4 Letter Words Starting with R (133 Words in English)

Learning new vocabulary can be exciting and enriching, especially when you focus on common words that are easy to remember. This article aims to help English learners expand their word knowledge by exploring four-letter words that start with the letter R. You will find various examples, along with their meanings, to make your learning experience both effective and enjoyable. Let’s dive in and discover the world of four-letter words beginning with R to enhance your vocabulary.

List of 4 Letter Words Starting with R

4 Letter Words Starting with R
4 Letter Words Starting with R – Created by 7ESL
  • Race
  • Rack
  • Racy
  • Rads
  • Raft
  • Raga
  • Rage
  • Rags
  • Raid
  • Rail
  • Rain
  • Raja
  • Rake
  • Raki
  • Rale
  • Ramp
  • Rand
  • Rani
  • Rank
  • Rant
  • Rape
  • Rapt
  • Rare
  • Rash
  • Rasp
  • Rate
  • Rats
  • Rave
  • Raze
  • Razz
  • Read
  • Real
  • Ream
  • Reap
  • Rear
  • Reck
  • Redd
  • Rede
  • Redo
  • Reds
  • Reed
  • Reef
  • Reel
  • Refs
  • Regs
  • Rein
  • Rely
  • Rend
  • Rent
  • Repo
  • Reps
  • Rest
  • Rete
  • Revs
  • Rhea
  • Rhos
  • Rial
  • Ribs
  • Rice
  • Rich
  • Rick
  • Ride
  • Riel
  • Rife
  • Riff
  • Rift
  • Rigs
  • Rill
  • Rime
  • Rimy
  • Rind
  • Ring
  • Rink
  • Riot
  • Ripe
  • Rise
  • Risk
  • Rite
  • Ritz
  • Rive
  • Road
  • Roam
  • Roan
  • Roar
  • Robe
  • Robs
  • Rock
  • Roil
  • Role
  • Rolf
  • Roll
  • Romp
  • Rood
  • Roof
  • Rook
  • Room
  • Root
  • Rope
  • Ropy
  • Rose
  • Rosy
  • Rota
  • Rote
  • Roti
  • Roto
  • Roue
  • Rout
  • Roux
  • Rove
  • Rows
  • Rube
  • Rubs
  • Ruby
  • Ruck
  • Rudd
  • Rude
  • Rued
  • Ruff
  • Ruga
  • Rugs
  • Ruin
  • Rule
  • Ruly
  • Rump
  • Rums
  • Rune
  • Runt
  • Ruse
  • Rush
  • Rusk
  • Rust
  • Ruth
  • Ryot

4 Letter Words Starting with R with Meanings and Examples

Race
Meaning: A competition of speed, such as running or driving; also refers to a group of people with common ancestry.
Example: She won first place in the marathon race.

Rack
Meaning: A framework for holding or storing things; also, to cause extreme physical or mental pain.
Example: He hung his coat on the rack by the door.

Racy
Meaning: Lively, entertaining, and slightly improper or suggestive.
Example: The novel was known for its racy dialogue and plot twists.

Rads
Meaning: A unit of absorbed radiation dose; also, informal for “radical” meaning excellent or impressive.
Example: The scientist measured the exposure in rads.

Raft
Meaning: A flat structure for floating on water; often used as a makeshift boat.
Example: They built a raft to cross the river.

Raga
Meaning: A melodic framework for improvisation in Indian classical music.
Example: The musician performed a beautiful raga at the concert.

Rage
Meaning: Intense anger or fury; also used to describe something very popular or trendy.
Example: She couldn’t contain her rage when she saw the mess.

Rags
Meaning: Old, torn pieces of cloth; also, informal for newspapers or magazines, especially those with low quality.
Example: He used rags to clean up the oil spill in the garage.

Raid
Meaning: A sudden attack or invasion, especially for the purpose of seizing or stealing something.
Example: The police conducted a raid on the suspected hideout.

Rail
Meaning: A bar or series of bars fixed on upright supports, serving as a barrier or guard; also, to criticize someone angrily.
Example: The fence was built with sturdy rails.

Rain
Meaning: Water that falls from clouds in the sky in the form of droplets.
Example: The rain started pouring heavily in the afternoon.

Raja
Meaning: A king or prince in India.
Example: The raja ruled over his kingdom with wisdom and strength.

