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lay

adjective · noun · verb

Lay can refer to a narrative song with a recurrent refrain or a narrative poem of popular origin. As a verb, lay can mean to put into a certain place or abstract location, put in a horizontal position, or prepare or position for action or operation.

9 meanings3 lettersScrabble 6

Length

3

Scrabble

6

WWF

6

Starts

LA

Ends

LAY

Difficulty

Easy

Dictionary

What Does “LAY” Mean?

lay has 9 documented senses across adjective, noun, verb.

Adjective

2 senses
1

characteristic of those who are not members of the clergy

set his collar in laic rather than clerical position

the lay ministry

Synonyms

2

not of or from a profession

a lay opinion as to the cause of the disease

Noun

2 senses
1

a narrative song with a recurrent refrain

Synonyms

2

a narrative poem of popular origin

Synonyms

Verb

5 senses
1

put into a certain place or abstract location

Put your things here

Set the tray down

Set the dogs on the scent of the missing children

Place emphasis on a certain point

2

put in a horizontal position

lay the books on the table

lay the patient carefully onto the bed

Synonyms

3

prepare or position for action or operation

lay a fire

lay the foundation for a new health care plan

4

lay eggs

This hen doesn't lay

5

impose as a duty, burden, or punishment

lay a responsibility on someone

Scrabble Score

6

Letters

3

Vowels

1

Consonants

2

Word Intelligence

Explore the word lay with its definition, score, letter pattern, and useful word game details.

Definition

characteristic of those who are not members of the clergy

Length

3 letters

Starts With

L

Ends With

Y

Vowels

1

Consonants

2

Letters

L, A, Y

Use Case

Useful for Scrabble, Wordle, crosswords, anagrams, and other word games.

Letter Breakdown

l
a
y

Word Facts

Key letter, score, and pattern facts for lay.

LAY is a 3-letter word.
It has a Scrabble score of 6.
It starts with L and ends with Y.
It contains 1 vowel and 2 consonants.
Its vowel share is about 33%.
It is an isogram, meaning no letter repeats.
It is not a palindrome.
Letter pattern: ABC.
Vowel/consonant pattern: CVC.

Word Strategy

Strategy notes for using lay in Scrabble, Wordle-style games, crosswords, and anagram solving.

Scrabble Strategy

★★☆☆☆

LAY has a Scrabble score of 6. It is useful for balancing a rack and building steady board position.

Wordle Strategy

★★☆☆☆

LAY is not five letters, so it is not a standard Wordle answer, but its letter pattern can still help with word analysis.

Crossword Strategy

★★★★☆

LAY can be useful in crossword solving because it has a clear starting letter, ending letter, and 3-letter structure.

Anagram Strategy

★★★★☆

LAY uses unique letters, giving more flexibility when checking possible anagrams and word game combinations.

Letter Intelligence

A deeper look at the letter structure, patterns, and useful game signals inside lay.

Unique Letters

3

Repeated Letters

0

Highest Value Letter

Y

Letter Pattern

ABC

CV Pattern

CVC

Vowel Share

33%

Consonant Share

67%

Bigrams

LA, AY

Trigrams

LAY

Crossword Intelligence

Crossword-style clues, crossing help, and pattern notes for lay.

LAY is a 3-letter short fill.
It starts with L and ends with Y, which helps narrow crossword crossings.
It contains 1 vowel and 2 consonants.
Its vowel/consonant pattern is CVC.
Crossword difficulty estimate: Easy.

Related Words

Word Usage Insights

Practical observations about how this word performs in different word games and puzzle situations.

This word contains 3 letters and is suitable for medium-length word games.
Its consonant/vowel pattern is CVC, making it relatively challenging to recognize.
With a Scrabble score of 6, it offers moderate scoring potential.
The word begins with L and ends with Y, making it useful for solving pattern-based puzzles.
Every letter appears only once.

Word Intelligence Links

Explore word lists connected to LAY by length, score, vowels, consonants, starting letters, ending letters, and word game tools.

Word Family

Explore words that share a similar beginning or root pattern with lay.

Related Word Tools

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