Is CINQS a valid word?

CINQS is the plural of CINQ, the number five on dice or playing cards, from French. When CINQ is already on the board, adding an S on the end makes CINQS and counts the Q for you as well. From your own rack, it is a five-letter play that gets rid of the Q without a U, using C, I, N and S, all common tiles. Old dice games named each face in French, so the trey, cinq and sice are all in the word list. CINQUE, the longer spelling, is valid as well, with its own S. Picture a pair of dice that both land on five: two cinqs.

Before any bonus squares: C 3 + I 1 + N 1 + Q 10 + S 1 = 16. On a double-word square that's 32, on a triple-word 48, and every letter bonus under one of these tiles is applied first.

Later in the game, put the Q on a 3L square and CINQS is worth 36 before any word bonus.

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

No other word in the list uses exactly the letters C, I, N, Q and S.

CINQS is the plural of CINQ, the five on dice or cards. An S after CINQ scores the Q again.

• Q without U

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