Is AQUAE a valid word?

AQUAE is a Latin plural of AQUA, meaning water; AQUAS is valid too. Five letters with four vowels, it clears the Q and four vowels at once, a rare double rescue for a rack that has a Q, a U and too many vowels. If AQUA is already on the board, an E on the end makes AQUAE and scores the Q again. The Romans named many spa towns after their waters, which is how the word reached place names across Europe. It is rare at the table, so mention that AQUA has two plurals if anyone doubts it. Spending a Q, a U and three vowels in one move can turn a hopeless rack into a fresh start.

Before any bonus squares: A 1 + Q 10 + U 1 + A 1 + E 1 = 14. On a double-word square that's 28, on a triple-word 42, and every letter bonus under one of these tiles is applied first.

Later in the game, put the Q on a 3L square and AQUAE is worth 34 before any word bonus.

Swap any one letter of AQUAE and these are still words:

No other word in the list uses exactly the letters A, Q, U, A and E.

AQUAE is a plural of AQUA, Latin for water. Four vowels and the Q in one play.

• Vowel-heavy words

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