Qi, Scrabble's Only Valid Two-Letter Q Word

"Qi" is a two-letter Scrabble word worth 11 points. It is a Chinese word meaning the life force that flows through all living things. Also, spelt "Chi" and "Ki", Qi is an essential concept in Chinese philosophy and medicine.

Qi is considered one of the most powerful words in Scrabble as it's the only two-letter word using the letter Q that's valid in the Scrabble dictionary.

Is Qi allowed in US and Canadian Scrabble games?

Yes, Qi is in the NWL2018 Scrabble dictionary, also known as the NASPA Word List from the year 2018. This dictionary is commonly used throughout the United States and Canada in official tournaments, meaning Qi is good to play within these regions.

Is Qi allowed in the UK and across the rest of the world?

Yes, “Qi” is a valid word in the Collins Scrabble Words (CSW) dictionary meaning it is viable in the United Kingdom. As the CSW dictionary is also used throughout the rest of the world, Qi can be considered a playable Scrabble word globally and is safe to incorporate into your gameplay.

Why is Qi a popular Scrabble word?

Qi is a unique word in Scrabble that is both short (only two letters long) and scores highly because of its use of the letter “Q”. As a result, Qi has become one of the most popular Scrabble words of all time dominating online search results and trending among users of word finder sites like ours.

Firstly, we attribute this success due to the words' use of the letter “Q”. In Scrabble, the “Q” character is worth a total of 10 points making it the highest scoring character in the game alongside the letter “Z”. Therefore, “Q” words in Scrabble are highly sought after and commonly included in players winning strategies due to their great scoring potential.

Secondly, “Q” words can be extremely difficult for players to build out of their tiles. Many “Q” words in the English language require a “U” to follow the “Q”. This makes playing them in Scrabble difficult for players as “U” is the least common vowel in the tile bag (there are only 4 “U”s in a Scrabble game). Consequently, players love the word Qi as its lack of a “U” and short nature make Qi by far the easiest “Q” word to play in Scrabble.

Finally, we believe this word has become popular simply as a result of it being uncommon. In everyday English conversations, you're unlikely to hear this word mentioned, hence why thousands of people per month are searching to find out more about it and see if they can use it to their advantage in Scrabble.

How can the word Qi help me win at Scrabble?

Qi can be (and should be) used strategically within your Scrabble game to help maximise your scoring potential and help you achieve that game win.

Our first tip for playing Qi is to make use of the board's bonus multiplier squares. Even though Qi uses the high-scoring “Q” tile, on its own without any multipliers it only scores 11 points. In reality, this score isn't going to make you an instant winner. However, you can easily maximise that by finding ways of playing Qi on double/triple letter squares or double/triple word squares. Hitting a double bonus square will likely take the word score up to the early-mid 20s, whereas a triple bonus square will see you gain 30 points in a single turn.

Another tip to winning with Qi is by extending off this great word. Many letters can be combined with Qi to create longer and higher-scoring words. Some of the easiest extensions include “Qis” (the plural of qi) and “Qin” (a Chinese dynasty that ruled China 221-206 BC). Extending off a word gives you the chance to score the points it earned a second time around in a later turn, so always look out for these opportunities when playing.

Finally, when it comes to the Scrabble end-game, it can be awkward picking up a “Q” late in the game when there is no place to play it. This can easily lead to a loss if the score is tight if you're unable to play the “Q” letter tile before the game ends, you'll be deducted 10 points at the end of the round as per the Scrabble rules. Consequently, Qi becomes a powerful end-game word in this instance, as in theory all you need to do is find an “I” that the “Q” can be played off.

noun

• The twenty-second letter of the Classical and Modern Greek alphabets.

noun

• A life force in traditional Chinese philosophy, culture, medicine, etc, related (but not limited) to breath and circulation.

noun

• The Chinese foot, a traditional Chinese unit of length based on the human forearm.
• (Mainland China) The Chinese unit of length standardized in 1984 as 1/3 of a meter.
• (Taiwan) The Taiwanese unit of length standardized as 10/33 of a meter, identical to the Japanese shaku.

How Many Points is Qi Worth?

Qi is a 2-letter word made up of the letter tiles Q: 10, I: 1. Its points breakdown is as follows:

• With no multipliers, Qi is worth 11 points.
• On a double-word square, Qi is worth 22 points.
• On a triple-word square, Qi is worth 33 points.