Rake
Meaning: A tool with a long handle and a row of teeth, used for collecting leaves or smoothing soil; also, to gather or draw together.
Example: He used a rake to gather the fallen leaves in the yard.

Raki
Meaning: A strong alcoholic drink popular in Turkey and some other countries.
Example: They enjoyed a glass of raki after dinner.

Rale
Meaning: An abnormal respiratory sound heard in auscultation, often associated with lung disease.
Example: The doctor detected a rale in the patient’s lungs.

Ramp
Meaning: A sloping surface connecting two different levels, used for moving vehicles or people.
Example: They installed a ramp to make the building accessible for wheelchairs.

Rand
Meaning: The currency of South Africa; also, an area of rocky or sandy ground in southern Africa.
Example: He exchanged his dollars for rands before traveling to South Africa.

Rani
Meaning: A queen or princess in India.
Example: The rani was known for her generosity and wisdom.

Rank
Meaning: A position in a hierarchy or scale, often used in a military or organizational context; also, having a strong, unpleasant smell.
Example: She achieved the rank of captain in the army.

Rant
Meaning: To speak or shout in a loud, wild, and impassioned way, often at length.
Example: He went on a long rant about the traffic situation.

Rape
Meaning: The unlawful and forcible sexual assault of a person.
Example: The crime of rape is severely punished under the law.

Rapt
Meaning: Completely absorbed or fascinated by what one is seeing or hearing.
Example: The audience listened with rapt attention to the storyteller.

Rare
Meaning: Not common or infrequent; also, meat that is lightly cooked.
Example: Seeing a comet is a rare occurrence.

Rash
Meaning: An outbreak of red spots on the skin; also, acting without careful consideration.
Example: She had an allergic rash after eating the seafood.

Rasp
Meaning: A harsh, grating noise; also, a coarse file used for shaping wood or other materials.
Example: His voice had a rasp due to a sore throat.

Rate
Meaning: A measure or quantity, typically one measured against another quantity or measure; also, to assess the value or quality of something.
Example: The interest rate on the loan was quite high.

Rats
Meaning: Plural of rat; rodents that are often associated with filth and disease.
Example: The old building was infested with rats.

Rave
Meaning: To talk wildly or incoherently, as if one is delirious; also, an enthusiastic review.
Example: She wrote a rave review of the new restaurant.

Raze
Meaning: To completely destroy a building, town, or other sites.
Example: The old factory was razed to make way for a new shopping center.

Razz
Meaning: To tease or mock someone playfully.
Example: They like to razz each other about their favorite sports teams.

Read
Meaning: To look at and comprehend the meaning of written or printed matter.
Example: She loves to read books before bedtime.

Real
Meaning: Actually existing as a thing or occurring in fact; not imagined or supposed.
Example: She finally met her real father after many years.

Ream
Meaning: A large quantity of something, typically paper (500 sheets); also, to criticize or reprimand severely.
Example: She bought a ream of paper for the printer.

Reap
Meaning: To cut or gather a crop or harvest; also, to receive a reward or benefit as a consequence of actions.
Example: They worked hard all season to reap a good harvest.

Rear
Meaning: The back part of something, especially a building or vehicle; also, to bring up or care for children.
Example: The garden is located at the rear of the house.

Reck
Meaning: To worry or care about something.
Example: He did not reck the dangers that lay ahead.

Redd
Meaning: To clear, tidy, or arrange (Scottish dialect).
Example: She redd up the house before guests arrived.

Rede
Meaning: Advice or counsel (archaic or literary usage).
Example: He sought the rede of his elders before making a decision.

Redo
Meaning: To do something again or differently.
Example: She had to redo her assignment after the teacher’s feedback.

Reds
Meaning: Plural of red; can refer to red-colored items or to members of the Communist Party.
Example: The autumn leaves turned bright reds and oranges.

Reed
Meaning: A tall, slender-leaved plant of the grass family; also, part of a wind instrument.
Example: The reeds swayed in the wind by the riverbank.

Reef
Meaning: A ridge of jagged rock, coral, or sand just above or below the surface of the sea.
Example: The boat navigated carefully around the reef.

Reel
Meaning: A cylinder on which film, wire, thread, or other flexible materials can be wound; also, to lose balance or stagger.
Example: She watched the fishing line spin off the reel.

