Yes. JAB is a valid word.
JAB is valid in the North American word list used for the Scrabble board game and other crossword tile games.
JAB is in the NASPA Word List 2023 (NWL2023), the North American list that Tileside uses for challenges and the one used in club and tournament play.
About JAB
JAB means to poke or punch quickly, and as a noun it is a quick blow or, informally, an injection; its forms include JABBED, JABBING and JABS. With the 8-point J and the 3-point B, JAB is worth 12 before bonuses, a strong score for three tiles. It is a common word, and an S on the end makes JABS. The J at the front can reach a letter bonus while the word hooks onto an A or a B already on the board.
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JAB scores 12 points
Before any bonus squares: J 8 + A 1 + B 3 = 12. On a double-word square that's 24, on a triple-word 36, and every letter bonus under one of these tiles is applied first.
Example: JAB as the first play
Later in the game, put the J on a 3L square and JAB is worth 28 before any word bonus.
Hooks: one tile makes a new word
After JAB (1):
- JABSform of JAB: poke or thrust abruptly
Place that one tile so it also forms a word in the other direction and both words score.
Longer words from JAB
Other forms of JAB (3):
Words that start with JAB:
- JABOTa ruffle on the front of a woman's blouse or a man's shirt
- JABBERtalk in a noisy, excited, or declamatory manner
- JABIRUlarge mostly white Australian stork
- JABOTSform of JABOT: a ruffle on the front of a woman's blouse or a man's shirt
- JABBERSform of JABBER: talk in a noisy, excited, or declamatory manner
- JABIRUSform of JABIRU: large mostly white Australian stork
- JABBEREDform of JABBER: talk in a noisy, excited, or declamatory manner
- JABBERERsomeone whose talk is trivial drivel
Change one tile
Swap any one letter of JAB and these are still words:
Same letters, other words
Memory tip
JAB is a quick punch, the boxer's opener. Picture the J throwing a fast jab at the B.
On these lists
Check words at the table, free
Tileside keeps score, checks words like this one during a challenge, tracks the tiles left in the bag and times turns. It runs in your phone's browser with no account and works offline.
Tileside checks words against the North American list, the NASPA Word List 2023. Your group's chosen dictionary always wins.
Word list: NASPA Word List 2023, used under license. NASPA Word List 2023 Edition © NASPA 2023. The copy included in this app is licensed for personal use. You may not use it for any commercial purposes.
Works with the Scrabble board game, played at the table. Tileside is an independent product, not affiliated with or endorsed by the makers of Scrabble.