Word game glossary

Short definitions of terms used in word games and on this site.

Anagram: A word or phrase made by rearranging all the letters of another word or phrase.
Blank tile: A tile that can stand for any letter. Use ? or * in the unscrambler.
Bingo: In Scrabble-style games, playing all seven tiles from your rack in one turn, which earns a 50-point bonus.
Consonant: A letter that is not A, E, I, O or U. Y can act as either.
Dictionary (word list): The list of words a tool or game accepts as valid.
Hook: A letter that can be added to the front or back of a word on the board to form a new word, such as S on the end of a noun.
Inflection: A changed form of a word, such as a plural or a past tense.
Letter tile: A single lettered piece used in word games.
Prefix: A group of letters added to the front of a word, such as un- in unhappy.
Rack: The set of tiles a player holds in Scrabble-style games.
Suffix: A group of letters added to the end of a word, such as -ing in running.
Unscramble: To find words hidden in a set of letters, using some or all of them.
Vowel: The letters A, E, I, O and U, and sometimes Y.