Is IQ a Scrabble Word? (Official Answer + 201 Alternatives)

I’ve played Scrabble for years and always wanted to use the word, “IQ.”

Is IQ a Scrabble word?

IQ is not a Scrabble word. Abbreviations are not allowed by the official rules of the game. IQ is also not included in the Official Scrabble Players Handbook. Although IQ is in the English dictionary, it is not a valid word in Scrabble. The reverse, QI, is a legal Scrabble word worth 11 points.

In this article, you’ll learn everything you need to know about IQ as a Scrabble word, including the top 10 quick Scrabble builds and 201 valid alternatives.

Bonus: I also share the highest point Scrabble word you can build with IQ, so don’t miss that “Easter egg.”

Why Is IQ Not a Scrabble Word?

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Scrabble board with Scrabble tiles—Is IQ a Scrabble Word
Image by the author via Canva—Is IQ a Scrabble Word?

IQ is not a Scrabble word because of three main reasons:

  • IQ is not found in the Scrabble Players Handbook
  • IQ is an abbreviation, not an actual word
  • IQ is not a word in any other language

In order for a word to be official, it must be listed in the Official Scrabble Players Handbook.

IQ is not found in that dictionary.

The Official Scrabble Players Handbook only lists words that are acceptable in tournament play. There are a variety of unofficial tournament formats that use different word lists.

But if you want to play by the official rules, you’ll need to stick to words that are in the Official Scrabble Player’s Handbook. And IQ is not one of those words.

Also, no abbreviations are allowed in Scrabble—that means, you can’t use ABC, TV, or CIA.

Some words are allowed in other languages but not in English.

For example, Vi is a Spanish word that you can use if you play the Spanish version of Scrabble. However, Vi is not a valid Scrabble word when playing the English version of the game.

Here is a good video about why IQ is not a Scrabble Word:

YouTube video by Writing SecretsIs IQ a Scrabble Word?

IQ Scrabble Word Scoring

IQ is not worth any points in Scrabble because IQ is not a valid word in the game.

However, if IQ was allowed in Scrabble, it would be worth 11 points—which is a lot for a two-letter word.

Here is how the score would break down:

  • I = 1 point
  • Q = 10 points

Therefore, the total score would be 11 points. However, IQ equals zero points if you follow the official rules of Scrabble.

But, as we mentioned in the beginning, QI (the reverse of IQ) is a word you can use in Scrabble.

And it is also worth 11 points.

Top 10 IQ Scrabble Word Builds

When the letters “I” and “Q” are in your rack, it’s easy to feel stuck in Scrabble.

But don’t fear. There are 10 words you can build quickly to gain some much-needed Scrabble clout.

Here are the top 10 Scrabble Builds for IQ:

Scrabble BuildsPoints
QI11
Qis12
Quip15
Quid14
Fique17
Niqab16
Caique17
Clique17
Cliquy20
Qulliq24
Chart: IQ Scrabble Word Builds—Is IQ a Scrabble Word?

As you can see, the quickest build is QI for 11 points. The fastest IQ build with the most points is Qulliq for 24 points.

The highest point build you can make with the letters “I” and “Q” is microtechniques for 33 points.

201 IQ Scrabble Word Alternatives

In case you want even more options, I put together this massive list of 201 alternate Scrabble words that use the letters “IQ”.

You could find even more by switching the order to “QI”.

To hopefully make it easier to read, I’ve split the list into three distinct sections.

Here are the categories:

  1. Scrabble words that include IQ
  2. Scrabble words that end with IQ
  3. Scrabble words that include QI

By the way, I checked all 201 words in the Official Scrabble Players Dictionary.

Rest assured, you can use every single one of these words following the official rules of Scrabble.