Refs
Meaning: Plural of ref; short for referees, officials who oversee the rules in sports.
Example: The refs made several questionable calls during the game.

Regs
Meaning: Short for regulations or regulars.
Example: The regs of the game must be followed strictly.

Rein
Meaning: A long, narrow strap attached to a horse’s bit, used to control it; also, to control or restrain.
Example: She pulled on the reins to stop the horse.

Rely
Meaning: To depend on with full trust or confidence.
Example: She knew she could rely on her friends for support.

Rend
Meaning: To tear something into pieces violently.
Example: She tried to rend the paper, but it was too thick.

Rent
Meaning: A tenant’s regular payment to a landlord for the use of property; also, to tear something.
Example: They decided to rent a house near the beach for the summer.

Repo
Meaning: Short for repossession, especially of property or vehicles when a buyer defaults on payments; also a shortened form of “repository” in tech contexts.
Example: The bank had to repo his car after he missed several payments.

Reps
Meaning: Short for repetitions in exercise or representatives in a legislative or organizational context.
Example: She did 15 reps of bicep curls at the gym.

Rest
Meaning: To cease work or movement in order to relax or recover strength.
Example: After a long day of hiking, they decided to rest by the campfire.

Rete
Meaning: A network, especially of blood vessels or nerves.
Example: The doctor explained the complex rete of arteries around the heart.

Revs
Meaning: Plural of rev, meaning revolutions per minute; to increase the running speed of an engine.
Example: He revs the engine before taking off in his sports car.

Rhea
Meaning: A large flightless bird native to South America, similar to an ostrich.
Example: The rhea ran swiftly across the grasslands.

Rhos
Meaning: Plural of rho, the 17th letter of the Greek alphabet.
Example: The mathematician used rhos in his equations to represent density.

Rial
Meaning: The currency of Iran, Oman, and Yemen.
Example: The souvenir cost 10,000 rials in Iran.

Ribs
Meaning: The bones in the chest that protect the heart and lungs; also, a cut of meat from this part.
Example: He cooked a delicious barbecue with ribs.

Rice
Meaning: A staple food grain that is cultivated widely in warm climates.
Example: She prepared a bowl of steamed rice to go with the curry.

Rich
Meaning: Having a lot of money or wealth; also, abundant in quality or flavor.
Example: The chocolate cake was so rich and decadent.

Rick
Meaning: A stack of hay, corn, or straw.
Example: The farmers built a rick in the field to store the hay.

Ride
Meaning: To sit on and control the movement of a vehicle or animal.
Example: They decided to ride their bikes to the park.

Riel
Meaning: The currency of Cambodia.
Example: He exchanged his dollars for riel at the border.

Rife
Meaning: Common or widespread, especially of something undesirable or harmful.
Example: The city was rife with rumors after the scandal broke.

Riff
Meaning: A short, repeated phrase in music, typically in jazz or rock; also, an informal or witty comment.
Example: The guitarist played a catchy riff that stuck in everyone’s mind.

Rift
Meaning: A crack, split, or break in something; also, a serious break in friendly relations.
Example: The argument caused a rift between the two friends.

Rigs
Meaning: Equipment or machinery used for a particular purpose, especially in drilling or sailing; also, to manipulate or fix in an unfair way.
Example: The oil rigs were visible offshore.

Rill
Meaning: A small stream or brook.
Example: The water from the mountain trickled down into a rill.

Rime
Meaning: Frost formed on cold objects by the rapid freezing of water vapor in cloud or fog.
Example: The trees were covered in a layer of rime on the cold winter morning.

Rimy
Meaning: Covered with rime or frost.
Example: The ground was rimy after the early morning frost.

Rind
Meaning: The tough outer layer or skin of some fruits, cheese, or bacon.
Example: She peeled the rind off the orange before eating it.

Ring
Meaning: A circular band, typically of metal, worn as jewelry; also, a sound produced by a bell or a phone.
Example: She wore a diamond ring on her finger.

Rink
Meaning: A smooth surface for ice skating or roller skating.
Example: They went to the ice rink for a skating lesson.

Riot
Meaning: A violent disturbance of the peace by a crowd; also, something very amusing or entertaining.
Example: The protest turned into a riot after dark.

Ripe
Meaning: Fully matured and ready to be eaten or harvested, especially of fruit.
Example: The apples were ripe and ready to be picked.

