Buzz
Top-tier Scrabble players excel by strategically expanding their word arsenal. After mastering essential two-letter words and challenging high-value terms, focus on double-letter words to optimize the tiles on your rack.
1. Agloo
Missing an i for igloo? Swap it with an a to form agloo, a term referring to a seal's breathing hole in the ice.
2. Allee
Swap alley for this double-letter word, which refers to a pathway adorned with trees.
3. Betta
Put those extra 't's to good use with 'betta.' | IronHeart/Moment/Getty ImagesInstead of beta, utilize the additional t to spell the name of this popular freshwater fish.
4. Brattice
Today, a brattice is a sturdy curtain or barrier used in mines to control airflow, while its medieval definition referred to a temporary wall partition.
5. Dressage
Dressage | Adam Ihse, AFP/Getty ImagesDressage, the pinnacle of horse training and equestrian events, focuses on obedience and precision in riding rather than speed.
6. Fuggy
While fug means to create a stuffy or unpleasant odor, its adjective form (fuggy) and participles (fugged, fugging) are perfect for using extra g tiles.
7. Ghyll
Ghyll, meaning a deep ravine, not only uses a double-letter but is also ideal when your rack is short on vowels.
8. Graal
Graal is an archaic variant of grail and also refers to a specialized glassblowing method.
9. Heeler
Heeler is another term for an Australian cattle dog. | Marco Victervo/500px/Getty ImagesMissing an a for healer? Use heeler, which refers to someone who attaches heels to shoes or an Australian cattle dog.
10. Helluva
Struggling to use certain letters? This informal compound word, helluva, is officially accepted in Scrabble.
11. Innage
Innage refers to the amount of goods left in a container upon delivery after shipping.
12. Larrup
Larrup means to thoroughly defeat or overpower someone.
13. Mammee
Mammee is a tropical tree known for its large red fruit and features double letters.
14. Moggy
This feline appears to be a moggy. | Christopher Furlong/GettyImagesA moggy (or moggie), and its plural form moggies, refers to a mixed-breed cat, much like a mutt for dogs.
15. Olla
An olla is a broad-mouthed vessel or jar, making it a handy word to pair with common board letters.
16. Outtell
Outtell, outtells, and outtelling all describe the act of speaking openly or declaring something boldly.
17. Perron
A perron can denote either grand outdoor staircases or the stone bases of specific columns and structures.
18. Piggery
'Piggery' refers to a pigpen. | Tim Graham/GettyImagesWhile piggy, piggie, and piggish are familiar, don’t overlook piggery, which means a pigpen.
19. Quassia
Maximize your score with a strategically placed q. A quassia is a tropical tree whose bitter bark serves as a digestive aid or insecticide.
20. Scabble
Not to be confused with Scrabble, scabble refers to roughly shaping or carving something.
21. Tippet
A tippet is a shoulder covering or a ceremonial scarf often worn by clergy members.
22. Typp
Now you’re aware that 'typp' measures yarn size. | Karl Ludvig Sellgren/EyeEm/Getty ImagesA typp (or typps in plural) is a measurement unit for yarn size, standing for thousand yards per pound.
23. Vallum
The vallum was a section of the defensive barrier made of earth and stone that encircled Roman military camps.
24. Weepie
While weepy describes someone prone to crying, a weepie refers to an overly sentimental film.
25. Welly
Per the official Scrabble dictionary, welly is an accepted variant of wellie, the British term for rain boots.
Are you a logophile? Discover rare words and vintage slang to spice up conversations, or explore intriguing facts about the origins of common phrases. Don’t miss our upcoming book, The Curious Compendium of Wonderful Words: A Miscellany of Obscure Terms, Bizarre Phrases, & Surprising Etymologies, releasing June 6! Pre-order now on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, or Bookshop.org.
