Here’s how to use the letter “X” in your next game of Scrabble! (or Words with Friends!)
Are you ever “stuck” with the letter “X” during Scrabble and you just don’t know what to do with it? X is a high scoring tile worth a whopping 8 points in both Scrabble and Words with Friends. Thus, it can quickly increase your game score if used strategically. Here are some ideas to use “x” in Scrabble that just might help you…
Use “x” to create a hook
Spell out a word by hooking onto either A E I O or U. You can do that by memorizing the 2 letter words that include X. So for example if you see an I on the board that is free, you can spell out FLEX and have the X intersect with I, so that you earn points for both FLEX and XI. Throw in a double word bonus and you will be flying! 
Here are the two letter words that contain “x”. Memorize them!
AX
EX
OX
XI
XU
Study the list of words that start, contain and end with “x”
Use this tool to see words that end in X. You can filter by word length and choose other paramaters as well.
Try one of these common three letter X words!
AXE
BOX
COX
DEX
FOX
GOX
HEX
KEX
LAX
LEX
LOX
LUX
MAX
MIX
NIX
Other Tidbits
Want to really impress your opponents? Throw out the word Oxyphenbutazone on the board. Yes, that’s a real word. No, it won’t be easy to play, probably ever. So may you can at least to tell people about it! Oxyphenbutazone is defined as a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug. Just placing this word on the board will score you a minimum of 41 points. However, if played right, placing it across three triple-word-score squares and joining seven tiles to eight already-played tiles, it could score you 1,780 points! In fact, this word is theoretically the highest possible scoring word in Scrabble.
Here are some more words you could play:
- Score 21 points with the word jinx!!
- Get a whopping 30 points with the word Exoenzyme (an enzyme that is secreted by a cell and acts outside of that cell).
- If you do find yourself with an X, save it for a double or triple point and get the bang for your buck.
- Take the easy way out by playing the word XI for a total of 9 points!
- Ever heard of the word Quixotry?? It will score you 27 points! Not sure what it means? Quixotry is “a wild, visionary idea, an eccentric notion or act.”
- Finally, score 28 points and use 8 letters with the word maximize! Using premium squares it can even get to 78 points!
Hopefully your next game of Scrabble won’t be so daunting when you land the letter X!! Play it wisely to rack up your score!
