valley V₄A₁L₁L₁E₁Y₄

VALLEY is a familiar six-letter noun for an elongated depression between hills or mountains, often with a river running through it. The definition also covers a drainage area and the angle where two sloping roof planes meet. Its frequency count is 16,540, so the word is everyday English, not just a geography term.

What does valley mean?

• A valley is an elongated depression between hills or mountains, often with a river running through it.
• VALLEY scores 12 in Scrabble: V and Y are worth 4 each; A, both L tiles, and E are worth 1 each.
• The letters A, E, L, L, V, and Y have no anagrams.
• Changing one letter gives the neighbours VOLLEY, GALLEY, and WALLEY.
• VALLEY rhymes with words including ALLEY, BARLEY, MEDLEY, and TROLLEY.

How does valley score 12 Scrabble points?

The face values add up to 12: V contributes 4, Y contributes 4, and A, both Ls, and E contribute 1 apiece. The two high-value consonants supply most of the score, while the three single-point tiles keep the word’s total from climbing further.

For a board play, look first at the squares under V or Y. A letter premium on either has more impact than one under A, L, or E. The doubled L is easy to overlook when you count tiles, but it contributes twice to the total, not once.

Valley meaning, neighbours and rhymes

Valley meaning reaches beyond a landform: the definition also includes an area that drains into a river and the inner angle where two sloping roof planes meet. That makes the word relevant in geography and building descriptions, even though the landscape sense is the one most readers picture first.

The three one-letter neighbours each change a different part of VALLEY: VOLLEY changes the second letter, while GALLEY and WALLEY change the first. Its ending also has a generous rhyme family, including ALLEY, BARLEY, SMILEY, and MEDLEY. Rearranging VALLEY gives no anagram, and Collins, NWL2023, and ENABLE are separate dictionaries, so check your game’s list.