Solving the VV Problem: Short Words with Two Vs

English doesn’t really do double Vs. The Romans had to use a whole new letter just to handle it. Maybe that’s why your rack looks doomed.
English doesn’t really do double Vs. In fact, the letter W was born from the need to represent that sound, literally a “double V” in the Roman alphabet. That historical quirk explains why true VV words are quite rare in English today.
In word games, that rarity turns into risk. Drawing two Vs in Scrabble or Words With Friends is what players call a death combo: hard to play, hard to pair, and usually stuck on your rack while your opponent scores freely. Even in newer games like Fluxis (The Atlantic’s new game), where rules sometimes require “two of letter [X],” V remains one of the toughest letters to double.
This article offers the antidote: a complete list of short, playable words with two Vs, from BEVVY and SAVVY to VIVID and VALVE. Whether you’re facing the VV problem in Scrabble, WWF, or Fluxis, here’s how to turn that cursed pair into a scoring opportunity.

The letter V has always been a mixed blessing in word games: valuable, but not versatile. In Scrabble, it’s worth 4 points, enough to reward a good placement, but not so flexible that it plays nicely with most racks. Words With Friends makes it slightly riskier at 5 points, and Crossplay, the New York Times’ Scrabble-like game currently testing as an independent app in New Zealand and Australia, pushes it to 6. In other words, every game agrees on one thing: V doesn’t come cheap.

That difficulty shows up most clearly in what seasoned players call death combos — tile pairs that are so hard to play that they can even block entire turns. Common examples include WU, VU, YU, UU, II, VV, WW, YY, and QW. These combinations tend to lack playable short words, stranding you until a lucky draw or a triple-word bailout. Among them, VV is one of the worst offenders. English doesn’t allow many natural double-V sequences, leaving players with a pair of high-value letters and nowhere to put them.

It’s no wonder Reddit users still debate which is worse — C or V — when it comes to clogging a rack.

Then there’s Fluxis, The Atlantic’s new circuit word game in which each step is a category like “Adjectives,” “Nouns,” “Double letters,”  “Exactly two of letter [X]” and so on. When the letter you have to use more than once happens to be V, the challenge level spikes fast. You’re suddenly searching for that elusive set of double-V words (the ones this article collects) that can turn a cursed combination into a clever play.

VV Words Worth Learning: Short, Playable Double-V Gems

Here are the short words (3–5 letters) that make the VV combo playable instead of painful. Each entry includes a quick definition and scoring details for Scrabble (NWL and CSW) and Words With Friends.

Five-Letter VVY Words: Slangy, Snappy, and Wordle-Worthy

These VVY words pack double-V energy and plenty of attitude. Most are slangy or informal, so they pop up in everyday English just as easily as they do on a Scrabble rack — and a few could even win you a tricky Wordle. They’re all good plays to know, especially since they score well and stick in your memory thanks to their rhythmic endings.

Latin Roots, Two Vs: Words That Live Twice

Many two-V words come straight from Latin roots meaning “to live” (as in VIVERE). These lively entries are short, elegant, and make great additions to your mental word list. Even if a few aren’t playable in Scrabble, they’re worth knowing for crosswords or other word puzzles. Think of this set as the VIV family: every one of them lives up to its root.

Scientific and Anatomical Terms: When Two Vs Get Technical

These two-V words come from the worlds of science, geology, and anatomy. They’re less likely to show up in casual conversation but can be surprisingly handy in word games. Each one has a clear, concrete meaning, from VALVE to the more specialized VARVE and VOLVA, making them great additions to your advanced vocabulary list.

Don’t Fear the Double V

Next time you draw two Vs, don’t panic, play smart. English doesn’t hand out many of these words, but the ones it does are gold. From slangy -VVY favorites to lively Latin VIV forms and science staples, these rare gems turn a dreaded rack into a winning move. Whether you’re chasing points in Scrabble, juggling rules in Fluxis, or puzzling over a tough Wordle, remember: the double V isn’t a curse, it’s a challenge worth mastering.