Commonly used words in written English - letter V with 182 words, sorted by frequency

The list of words starting with the letter V that occur frequently in written English is based on an analysis of the Google Books Ngram (a collection compiled by Peter Norvig in 2012, containing close to one trillion words).
  1. Word Frequency is calculated as the number of occurrences in one million words.
  2. Word Definition is sourced from the WordNet dictionary. You'll have to look up each word page for its complete definition and Part of Speech (POS) categories.
Word Frequency Definition
very
1,004
(adverb) used as intensifiers; 'real' is sometimes used informally for 'really'; 'rattling' is informal
view
402
(verb) look at carefully; study mentally; (noun) the visual percept of a region
value
340
(verb) fix or determine the value of; assign a value to; (noun) a numerical quantity measured or assigned or computed
various
265
(adjective) distinctly dissimilar or unlike
values
179
(noun) beliefs of a person or social group in which they have an emotional investment (either for or against something)
voice
169
(verb) give voice to; (noun) the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
volume
169
(noun) the amount of 3-dimensional space occupied by an object
v
145
(noun) the 22nd letter of the Roman alphabet
visit
145
(verb) go to see a place, as for entertainment; (noun) the act of going to see some person or place or thing for a short time
village
129
(noun) a community of people smaller than a town
variable
127
(adjective) liable to or capable of change; (noun) something that is likely to vary; something that is subject to variation
variety
121
(noun) (biology) a taxonomic category consisting of members of a species that differ from others of the same species in minor but heritable characteristics
vessel
93
(noun) a tube in which a body fluid circulates
vote
90
(verb) express one's preference for a candidate or for a measure or resolution; cast a vote; (noun) a choice that is made by counting the number of people in favor of each alternative
variation
85
(noun) an instance of change; the rate or magnitude of change
valley
79
(noun) a long depression in the surface of the land that usually contains a river
version
78
(noun) an interpretation of a matter from a particular viewpoint
vision
77
(noun) a vivid mental image
van
74
(noun) (Great Britain) a closed railroad car that carries baggage or freight
virtue
68
(noun) the quality of doing what is right and avoiding what is wrong
vary
65
(verb) be subject to change in accordance with a variable
violence
64
(noun) an act of aggression (as one against a person who resists)
vi
58
(adjective) denoting a quantity consisting of six items or units; (noun) the cardinal number that is the sum of five and one
valuable
56
(adjective) having great material or monetary value especially for use or exchange; (noun) something of value
vast
55
(adjective) unusually great in size or amount or degree or especially extent or scope
victim
55
(noun) an unfortunate person who suffers from some adverse circumstance
virginia
53
(noun) a state in the eastern United States; one of the original 13 colonies; one of the Confederate States in the American Civil War
vice
52
(noun) a specific form of evildoing
victory
52
(noun) a successful ending of a struggle or contest
velocity
51
(noun) distance travelled per unit time
vehicle
50
(noun) a conveyance that transports people or objects
visual
50
(adjective) relating to or using sight
verse
49
(verb) compose verses or put into verse; (noun) a piece of poetry
visible
47
(adjective) capable of being seen; or open to easy view
vertical
43
(adjective) at right angles to the plane of the horizon or a base line; (noun) something that is oriented vertically
via
43
(preposition) by the way of
vii
40
(adjective) being one more than six; (noun) the cardinal number that is the sum of six and one
voltage
40
(noun) the rate at which energy is drawn from a source that produces a flow of electricity in a circuit; expressed in volts
vital
39
(adjective) performing an essential function in the living body
versus
37
(preposition) against; chiefly used in legal language, and abbreviated to v. or vs
violent
37
(adjective) acting with or marked by or resulting from great force or energy or emotional intensity
visitor
37
