25 Highest-Scoring Scrabble Words You Need to Know

Imagine the moment. You’re in the middle of a close Scrabble game and you plunk down OXYPHENBUTAZONE, the highest-scoring Scrabble word out there if you play it just right. In the course of one turn, this single word, the name of an obsolete anti-inflammatory medication, will give you a max of a whopping 1,778 points (if you play it over the triple word score spaces). Just imagine your opponent’s face.

But…that word has never actually been played for that many points, and chances are, it never will be. On its own, it’s 41 points. There’s a really slim chance you’ll ever get the opportunity to play it at all, let alone lay it down on the triple word score spaces.. 

While your playable options will always depend on what’s in your tray and what’s on the board, knowing a few of these high-point Scrabble words can be your fastest road to victory. Rather than focus on weird words that might never come up in your game, we think it pays to memorize some of the shorter words you can actually use.

2-Letter, High-Point Scrabble Words

You don’t need a lot of letters to score a lot of points. There are lots of 2-letter Scrabble words you can play, but these are the highest-scoring ones:

• AX (9 points) - Weapon or tool used to chop.

• EX (9 points) - Something or someone who used to be but no longer is. Also, a letter in the alphabet.

• JO (9 points) - Scottish endearment.

• OX (9 points) - That animal you might use to pull a covered wagon or plow a field.

• QI (11 points) - In some Chinese traditions, the principle of life force.

• XI (9 points) - The 14th letter of the Greek alphabet.

• XU (9 points) - In Vietnamese currency, 1/100 of a dong.

3-Letter, High-Point Scrabble Words

If you’ve got two good letters in your tray and the right letter already on the board, you might be in business. Try one of these high-point options:

• ZEK (16 points) - What you might call a Soviet labor camp inmate.

• FEZ (15 points) - You’ve totally seen these (usually red) cylindrical caps before.

• FIZ (15 points) - Turns out, this is a legit way to spell “fizz.”.

• PYX (15 points) - A box used to hold something valuable or sacred.

• WIZ (15 points) - A short way to say “wizard,” as in “computer wiz.”

4-Letter, High-Point Scrabble Words

If you’ve got the right tiles, these are the highest-scoring Scrabble words you can make with four letters:

• QUIZ (22 points) - Aww yeah. This short test is a good way to use your Q.

• JEEZ (20 points) - When you don’t want to swear, you might use this exclamation.

• FOZY (19 points) - Scottish word for fat or spongey.

• HAZY (19 points) - Literally or figuratively, when things really aren’t clear.

5-Letter, High-Point Scrabble Words

More letters mean more points. Keep these babies in mind when you need to transform a game:

• JAZZY (33 points) - Flashy and unrestrained, like jazz music.

• JIFFY (21 points) - Pretty quickly, in just a sec.

• JUNKY (19 points) - Something you might toss out.

• QUAKY (21 points) - Something that shakes or shudders.

• ZAPPY (21 points) - Fun and lively, in slang form.

• ZAXES (21 points) - Plural of a roof slate-cutting tool.

• ZINKY (21 points) - Something that has the qualities of zinc.

• ZIPPY (21 points) - Quick and full of energy..

Bigger Isn’t Always Better With High-Scoring Scrabble Words

When it comes to Scrabble, big words aren’t always better. It’s all about where you play the word and which letters you use. Knowing some of the highest-scoring Scrabble words can help you win.

It’s also good to keep our Scrabble dictionary checker on hand to check points and make sure a word is really playable. And we won’t tell anyone if you use our Scrabble cheat too!