X Words: Crossing Out Your Opponent's Chances

There are a lot of words that start with X or with the letter at that, but why do we find it hard to think of one when we're playing word games? Well, it may be because of the letters on your rack and the fact that we don't exactly use X words during everyday conversations. Having said that, using this word will greatly increase your chances of winning – and cross out your opponent's chances to do so. Here are some notable X words you may want to use in your future games:

Short but useful X words

Words that start with X may be hard to think of, especially if your rack is uncooperative – let's say that it's filled up with too many vowels and consonants at the same time. If it has the letter X, it may seemingly be a hopeless situation. Simply put, it's not. Since the letter X gives you eight points, the following words can give you at least nine or 10. Just remember these words whenever you're playing:

• Xi

  – who would have thought that you can score nine points by using an X and an I to form a two letter word? Xi is defined as defined as the 14th letter in the Greek alphabet and is a way to score points without having to swap. 

• Ax or axe

  – regardless of your spelling, this word is a good way to get rid of the X in quick and efficient manner. Having said that, we all know what an ax is – it is commonly used to chop wood and used in ancient and medieval warfare. 

• Xu

  – this is a Vietnamese word with French origins. Although this seems to be an odd combination, this word is used to refer to a monetary unit in the oriental country. It is like Vietnam's version of the cent (one dong is equal to a hundred xu). Regardless of its value in dollars, it gives a lot of value in word games – nine points in Scrabble to be exact. 

Four to seven letter combinations

There are a lot of moderate to long words that start with X. Although you'd be squeezing your brain juices during the game, it certainly helps to keep your memory in check – remember these words if you want to bury your opponent!

• Exequy

  – this six letter word, may be enough to bury your opponent in a mountain of points – it has a base score of 25 in Scrabble. Place the Q and X in multipliers and you'll score big. If you're beating your opponent, it is fitting and proper to use this word – it is defined as “funeral rites”. 

• Zaxes

  – this 21 point word is basically  the plural form of the word Zax, the highest scoring three letter word. Zax is a tool used to cut and trim slate – and your opponent's chances of winning.

• Jeux

  – this word has French origins and it is an awesome way to get rid of the letter J and X in one go. This 21 point word is defined as “a game”. 

• Jukebox

  – possibly one of the best words you can ever play, we all know what jukeboxes are: they are music players in diners and restaurants in the 1950s. On its own, it gives 27 points in Scrabble – add the bonuses up (bingo plus bonus tiles) and it can give more than a hundred points.

Remember these words every time you open up the board. They could either mean the difference between victory or defeat!