(noun) someone who visits
vegetable
35
(noun) edible seeds or roots or stems or leaves or bulbs or tubers or nonsweet fruits of any of numerous herbaceous plant
vein
35
(verb) make a veinlike pattern; (noun) a blood vessel that carries blood from the capillaries toward the heart
viii
34
(adjective) being one more than seven; (noun) the cardinal number that is the sum of seven and one
virus
34
(noun) (virology) ultramicroscopic infectious agent that replicates itself only within cells of living hosts; many are pathogenic; a piece of nucleic acid (DNA or RNA) wrapped in a thin coat of protein
valve
33
(noun) a structure in a hollow organ (like the heart) with a flap to insure one-way flow of fluid through it
varied
33
(adjective) characterized by variety
valid
32
(adjective) well grounded in logic or truth or having legal force
vector
32
(noun) a variable quantity that can be resolved into components
virtually
32
(adverb) in essence or effect but not in fact
varying
31
(adjective) marked by diversity or difference
venture
31
(verb) proceed somewhere despite the risk of possible dangers; (noun) any venturesome undertaking especially one with an uncertain outcome
volunteer
31
(verb) tell voluntarily; (noun) (military) a person who freely enlists for service
verb
30
(noun) the word class that serves as the predicate of a sentence
video
28
(noun) the visible part of a television transmission
violation
28
(noun) an act that disregards an agreement or a right
voyage
27
(verb) travel on water propelled by wind or by other means; (noun) a journey to some distant place
validity
26
(noun) the quality of having legal force or effectiveness
verbal
26
(adjective) of or relating to or formed from words in general
voluntary
26
(adjective) of your own free will or design; done by choice; not forced or compelled; (noun) composition (often improvised) for a solo instrument (especially solo organ) and not a regular part of a religious service or musical performance
vain
25
(adjective) characteristic of false pride; having an exaggerated sense of self-importance
vitamin
24
(noun) any of a group of organic substances essential in small quantities to normal metabolism
variance
23
(noun) the second moment around the mean; the expected value of the square of the deviations of a random variable from its mean value
vietnam
23
(noun) a communist state in Indochina on the South China Sea; achieved independence from France in 1945
virgin
21
(adjective) being used or worked for the first time; (noun) a person who has never had sex
voter
21
(noun) a citizen who has a legal right to vote
visiting
20
(noun) the activity of making visits
void
20
(verb) clear (a room, house, place) of occupants or empty or clear (a place or receptacle) of something; (adjective) containing nothing
voting
20
(noun) a choice that is made by counting the number of people in favor of each alternative
vienna
19
(noun) the capital and largest city of Austria; located on the Danube in northeastern Austria; was the home of Beethoven and Brahms and Haydn and Mozart and Schubert and Strauss
vague
18
(adjective) lacking clarity or distinctness
victor
18
(noun) a combatant who is able to defeat rivals
victoria
18
(noun) queen of Great Britain and Ireland and empress of India from 1837 to 1901; the last Hanoverian ruler of England (1819-1901)
vacuum
17
(verb) clean with a vacuum cleaner; (noun) the absence of matter
veteran
17
(noun) a serviceman who has seen considerable active service
vigorous
17
(adjective) characterized by forceful and energetic action or activity
virtual
17
(adjective) being actually such in almost every respect
vocabulary
17
(noun) a listing of the words used in some enterprise
valued
16
(adjective) (usually used in combination) having value of a specified kind
vegetation
16
(noun) all the plant life in a particular region or period
vibration
16
(noun) the act of vibrating
variant
15
(adjective) differing from a norm or standard
vascular
15
(adjective) of or relating to or having vessels that conduct and circulate fluids
venice
14
(noun) the provincial capital of Veneto; built on 118 islands within a lagoon in the Gulf of Venice; has canals instead of streets; one of Italy's major ports and a famous tourist attraction
vicinity
14
(noun) a surrounding or nearby region
viewpoint
14
(noun) a mental position from which things are viewed
