITKE₁₃ |
| KIVAS₁₃ | KLONG₁₃ | KLOOF₁₃ | KLUGE₁₃ | KNAPS₁₃ |
| KNIFE₁₃ | KNOBS₁₃ | KNOPS₁₃ | KNOSP₁₃ | KNOWS₁₃ |
| KOOKS₁₃ | KRUBI₁₃ | KUFIS₁₃ | KUGEL₁₃ | KUMIS₁₃ |
| KVASS₁₃ | KWEEN₁₃ | KWELA₁₃ | KYLIN₁₃ | KYTHE₁₃ |
If you want to find out words starting with other letters, you can check our Master List of 5-Letter Words to find every word from A to Z!
Tips for Winning With “K” Words
- In Wordle: Look for the “Silent K.” Many 5-letter words starting with K are followed by an ‘N’ (like KNACK₁₇ , KNIFE₁₃ , or KNEAD₁₁ ). If you are stuck on a word starting with K, testing an ‘N’ in the second spot is a great way to find the answer.
- In Words With Friends: Use the “Double K” trick. Unlike Wordle, which rarely uses double consonants that aren’t common (like LL or SS), words like KICKY₁₈ or KAYAK₁₅ allow you to play two ‘K’ tiles at once for a solid score.
- The ‘Y’ Connection: K often pairs beautifully with the letter Y at the end. If you have a green K at the start, don’t be afraid to test words like KINKY₁₆ or KISSY₁₁ .