Crossword Clue: Maltese capital
Here's the answer to the Maltese capital crossword clue, with an explanation and where it has appeared.
Definition & answer: VALLETTA
The answer to "Maltese capital" is VALLETTA. Valletta runs 8 letters — 3 vowels and 5 consonants — opening with V and closing on A. In a grid it fills a 8-square slot whose letters are each shared with a crossing word, so the intersections do a lot of the heavy lifting when the clue itself is tough.
Origin & meaning
Valletta was built by the Knights of St. John in the 16th century as a fortress city. The entire capital is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is one of the smallest and most concentrated capital cities in Europe.
Common usage
You'll see VALLETTA in grids regularly — its 8-letter, 3 vowels shape is exactly what setters need to bridge trickier entries. When one intersecting letter is already in place, especially the V or A, VALLETTA tends to fall fast.
Crossword trivia
Short answers like VALLETTA are the connective tissue of a crossword. You'll meet VALLETTA again and again, and recognizing it instantly is one of the quiet skills that separates fast solvers from slow ones.
Stuck on this clue?
The fastest way past a stubborn clue like this one is the grid itself: pencil in the easy crossing answers first, and VALLETTA will often be the only word that fits the letters you already have.
This clue in different puzzles
Setters vary how they clue VALLETTA — sometimes with a straight dictionary definition, sometimes with wordplay, a pun, or a fill-in-the-blank — but the answer itself stays the same. Learning to spot the answer behind the disguise is a core crossword skill.
Example sentences
- "I had the crossing letters, so writing VALLETTA into the grid took no time at all."
- "Valletta is the kind of answer that clicks the moment you spot one letter."
- "Seeing 'Maltese capital' in the clue list, an experienced solver pencils in VALLETTA almost immediately."