violate
14
(verb) fail to agree with; be in violation of; as of rules or patterns
vulnerable
14
(adjective) susceptible to attack
vocational
13
(adjective) of or relating to a vocation or occupation; especially providing or undergoing training in special skills
vacation
12
(verb) spend or take a vacation; (noun) leisure time away from work devoted to rest or pleasure
valuation
12
(noun) assessed price
vapor
12
(noun) a visible suspension in the air of particles of some substance
vendor
12
(noun) someone who promotes or exchanges goods or services for money
verdict
12
(noun) (law) the findings of a jury on issues of fact submitted to it for decision; can be used in formulating a judgment
viewing
12
(noun) a vigil held over a corpse the night before burial
villa
12
(noun) detached or semidetached suburban house
vivid
12
(adjective) having the clarity and freshness of immediate experience
vocal
12
(adjective) relating to or designed for or using the singing voice
vow
12
(verb) make a vow; promise; (noun) a solemn pledge (to oneself or to another or to a deity) to do something or to behave in a certain manner
va
11
(noun) a state in the eastern United States; one of the original 13 colonies; one of the Confederate States in the American Civil War
variability
11
(noun) the quality of being subject to variation
victorian
11
(adjective) of or relating to Queen Victoria of Great Britain or to the age in which she ruled; (noun) a person who lived during the reign of Victoria
vine
11
(noun) a plant with a weak stem that derives support from climbing, twining, or creeping along a surface
violet
11
(noun) any of numerous low-growing violas with small flowers
vowel
11
(noun) a speech sound made with the vocal tract open
vanity
10
(noun) the quality of being valueless or futile
veil
10
(verb) to obscure, or conceal with or as if with a veil; (noun) a membranous covering attached to the immature fruiting body of certain mushrooms
ventricular
10
(adjective) of or relating to a ventricle (of the heart or brain)
vested
10
(adjective) fixed and absolute and without contingency
violated
10
(adjective) treated irreverently or sacrilegiously
vanished
9
(adjective) having passed out of existence
venous
9
(adjective) of or contained in or performing the function of the veins
ventilation
9
(noun) the act of supplying fresh air and getting rid of foul air
venus
9
(noun) the second nearest planet to the sun; it is peculiar in that its rotation is slow and retrograde (in the opposite sense of the Earth and all other planets except Uranus); it is visible from Earth as an early 'morning star' or an 'evening star'
verify
9
(verb) confirm the truth of
viable
9
(adjective) capable of life or normal growth and development
villager
9
(noun) one who has lived in a village most of their life
vacancy
8
(noun) being unoccupied
vacant
8
(adjective) void of intelligence or thought
vaccine
8
(noun) immunogen consisting of a suspension of weakened or dead pathogenic cells injected in order to stimulate the production of antibodies
vault
8
(verb) jump across or leap over (an obstacle); (noun) a burial chamber (usually underground)
vengeance
8
(noun) the act of taking revenge (harming someone in retaliation for something harmful that they have done) especially in the next life
ventricle
8
(noun) one of four connected cavities in the brain; is continuous with the central canal of the spinal cord and contains cerebrospinal fluid
vicious
8
(adjective) having the nature of vice
vietnamese
8
(adjective) of or relating to or characteristic of Vietnam or its people or its language; (noun) a native or inhabitant of Vietnam
vigorously
8
(adverb) with vigor; in a vigorous manner
violin
8
(noun) bowed stringed instrument that is the highest member of the violin family; this instrument has four strings and a hollow body and an unfretted fingerboard and is played with a bow
viral
8
(adjective) relating to or caused by a virus
virtuous
8
(adjective) morally excellent
viscosity
8
(noun) resistance of a liquid to shear forces (and hence to flow)
vitality
8
(noun) an energetic style
volatile
8
(adjective) evaporating readily at normal temperatures and pressures; (noun) a volatile substance; a substance that changes readily from solid or liquid to a vapor
volcanic
8
(adjective) relating to or produced by or consisting of volcanoes
