Scrabble is, hands down, one of the best board games ever created. It is a game with a straightforward goal (just score more points than your opponent), but the methods in doing so are rather complex and require numerous strategies. Having said that, though this game mainly involves words and bonus squares, don’t be deceived – the board is like a battlefield. Your main weapons are the letter tiles on your rack: you have to use them wisely in order to eke out a win. Here are some examples of BIG words that could turn the tide of battle.
High scoring seven-letter words
Basically in Scrabble, seven letter words give you the base score of the whole word with a fifty point bonus. This is called a bingo – expert players have made one to three of these per game on average. If you find an opportunity to clean your rack up, do so immediately. Here are some examples of the highest scoring Scrabble words along with their base value:
Muzjiks – this word has the reputation of being the highest scoring seven-letter word at 29 points. If you use it on your first turn, you can possibly garner as high as 128 points. It is a term used to call Russian peasants centuries ago.
Cazique – this word is defined as a kind of bird in North America, specifically a type of oriole. It has also been used by the Spanish conquistadors to call Indian Chiefs. It has a base score of 27, 29 with Words with Friends and it was once used by Dr. Karl Khonshaw in England, garnering a total of a whopping 392 points.
Bezique – this is a term used to call a card game, which happens to be a favorite of former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill. Like Cazique, it has a base score of 27 and it has the highest possible opening scores, second to Muzjiks, at 128.
Words that clean up the rack
Aside from high scoring words, you should also learn about words that can help you clean your rack up. Why? Well, there are situations that require their use, like when your rack is loaded with either vowels or consonants. Remember, you should always keep four consonants and three vowels at ALL times on your rack. Having a lack or an excess of either one could cause you to lose your grip on the game.
Syzygy – yes, we know, there is only one Y in Scrabble, so you need to use a blank. Having a Y and Z at the same time without usable vowels on your rack can be a nightmare, so be sure to have this word on your arsenal. Though this only has a base score of 21 points, place it well and it can go up to 93. Its definition? An alignment of three heavenly bodies.
Queue – defined as a long line of people and a long braid of hair. Using this word garners a base score of 14 points and possibly even higher, especially if you place the Q on a word multiplier. Having said that, it does more than rack up the points – it gets rid of a hard consonant and four vowels, leaving you a fresh rack.
Woozy – an informal, but acceptable word, the term woozy is a synonym of dizzy (another useful word here) and unsteady. It gets you a base score of 20 and clears off three difficult consonants: W, Z and Y.
Overall, these words could either give you renewed hope of winning, or simply kill your opponent’s chances of stealing the game. Be sure to remember these words when you’re facing a tough situation – or you could use a word finder to help you out instead.