You've just absorbed a dragon soul, the screen is shaking, and that rhythmic chanting starts thumping in your ears. It’s one of the best feelings in gaming. But let's be real: actually tracking down every single one of the locations of words of power in Skyrim is a massive pain if you don't know where to look. Some are sitting right in front of your face in the main quest, while others are tucked away in corners of the Reach you probably haven't visited in three playthroughs.
Skyrim has 20 base game shouts, plus the ones added in Dawnguard and Dragonborn. Since each shout has three words, you're looking for dozens of "Word Walls." These aren't just collectibles. They are the backbone of your build. Whether you want to turn into a literal ghost or launch a bandit off a cliff with Unrelenting Force, you need the geography.
The Words You Can’t Miss (Main Quest)
You basically get handed a few of these. Bleak Falls Barrow is the obvious one. You go there for the Dragonstone, you find the first word of Unrelenting Force (Fus). It's simple.
Then you’ve got the Greybeards. They aren't just old guys on a mountain; they are a Word Wall delivery service. They literally gift you words for Unrelenting Force and Whirlwind Sprint. If you talk to Arngeir after you’ve started "The Way of the Voice," he will actually mark locations of words of power in Skyrim on your map. It’s a mechanic a lot of people forget about because they get distracted by side quests. He’ll tell you he’s felt a "whisper" of a word. Go to the map marker, kill the dragon or the boss, grab the shout, and come back. Rinse and repeat.
But Arngeir has limits. He won't point you toward words locked behind specific faction quests.
Faction-Locked Shouts are a Grind
This is where it gets tricky. You can spend forty hours wandering the tundra and never find certain walls because they are physically locked behind doors that only open during specific questlines.
👉 See also: When Did FNAF Release? The Real Timeline of Scott Cawthon's Viral Hit
Take the Companions. You want the full Fire Breath shout? You have to go into Dustman’s Cairn. You can't even get into the final chamber without starting "Proving Honor." Same goes for the College of Winterhold. The word wall for Slow Time in Labyrinthian is basically inaccessible unless you are deep into the Mages Guild questline to get the Staff of Magnus.
Then there’s the Dark Brotherhood. To get a word for Marked for Death, you have to actually enter the Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary near Falkreath. If you decide to destroy the Brotherhood instead of joining them, you can still get it, but you have to make that choice. You can't just stumble upon it while picking Blue Mountain Flowers.
Notable Dungeon Locations
- Volunruud: This is tied to the Dark Brotherhood too, but you can enter it whenever. It houses a word for Aura Whisper. Watch out for Kvenel the Tongue; he’s a dual-wielding nightmare if you go in under-leveled.
- Vagnstrom: A classic Nordic ruin. It’s got a word for Disarm.
- High Gate Ruins: You’ll find Vokun here. He’s a Dragon Priest. Kill him, and you get a word for Storm Call. Honestly, Storm Call is probably the most "metal" shout in the game, though it's annoying because it hits your followers and horses too.
Why Dragon Lairs Are the Easiest Pickups
If you see a dragon head icon on your compass, you've found a Word Wall. These are exterior locations, usually at the top of a mountain. Bonestrewn Crest, Autumnwatch Tower, Eldersblood Peak—these are all straightforward. You show up, you fight a dragon, you walk up to the curved stone wall.
There is a bit of a nuance here, though. The word you get isn't always fixed to the location in the way people think. While the shout is tied to the wall, the order you learn the words is fixed. If you go to a Throw Voice wall, you will always learn the first word "Zul" first, regardless of which of the three Throw Voice walls you visit.
Actually, Throw Voice is a weird exception. All three words are on the same wall at Shearpoint. You just have to fight Krosis, who is arguably one of the toughest Dragon Priests because he snipes you with fireballs from a distance.
Hidden Gems and the "Wait, Where?" Walls
Some locations of words of power in Skyrim are just mean.
Take "Become Ethereal." One word is in Ustengrav (Main Quest), which is fine. But another is in Ironbind Barrow. Most players miss Ironbind. It’s this unassuming ruin in the Great Lift of Alftand area. You go in, help a couple of NPCs named Salma and Beem-Ja, and at the end, there’s a Word Wall behind the throne.
And then there's "Animal Allegiance." One of the words is in Ancient's Ascent. To get there, you have to go through Bonechill Passage. It’s out of the way, guarded by a dragon, and unless you're a completionist, you’ll probably never see it.
The DLC Shouts
Dragonborn added some of the coolest ones. Bend Will? Essential for the DLC story. You get those words from the All-Maker Stones and Saering's Watch. Dragon Aspect is the real prize, though. It covers you in spectral armor. You find those words in the Temple of Miraak, Raven Rock Mine, and Apocrypha itself.
Apocrypha is a trip. You aren't looking for stone walls there; you're looking for glowing books at the end of chapters. It breaks the "Nordic ruin" aesthetic, but it fits the Hermaeus Mora vibe perfectly.
The Strategy for Completionists
If you are trying to hunt every single word, stop fast traveling. Seriously. Most Word Walls are placed near points of interest that you only find by walking the roads.
- Check the Map: Look for the dragon icons first. They are the "low hanging fruit."
- Letter from a Friend: Every time you shout in a city or a dungeon, a courier will eventually find you. He’ll give you a "Letter from a Friend." This is a scripted mechanic to help you find more locations of words of power in Skyrim. The game literally tracks which ones you don't have and points you toward them.
- The Black Books: If you're in Solstheim, do the "The Final Descent" quest in Raven Rock Mine. It leads to a Word Wall and a Black Book. Two-for-one deal.
There is a known bug with the "Abyss" wall where the music plays but the word doesn't highlight. If that happens, you usually have to load a previous save or try to "wiggle" your character right up against the stone. It’s an old game; it’s got quirks.
Practical Steps for Your Hunt
Start with the "Letters from a Friend" by shouting in the middle of Whiterun. It’s the fastest way to trigger a new map marker. Once you’ve exhausted those and Arngeir’s dialogue, you need to check your quest log. If you haven't finished the Civil War or the College of Winterhold, you’re likely missing the walls tucked inside Korvanjund or Fellglow Keep.
Go to Shearpoint early. Getting all three words of Throw Voice at once is a huge boost, even if the fight with Krosis is a slog. Use the environment to block his spells.
💡 You might also like: Star Wars Jedi Challenges: Why This AR Experiment Still Hits Different Years Later
Finally, keep a stockpile of Dragon Souls. There is nothing worse than trekking to a remote peak in the Reach, fighting a Forsworn camp and a Blood Dragon, reaching the wall, and realizing you can't even unlock the shout because you've been spending souls on useless stuff like "Kyne's Peace." Focus your souls on Unrelenting Force, Become Ethereal, and Slow Time first. Those are the game-changers.
Once you have the map markers from the Greybeards, clear them immediately. They won't give you a second location until the first one is cleared from your "Miscellaneous" quests. Clearing them one by one is the most efficient path to becoming a fully powered Dovahkiin.