30 Little-Known Words That Will Help You Win Scrabble
Updated: Apr. 05, 2023
Memorize these to be a winner every game.
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Oxyphenbutazone: A type of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID)
This is theoretically the highest-scoring of all the Scrabble words—hooked to the right words, it would earn a whopping 1,778 points, found Dan Stock of Ohio. But it would require perfect placement of eight other tiles, so it’s never actually been played in a real game—start practicing with this Scrabble set.
Muzjiks: A Russian peasant
With this alternate spelling of muzhiks, Jesse Inman earned the record of the highest-scoring opening Scrabble word ever played in 2008. Here are some common words that everyone spells wrong.
Qi: The energy of life flowing through the body
When you’ve been holding on to that Q for way too long, just get rid of it with this easy-peasy two-letter word that doesn’t even require a U. Add an S at your next turn to take advantage of that ten-point Q all over again to win Scrabble. Check out these other 10 almost-extinct words you should start using.
Qat: A shrub that grows in the Middle East and Africa
Q with no U? You’re in luck—“qat” makes it easy to get rid of that tricky letter. When your friends question you, make sure to pronounce it right (“kaht”), and don’t miss these other 20 common words even smart people mispronounce.
Xi: Letter in the Greek alphabet
You know “ax,” “ex,” and “ox,” but when your only vowel is an I, you’ve got options. You probably use these 10 trendy words but have no idea what they actually mean.
Xu: Coin that used to be minted in South Vietnam
Don’t get stuck with that X! Short Scrabble words that start with X are hard to come by. Check out this list of the hardest words to spell in the English language.
Phpht: Interjection
No vowels? No problem! Other long consonant-only options to win Scrabble include crwth, byrls, fyrds, ghyll, and xylyl. They all look wrong, but here are the most misspelled words from every state.
Zuz: Ancient Hebrew coin
Eben super Scrabble players curse the days they get two Zs. “Pizza” and “fuzz” are obvious choices, but you can get rid of those pesky letters even quicker with this three-letter word. Here are some words that don’t mean what you think they do.
Cwm: Cirque, a half-open hollow on a mountainside
When you’re stuck with all consonants, you don’t have too many options, especially if you don’t have a Y either. Enter cwm to save the day, or even tsk, brr, pht, zzz, nth, or shh. Don’t miss these other fancy words that make you sound smarter.
Beziques: A card game played with a pack of 48 cards (two of each suit for high cards)
This word can get two tricky letters out of the way: Z and Q. What about I before E, except after C? Test your knowledge with these rules for spelling difficult words.
Caziques: Black-and-red or black-and-yellow orioles of the American tropics
Impress your Scrabble opponents with this unexpected eight-letter word. Or, drive them crazy with these hilarious made-up words.
Highjack: Alternate spelling of hijack
Who knew there was more than one spelling? These are 10 common words that you’ll only find in English.
Mezquite: Alternate spelling of mesquite
Trick all of your opponents with the alternate spelling to win Scrabble. There are a lot of common pairs of words everyone gets wrong.
Oxazepam: A tranquilizing drug used to treat anxiety, insomnia, and alcohol withdrawal
People might not know what this drug is used for, but you know how to win Scrabble with it. Only English majors know these vocabulary words.
Maximize: To make as big or large as possible
This is a word people actually use on a daily basis, so it’s a great way to score 78 Scrabble points. What is the most maximized word in English? Hint: it’s 189,819 letters long.
Quixotry: Quixotic action or thought
You probably still have no idea what this means. A quixotic action is one that is unrealistic or impractical. Here are some other funny words you might not know.
Jukebox: A coin-operated phonograph, equipped with push buttons for the selection of songs
Turn up the music, because this word can score you 77 points to win Scrabble.
Vizcacha: A burrowing rodent
When you use this winning Scrabble word, you’ll impress your friends while scoring a lot of points. Learn about these 10 uncommon English words that we don’t use, but really should.
Chutzpah: Unbelievable gall; supreme self-confidence
It takes a lot of chutzpah to use this high-scoring Scrabble word.
Quetzals: The basic unit of money in Guatemala; large bird of Central and South America
This word with a double meaning can help to potentially double your score.
Whizbang: A small high-velocity shell; a firecracker that makes a whizzing sound followed by an explosion
This fun Scrabble word can add 76 points to your score.
Flapjack: A flat cake of thin batter fried on both sides on a griddle
Another one of the high-scoring Scrabble words that can help you win the game is flapjack. These 15 common words used to mean completely different things.
Wheezily: With a wheeze
This top Scrabble word can get you 76 points. Watch out for these words that seem like synonyms, but aren’t.
Equalize: To compensate; to make equal, uniform, corresponding, or matching
This Scrabble word will not equalize the score of the game.
Exorcize: Drive out or attempt to drive out (an evil spirit) from a person or place
Exorcize is another word for exorcism. These are 10 words that don’t rhyme with anything.
Zombify: To turn into a zombie
Let’s hope that the only place this word is used is on the Scrabble board and never in the news.
Squeeze: To grip and press firmly; the act of gripping and pressing firmly
You can squeeze 75 points out of this high-scoring Scrabble word.
Jezebel: A shameless, impudent, scheming woman
This is one of the best Scrabble words to use—especially if you’re playing against an impudent woman! Saying these 9 words will give away where you grew up.
Quickly: With rapid movements; with little or no delay
Quickly is one of the less-complex Scrabble words you can use to win. You can quickly win Scrabble by throwing this word down on the board. These are the synonyms and antonyms people search for the most.
Zymurgy: The branch of chemistry concerned with fermentation
Fermentation as in making wine, brewing, or distilling. If you want to be a Scrabble champ, make sure you don’t use these 70 words and phrases wrong because a lot of people do.
Sources:
- ScrabblePlayers.org: “Records: Highest opening word score”
- The Wall Street Journal: “How to Get Oxyphenbutazone”