volt
8
(noun) a unit of potential equal to the potential difference between two points on a conductor carrying a current of 1 ampere when the power dissipated between the two points is 1 watt; equivalent to the potential difference across a resistance of 1 ohm when 1 ampere of current flows through it
voluntarily
8
(adverb) out of your own free will
vomiting
8
(noun) the reflex act of ejecting the contents of the stomach through the mouth
vulgar
8
(adjective) of or associated with the great masses of people
var
7
(noun) a unit of electrical power in an AC circuit equal to the power dissipated when 1 volt produces a current of 1 ampere
vatican
7
(noun) the residence of the Catholic Pope in the Vatican City
velvet
7
(adjective) smooth and soft to sight or hearing or touch or taste; (noun) a silky densely piled fabric with a plain back
venetian
7
(adjective) of or relating to or characteristic of Venice or its people; (noun) a resident of Venice
vent
7
(verb) give expression or utterance to; (noun) a hole for the escape of gas or air
ventral
7
(adjective) toward or on or near the belly (front of a primate or lower surface of a lower animal)
venturis
7
(noun) a tube with a constriction; used to control fluid flow (as in the air inlet of a carburetor)
verification
7
(noun) (law) an affidavit attached to a statement confirming the truth of that statement
verified
7
(adjective) proved to be true
vermont
7
(noun) a state in New England
veto
7
(verb) vote against; refuse to endorse; refuse to assent; (noun) a vote that blocks a decision
victorious
7
(adjective) having won
vie
7
(verb) compete for something; engage in a contest; measure oneself against others
violently
7
(adverb) in a violent manner
vulnerability
7
(noun) the state of being vulnerable or exposed
vaginal
6
(adjective) of or relating to the vagina
validation
6
(noun) the act of validating; finding or testing the truth of something
vanish
6
(verb) become invisible or unnoticeable
vapour
6
(noun) a visible suspension in the air of particles of some substance
vas
6
(noun) a tube in which a body fluid circulates
venerable
6
(adjective) impressive by reason of age
venezuela
6
(noun) a republic in northern South America on the Caribbean; achieved independence from Spain in 1811; rich in oil
verge
6
(verb) border on; come close to; (noun) the limit beyond which something happens or changes
vertex
6
(noun) the point of intersection of lines or the point opposite the base of a figure
vertically
6
(adverb) in a vertical direction
vesicle
6
(noun) a small anatomically normal sac or bladderlike structure (especially one containing fluid)
vest
6
(verb) place (authority, property, or rights) in the control of a person or group of persons; (noun) a man's sleeveless garment worn underneath a coat
viceroy
6
(noun) governor of a country or province who rules as the representative of his or her king or sovereign
vigor
6
(noun) active strength of body or mind
vigour
6
(noun) forceful exertion
vineyard
6
(noun) a farm of grapevines where wine grapes are produced
vocation
6
(noun) the particular occupation for which you are trained
volcano
6
(noun) a mountain formed by volcanic material
voltaire
6
(noun) French writer who was the embodiment of 18th century Enlightenment (1694-1778)
vaguely
5
(adverb) in a vague way
vancouver
5
(noun) English navigator remembered for his exploration of the Pacific coast of North America (1757-1798)
vastly
5
(adverb) to an exceedingly great extent or degree
vernacular
5
(noun) the everyday speech of the people (as distinguished from literary language)
vertebrate
5
(adjective) having a backbone or spinal column; (noun) animals having a bony or cartilaginous skeleton with a segmented spinal column and a large brain enclosed in a skull or cranium
vibrate
5
(verb) shake, quiver, or throb; move back and forth rapidly, usually in an uncontrolled manner
vicar
5
(noun) a Roman Catholic priest who acts for another higher-ranking clergyman
viewer
5
(noun) an optical device for viewing photographic transparencies
viking
5
(noun) any of the Scandinavian people who raided the coasts of Europe from the 8th to the 11th centuries
virgil
5
(noun) a Roman poet; author of the epic poem 'Aeneid' (70-19 BC)
visibility
5
(noun) quality or fact or degree of being visible; perceptible by the eye or obvious to the eye