Halloween Words That Start With V
eight Halloween words start with the letter V: Vampire, Vanish, Villain, Vampire Bat, Vault, Vine, Vest and Velvet. Halloween falls on October 31, and these are the words a preschooler actually meets on the night. Each one below has a short meaning, how many syllables it has, how to say it and a sentence to use it in, plus two free printables.
All eight Halloween words that start with V
Spooky V words
- Vampire
- Vanish
- Villain
- Vampire Bat
- Vault
Other V words you will hear at Halloween
These are not spooky words, but a child hears every one of them on Halloween night.
- Vine
- Vest
- Velvet
| Word | What it means | Syllables | Say it like |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vampire | A make-believe creature that sleeps by day and bites at night. | 2 | VAM-pyre |
| Vanish | To disappear suddenly. | 2 | VAN-ish |
| Villain | The bad character in a story. | 2 | VIL-un |
| Vampire Bat | A real bat that feeds on blood. | 3 | VAM-pyre bat |
| Vault | A stone room where people are buried. | 1 | vawlt |
| Vine | A long climbing plant. | 1 | vyne |
| Vest | A short jacket with no sleeves. | 1 | vest |
| Velvet | A soft thick cloth. | 2 | VEL-vit |
What each word means
Vampire
A cape and two plastic teeth make the costume, which is why it turns up every year. In a sentence: “The vampire wore a black cape with a high collar.”
Vanish
Stronger than disappear because it means all at once, with nothing left behind. In a sentence: “The ghost seemed to vanish through the wall.”
Villain
Spelled with two l and an ain that sounds like un, which catches out adults too. In a sentence: “Every good story needs a villain.”
Vampire Bat
A real animal that lives in South America, and much smaller than children expect. In a sentence: “A vampire bat is smaller than your hand.”
Vault
The same word as the strong room in a bank, which is a link children find odd and memorable. In a sentence: “The old vault had a heavy iron door.”
Vine
Pumpkins grow on them, which is worth showing at a pumpkin patch. In a sentence: “Pumpkins grow on a thick green vine.”
Vest
Turns an ordinary outfit into a pirate or a cowboy without any sewing. In a sentence: “He wore a black vest over his shirt.”
Velvet
What the good capes are made of, and worth letting a child touch to learn the word. In a sentence: “Her cape was made of red velvet.”
Which V words are hardest for a preschooler to say?
Vampire, Vanish, Villain, Vampire Bat, Vault, Vine, Vest and Velvet each start with a single /v/ sound, so a three year old can usually copy them straight back. If your child is at the copying-back stage, start with Vampire.
How to use these V words with preschoolers
Say it, then find it
Say the word out loud and stretch the first sound: vampire. Then ask your child to find something in the room that starts the same way. Hearing the sound and then finding it on something real ties the letter to something your child can already picture.
Sort the scary from the silly
Read the list together and let your child put each word in one of two piles: silly or spooky. There is no right answer, and the sorting is what makes them think about what the word actually means. It also gives you a gentle way to talk about being a little bit scared on purpose.
Trace it, then draw it
Use the tracing sheet below to write the five spooky words, then ask your child to draw one of them on the back. Writing the word and picturing it at the same time is what makes it stick.
Free printables: the Halloween V word list and tracing sheet
Two pages, A4, free to print with no sign-up. The word list has all eight words in large type with a tick box beside each one, so a child can mark off the words they can read. The tracing sheet has the five spooky words, Vampire, Vanish, Villain, Vampire Bat and Vault, on handwriting rules to write over.
Word list
Tracing sheet
More on the letter V
This page is one letter of Halloween words A to Z. For letter formation and tracing practice, see letter V activities for preschoolers. For animal names beginning with the same letter, see animals that start with V, and for the winter equivalent see Christmas words that start with V.
Halloween words A to Z: A · B · C · D · E · F · G · H · I · J · K · L · M · N · O · P · Q · R · S · T · U · V · W · X · Y · Z
← Halloween words that start with U | Halloween words that start with W →
Frequently asked questions
What Halloween words start with V?
Vampire, Vanish, Villain, Vampire Bat, Vault, Vine, Vest and Velvet. All eight are listed above with a short meaning for each.
Which Halloween V word is easiest for a preschooler?
Vampire. It is one syllable, the first sound is easy to stretch out, and most children have already seen one, which fixes the word far faster than a definition does.
How many syllables are in these V words?
They run from one to three. Vault, Vine and Vest are single syllables, which is where to start.
How do I teach Halloween words without frightening my child?
Start with the silly ones and leave the spooky ones until they ask. A costume, a pumpkin and a bucket of candy are Halloween to a four year old. If a word does worry them, let them draw it and give it a friendly face, which takes the fear out of it faster than telling them not to worry.
What age are these words for?
Three to six. Younger children will recognize the words when you say them long before they can read them, which is the point of tracing rather than copying.
