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?
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:
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 Builds | Points |
|---|---|
| QI | 11 |
| Qis | 12 |
| Quip | 15 |
| Quid | 14 |
| Fique | 17 |
| Niqab | 16 |
| Caique | 17 |
| Clique | 17 |
| Cliquy | 20 |
| Qulliq | 24 |
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:
- Scrabble words that include IQ
- Scrabble words that end with IQ
- 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
- Aliquant
- Aliquot
- Aliquots
- Antiquark
- Antiquarks
- Antiquarian
- Antiquarianisms
- Antiquaries
- Antiquary
- Antiquate
- Antiquated
- Antiquates
- Antiquating
- Antiquation
- Antiquations
- Antiquities
- Antique
- Antiqued
- Antiquer
- Antiquers
- Antiques
- Antiquing
- Antiquity
- Applique
- Appliqued
- Appliques
- Appliqueing
- Barrique
- Barriques
- Beliquor
- Beliquored
- Beliquoring
- Beliquors
- Bezique
- Beziques
- Biquadratic
- Biunique
- Biuniqueness
- Boutique
- Boutiques
- Boutiquey
- Briquet
- Briquets
- Briquette
- Briquetted
- Briquettes
- Briquetting
- Cacique
- Caciques
- Caique
- Caiques
- Caciquism
- Caciquisms
- Cazique
- Caziques
- Clique
- Cliqued
- Cliquier
- Cliques
- Cliquiest
- Cliquey
- Cliquing
- Cliquish
- Cliquishly
- Cliquishness
- Cliquy
- Critique
- Critiqued
- Critiques
- Critiquing
- Daiquiri
- Daiquiris
- Deliquesce
- Deliquesced
- Deliquescent
- Deliquesces
- Deliquescing
- Demisemiquavers
- Diquat
- Diquats
- Dominique
- Dominiques
- Etiquette
- Etiquettes
- Fabrique
- Fabriques
- Fique
- Fiques
- Heniquen
- Heniquens
- Iniquities
- Iniquitous
- Iniquitously
- Illiquid
- Illiquidity
- Iniquity
- Kamotiqs
- Lalique
- Laliques
- Liquate
- Liquated
- Liquates
- Liquating
- Liquation
- Liquations
- Liquefaction
- Liquefied
- Liquefier
- Liquefiers
- Liquefies
- Liquefy
- Liquefying
- Liquescent
- Liqueur
- Liqueurs
- Liquid
- Liquidambar
- Liquidambars
- Liquidate
- Liquidated
- Liquidates
- Liquidating
- Liquidation
- Liquidations
- Liquidator
- Liquidators
- Liquidities
- Liquidize
- Liquidized
- Liquidizes
- Liquidizing
- Liquidness
- Liquids
- Liquidy
- Liquidity
- Liquidly
- Liquify
- Liquifying
- Liquor
- Liquored
- Liquors
- Microtechniques
- Netiquette
- Netiquettes
- Niqab
- Niqaab
- Niqaabs
- Oblique
- Obliqueness
- Obliquities
- Perique
- Piquancies
- Piquant
- Piquantness
- Pique
- Piques
- Piquet
- Piquets
- Piquing
- Qulliqs
- Reliquaries
- Relique
- Reliquefied
- Reliquefies
- Reliquefying
- Semiliquid
- Semiliquids
- Semiquaver
- Semiquavers
- Siliqua
- Silique
- Silique
- Sobriquet
- Sobriquets
- Spiqued
- Tourniquet
- Tourniquets
- Ubique
- Ubiquitously
- Unique
- Uniquenesses
Scrabble Words that End with IQ
- Kamotiq
- Qulliq
Scrabble Words that Include QI
- Qi
- Qis
- Equid
- Equip
- Equips
- Equity
- Faqir
- Faqirs
- Qibla
- Qiblas
- Qigong
- Qindar
- Qiviut
- Quid
- Qintar
- Quip
- Quoin
- 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:
- He took an intelligence test and found out his IQ was off the charts.
- When she told him her IQ was higher than his, he didn’t believe it (at first).
- You can increase your IQ with a few simple, daily tricks.
Here are sentences with QI in them:
- The karate teacher explained the mystical Chinese force known as QI.
- QI allows martial artists to focus their energy and strike with great force.
- Some believe that QI can be used to heal the sick.
Here are sentences with various IQ or QI words:
- I don’t want to pique your emotions.
- I didn’t mean to pique your interest in me romantically.
- 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.
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