A case of spelling ability and sheer luck
Few Scrabble players know these 10 power words to score major points
Published on April 11, 2025
Credit: okanakgul
We all know that the letters that score the most points in Scrabble are J and X (8 points), and Q and Z (10 points). But the most popular word game in the world is also about being able to combine all the lettered tiles that luck has handed you, even when they don't seem to have anything in common. One of the first things Scrabble players should learn is new and different words to help them win the game. In this article, we have compiled 10 words that—if the conditions are right—will make you score the most points in an opening play. Come join us!
Muzjiks
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The highest-scoring possible play in Scrabble is a seven-letter opening move formed with the letters IJKMSUZ. Looks unpromising, right? To everyone's surprise, however, there's one word that's perfect for that hand: muzjiks. It's a pluralized, alternative spelling of the word muzhik, meaning a Russian peasant from the times before the Russian Revolution of 1917. Muzhik came into English thanks in large part to Tolstoy and Dostoyevsky. Today, muzhik is used in Russian as the equivalent of "guy" or "dude."
Placing the Z on the Double Letter Score in this opening move would bring in 128 points. The odds of drawing these tiles are about 1 in 55 million, and, to be honest, the play has never been recorded in sanctioned play. However, in 2008, a man from South Carolina managed to open a game at the National Scrabble Championships with muzjiks, using a blank tile for the U, setting a record with a 126-point opening move.
Bezique
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The second-highest opening move ever recorded in an American Scrabble tournament, for a wonderful 124 points, is bezique. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, bezique is "a card game similar to pinochle that is played with a pack of 64 cards."
Bezique originated in France in the 19th century and was later imported into Britain, where Winston Churchill was one of the game’s most prominent enthusiasts. Unfortunately, by the early 20th century, bezique declined in popularity, but at least it left us an excellent word for another great game: Scrabble.
Cazique
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You are probably familiar with the word cacique, which refers to a native Indian chief in areas dominated primarily by Spanish cultures. Although it would be a good starting move, if instead of a second C you were lucky enough to get a Z, you could score a solid 124 points, and your chances of winning the game would be even greater.
Some dictionaries accept cazique as a variant of cacique. However, cazique has its own meaning: it refers to black-and-red or black-and-yellow orioles of the American tropics. Best of all, it is an accepted word in the Official Scrabble Players Dictionary (OSPD)!
Mezquit
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Another great opening play for up to 124 points is mezquit. Here's another spelling variation of a word you probably already know, mesquite. According to Merriam-Webster, mesquite refers to "any of several spiny leguminous trees or shrubs, chiefly of the southwestern U.S., that often form extensive thickets and have sweet pods eaten by livestock."
To be fair, the word mesquite is an Anglicism of the Spanish word mezquite, which in turn was borrowed from the Nahuatl term mizquitl. So, it makes perfect sense that mezquit is an accepted word in Scrabble—and one of the good ones too!
Zombify
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We are out of 124-point opening plays, so the next best thing is 122 points. And for that, we have a handful of good options. The first one is zombify, and as you can imagine, it has to do with zombies.
Believe it or not, this is an accepted word in Scrabble. Although zombies have been invading popular culture in recent years, the word zombify, meaning "to turn a person into a zombie," has been in our vocabulary for a long time. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the word first appeared in The New York Times in the 1950s. So, the next time you are blessed with these promising tiles, don't miss the opportunity to kick-start the board with zombify.
Quetzal
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If you happen to draw the Z and Q tiles on your first play, you know you're up to big things. However, having those tricky consonants staring back at you can be a little intimidating. That's why it's nice to have some rare or unusual words up your sleeve to surprise even the most experienced players.
Quetzal is a strikingly colored bird commonly found in the humid forests of Central and South America. Interestingly, the quetzal has also been the currency of Guatemala since 1925. It was named after the bird, which is the national bird of the country. Now you know a new word and have a way to justify its use in your next Scrabble game!
Squiffy
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Okay, to present this word in an opening play of Scrabble, you should be lucky enough to draw the only two F's available up front. But even though it’s a one-in-a-million chance, knowing that this word exists can come in handy. Plus, it will give you up to 122 points — a good head start.
Squiffy means "intoxicated or drunk" and originated as a slang word in England at the end of the 19th century. The term probably derives from skew-whiff, which means "crooked or askew," or from swipey, meaning "tipsy."
Sovkhoz
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If you want to impress your friends with another rare Russian word accepted by the OSPD — and earn a well-deserved 122 inaugural points — then sovkhoz may be the way to go. According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, a sovkhoz is a "state-operated agricultural estate in the U.S.S.R. organized according to industrial principles for specialized large-scale production."
Sovkhoz is short for sovetskoe khozyaĭstvo, meaning "soviet farm." These large state farms began to be created in 1918, and the term first appeared in 1921 in the Russian Economist. By 1990, there were 23,500 sovkhozy, and although they were eventually disbanded with the fall of the Soviet Union, the term is still there for us to play in Scrabble.
Zymurgy
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If we say zymurgy, do you know what we are talking about? Perhaps you know this practice better as zymology, but zymurgy is also accepted and will give you more points in an opening play of Scrabble.
Zymurgy is a branch of applied chemistry that studies fermentation processes, especially those related to winemaking and brewing. The term was coined in the 19th century and derives from the Greek zymo, which means "leaven," combined with the suffix urgy, meaning "work." Fun fact: zymurgy is the last word in many English language dictionaries!
Squeeze, Quickly, and Jukebox
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Scrabble is not just about odd and difficult words. There are a bunch of regularly used words in the English language that will earn you up to 122 points at the start of a game — that is, if you are lucky enough to get the correct letters, of course!
Squeeze ("to hold tightly") and quickly ("in a short time") are two good words that any Scrabble player should always keep in mind. Jukebox (a machine that plays recorded music for money), on the other hand, is an excellent and recognizable word that any opponent will accept as correct without needing to check the Official Scrabble Players Dictionary.
