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The best Scrabble words

Sick of losing at Scrabble to an elderly relative who seems to have memorized the entire dictionary? This guide to the best Scrabble words will give you a secret edge. We’ll teach you the highest scoring words you should keep in the back of your mind as you play, as well as some invaluable plays that can pull you out of a tight spot. 

It takes a while to go from learning the Scrabble rules to achieving spelling supremacy. But we have plenty more tips that’ll help you win this great word board game. Our Scrabble strategy guide will enable you to swot up on the right tactics, and if there’s a particularly tough letter giving you grief, you might need these Scrabble words with Q or Scrabble words with Z.

Scrabble rules - photo of Scrabble starting square

High scoring Scrabble words

It’s worth knowing some of the top high scoring Scrabble words, but we won’t devote too much time to them. The truth is, you’re unlikely to ever have the perfect rack of letters and board state to lay down most of these in your Scrabble playing career.

Still, if the right combination comes up, you won’t want to miss the chance to play the best Scrabble words for raw score value. Most of these words will clear your board, so you can mentally add 50 points to their score value.

Word Points Definition
Flapjack 26 A sweet treat made from oats.
Muzjiks 29 A Russian peasant (particular under the Tsars).
Quixotic 26 Idealistic and impractical.
Freezing 21 Very cold/in the process of turning to ice.
Quantize 26 Split something into measurable chunks (used in physics and music).
Chutzpah 27 Self-confidence or audacity
Oxyphenbutazone 41 An anti-inflammatory drug

Oxy-what-now? Okay, that last one’s a bit of a gag entry. Theoretically, Oxyphenbutazone is the highest scoring word possible. But it requires precisely the right Scrabble board state, with crisscrossing words you can piggyback off.

Scrabble strategy - photo of the word 'qi' on a Scrabble board

Best Scrabble words for using up hard letters

Drawing some of the highest scoring Scrabble letters is a bit of a double-edged sword. You don’t want to be stuck with these hard letters at the end of the game, since that provides the finishing player with more points. However, getting these tiles can allow for some devastatingly good turns that’ll win you the game.

You need to know a good range of obscure words using Js, Zs, Xs, and Qs, to ensure you don’t get trapped with one, and to maximize the chance of scoring off a triple letter or triple word space.

Word Points Definition
Qi 11 Vital energy or life force used in some traditional Chinese medicines and martial arts.
Zex 19  A tool for cutting roof slate.
Za 11  Shortened form of ‘pizza’.
Qat 12 Alternate spelling of khat, an Arabian shrub used as a stimulant.
Zebu 15 A South-Asian subspecies of cattle.
Xu 9 Defunct form of Vietnamese currency – rough equivalent of a cent.
Wiz 15 Someone who is very skilled or knowledgeable about something.
Jo 9 Scottish word for sweetheart.
Zax 19  Alternate spelling of Zex (the roof slate cutting axe).

Best Scrabble words for using up consonants

Proper rack management is vital in Scrabble. There’s nothing worse than getting stuck with a load of consonants or vowels, as you’ll be left unable to play decent-sized Scrabble words, perhaps for a large chunk of the game.

These Scrabble words with consonants can get you out of a sticky situation, and allow you to draw more vowels for a healthier rack. And because they have some difficult letters, they do alright on points as well.

Word Points Definition
Pyx 15 In Christianity: A container used to carry the consecrated bread (Eucharist).
Xylyl  18 Relate to the group of atoms (CH3)2C6H3 derived from Xylene.
Flyby 16 A flight over or past a location or object, often for observing.
Crwth 13  Medieval Welsh instrument – like a lute or violin.
Cwm 10 A steep valley, or hollow surrounded by slopes.

A bunch of scrabble tiles laid out across a table.

Best scrabble words for using up vowels

Having too many vowels can be even worse than extra consonants, since it’s often harder to get rid of them using tiles your opponents’ have laid down.

These vowel-heavy Scrabble words can save you from maximum frustration. As you’ll notice, most are not very high scoring, but that’s not so important. Getting rid of excess vowels can set you up for a far better turn later on.

Word Points Definition
Aalii  5 Hawaiian word for a species of sticky shrub.
Eerie 5  Spooky, unsettling.
Ouija 12 A board of letters used by psychics (or horror movie victims) to communicate with the dead.
Adieu 6 Goodbye, or (used as a noun) a goodbye.
Olea 4 A genus of flowering plant that includes the olive.
Coatee  8 A tightfitting uniform coat worn by European soldiers in the late 1700s/early 1800s.
Hoagie 10 A sub – type of long sandwich.
Eelier 6 More eely. Yes, really!

Once you become a master who never loses, it’s only a matter of time before your family and friends refuse to play Scrabble with you. But not to worry, we can help you succeed at a load more classic board games.

Why not master a more strategic game with our tips for the  best Chess openings. Or you could devote a lot of time to a less prestigious game and learn how to win Connect 4 every single time.

Source: Wargamer

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