Is IQ a Scrabble Word? (Official Answer + 201 Alternatives) - Writing Beginner (2024)

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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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:

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.

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Sources

Scrabble
Official Scrabble Players Dictionary