Scrabble Words that Include IQ

  1. Aliquant
  2. Aliquot
  3. Aliquots
  4. Antiquark
  5. Antiquarks
  6. Antiquarian
  7. Antiquarianisms
  8. Antiquaries
  9. Antiquary
  10. Antiquate
  11. Antiquated
  12. Antiquates
  13. Antiquating
  14. Antiquation
  15. Antiquations
  16. Antiquities
  17. Antique
  18. Antiqued
  19. Antiquer
  20. Antiquers
  21. Antiques
  22. Antiquing
  23. Antiquity
  24. Applique
  25. Appliqued
  26. Appliques
  27. Appliqueing
  28. Barrique
  29. Barriques
  30. Beliquor
  31. Beliquored
  32. Beliquoring
  33. Beliquors
  34. Bezique
  35. Beziques
  36. Biquadratic
  37. Biunique
  38. Biuniqueness
  39. Boutique
  40. Boutiques
  41. Boutiquey
  42. Briquet
  43. Briquets
  44. Briquette
  45. Briquetted
  46. Briquettes
  47. Briquetting
  48. Cacique
  49. Caciques
  50. Caique
  51. Caiques
  52. Caciquism
  53. Caciquisms
  54. Cazique
  55. Caziques
  56. Clique
  57. Cliqued
  58. Cliquier
  59. Cliques
  60. Cliquiest
  61. Cliquey
  62. Cliquing
  63. Cliquish
  64. Cliquishly
  65. Cliquishness
  66. Cliquy
  67. Critique
  68. Critiqued
  69. Critiques
  70. Critiquing
  71. Daiquiri
  72. Daiquiris
  73. Deliquesce
  74. Deliquesced
  75. Deliquescent
  76. Deliquesces
  77. Deliquescing
  78. Demisemiquavers
  79. Diquat
  80. Diquats
  81. Dominique
  82. Dominiques
  83. Etiquette
  84. Etiquettes
  85. Fabrique
  86. Fabriques
  87. Fique
  88. Fiques
  89. Heniquen
  90. Heniquens
  91. Iniquities
  92. Iniquitous
  93. Iniquitously
  94. Illiquid
  95. Illiquidity
  96. Iniquity
  97. Kamotiqs
  98. Lalique
  99. Laliques
  100. Liquate
  101. Liquated
  102. Liquates
  103. Liquating
  104. Liquation
  105. Liquations
  106. Liquefaction
  107. Liquefied
  108. Liquefier
  109. Liquefiers
  110. Liquefies
  111. Liquefy
  112. Liquefying
  113. Liquescent
  114. Liqueur
  115. Liqueurs
  116. Liquid
  117. Liquidambar
  118. Liquidambars
  119. Liquidate
  120. Liquidated
  121. Liquidates
  122. Liquidating
  123. Liquidation
  124. Liquidations
  125. Liquidator
  126. Liquidators
  127. Liquidities
  128. Liquidize
  129. Liquidized
  130. Liquidizes
  131. Liquidizing
  132. Liquidness
  133. Liquids
  134. Liquidy
  135. Liquidity
  136. Liquidly
  137. Liquify
  138. Liquifying
  139. Liquor
  140. Liquored
  141. Liquors
  142. Microtechniques
  143. Netiquette
  144. Netiquettes
  145. Niqab
  146. Niqaab
  147. Niqaabs
  148. Oblique
  149. Obliqueness
  150. Obliquities
  151. Perique
  152. Piquancies
  153. Piquant
  154. Piquantness
  155. Pique
  156. Piques
  157. Piquet
  158. Piquets
  159. Piquing
  160. Qulliqs
  161. Reliquaries
  162. Relique
  163. Reliquefied
  164. Reliquefies
  165. Reliquefying
  166. Semiliquid
  167. Semiliquids
  168. Semiquaver
  169. Semiquavers
  170. Siliqua
  171. Silique
  172. Silique
  173. Sobriquet
  174. Sobriquets
  175. Spiqued
  176. Tourniquet
  177. Tourniquets
  178. Ubique
  179. Ubiquitously
  180. Unique
  181. Uniquenesses

Scrabble Words that End with IQ

  1. Kamotiq
  2. Qulliq

Scrabble Words that Include QI

  1. Qi
  2. Qis
  3. Equid
  4. Equip
  5. Equips
  6. Equity
  7. Faqir
  8. Faqirs
  9. Qibla
  10. Qiblas
  11. Qigong
  12. Qindar
  13. Qiviut
  14. Quid
  15. Qintar
  16. Quip
  17. Quoin
  18. Pique

IQ Scrabble Word Meanings

While IQ is not an official Scrabble word, let’s look at the meanings of some words that include “I” and “Q”.

Other than “IQ,” all of these words are valid in Scrabble.

Here are the words and definitions:

  • IQ—Intelligence Quotient, which is a number representing a person’s relative intelligence.
  • QI—QI is a Chinese word meaning “vital energy.”
  • Pique—Pique is to impact someone with unpleasant feelings of frustration and irritation. It can also mean to grab someone’s attention.
  • Aliquant—Aliquant is an adjective meaning “inequal” or “unequal in measure”.
  • Bezique—Bezique is a card game designed for two players.
  • Siliqua—Siliqua is a botanical term for a specific type of fruit.
  • Quilliq—Qulliq is an Inuit oil lamp.

IQ Scrabble Word Example Sentences

Now, let’s look at some example sentences that include words with the letters IQ in them.

Here are sentences with IQ:

  1. He took an intelligence test and found out his IQ was off the charts.
  2. When she told him her IQ was higher than his, he didn’t believe it (at first).
  3. You can increase your IQ with a few simple, daily tricks.

Here are sentences with QI in them:

  1. The karate teacher explained the mystical Chinese force known as QI.
  2. QI allows martial artists to focus their energy and strike with great force.
  3. Some believe that QI can be used to heal the sick.

Here are sentences with various IQ or QI words:

  1. I don’t want to pique your emotions.
  2. I didn’t mean to pique your interest in me romantically.
  3. What will it take to pique your curiosity?

Final Thoughts: Is IQ a Scrabble Word?

If you like words and playing Scrabble, then you’re in luck.

This website is packed with other articles about words, Scrabble, writing, and related topics. Browse through the entire blog list here.

Or, check out the hand-selected articles below.

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Sources

Scrabble
Official Scrabble Players Dictionary