Rise
Meaning: To move from a lower position to a higher one; also, to get up from a lying or sitting position.
Example: The sun will rise at 6:30 a.m. tomorrow.

Risk
Meaning: A situation involving exposure to danger or the possibility of loss.
Example: Starting a new business involves a certain amount of risk.

Rite
Meaning: A religious or other solemn ceremony or act.
Example: The initiation rite was performed at dawn.

Ritz
Meaning: Ostentatious luxury and glamour; also refers to a famous hotel chain.
Example: They stayed at a Ritz hotel during their vacation.

Rive
Meaning: To split or tear apart violently.
Example: The strong winds threatened to rive the sail in two.

Road
Meaning: A wide path or thoroughfare for vehicles, people, and animals.
Example: They drove down a winding road to reach the cabin.

Roam
Meaning: To move about or travel aimlessly or without a fixed purpose.
Example: They like to roam the city streets on weekends.

Roan
Meaning: A coat color pattern in animals, especially horses, with intermingled hairs of different colors.
Example: The roan horse was grazing in the field.

Roar
Meaning: A deep, prolonged sound, especially made by a lion or a crowd.
Example: The lion let out a terrifying roar.

Robe
Meaning: A long, loose garment worn on informal occasions or after a bath.
Example: She wore a soft robe after getting out of the shower.

Robs
Meaning: Third person singular form of rob; to take property unlawfully from a person or place by force or threat.
Example: He robs banks in every movie he plays in.

Rock
Meaning: A natural substance composed of solid mineral matter; also, to move back and forth or to music.
Example: The baby fell asleep as the mother gently rocked the cradle.

Roil
Meaning: To make a liquid turbid or muddy by disturbing the sediment; to agitate or disturb.
Example: The storm roiled the sea, making it dangerous for small boats.

Role
Meaning: The function or part played by a person or thing in a particular situation; also, a character played by an actor.
Example: She landed the leading role in the new film.

Rolf
Meaning: A male given name; also, an alternative spelling of Ralf.
Example: Rolf greeted his friends at the door with a big smile.

Roll
Meaning: To move in a particular direction by turning over and over on an axis; also, a small, round piece of bread.
Example: The ball began to roll down the hill.

Romp
Meaning: To play or frolic in a lively or boisterous manner.
Example: The puppies romped around the yard.

Rood
Meaning: A cross or crucifix, especially in a church setting.
Example: The rood screen separated the nave from the choir.

Roof
Meaning: The structure forming the upper covering of a building or vehicle.
Example: The roof of the house needed repairs after the storm.

Rook
Meaning: A chess piece that moves in straight lines; also, a type of bird related to the crow.
Example: He moved his rook to capture his opponent’s bishop.

Room
Meaning: A part of a building enclosed by walls, floor, and ceiling.
Example: She cleaned her room before the guests arrived.

4 Letter Words Starting with R for Kids

  • Rain
  • Road
  • Ring
  • Rock
  • Roof
  • Rose
  • Read
  • Rice
  • Rope
  • Race
  • Risk
  • Rest
  • Ride
  • Rush
  • Room
  • Roll
  • Ripe
  • Reef
  • Rate
  • Rule

4 Letter Words Starting with R Exercises for Kids

Exercise 1: Fill in the Blanks

Fill in the missing letters to complete the 4-letter words starting with “R.”

  1. R _ N
  2. R A _ N
  3. R _ C K
  4. R O _ D
  5. R _ N G

Answers:

  1. RUN
  2. RAIN
  3. ROCK
  4. ROAD
  5. RING

Exercise 2: Word Scramble

Unscramble the letters to form a 4-letter word starting with “R.”

  1. A I N R
  2. C K O R
  3. N U R
  4. A O D R
  5. N G I R

Answers:

  1. RAIN
  2. ROCK
  3. RUN
  4. ROAD
  5. RING

Exercise 3: Crossword Puzzle Clues

Use the clues to fill in the 4-letter words starting with “R” in a crossword grid (visualize or imagine a crossword layout).

  1. Across: Water that falls from clouds in droplets.
  2. Across: A hard, solid material found on the ground.
  3. Down: To move swiftly on foot.
  4. Down: A path or way for traveling.
  5. Down: A circular band worn as jewelry on a finger.

Answers:

  1. RAIN
  2. ROCK
  3. RUN
  4. ROAD
  5. RING

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