Is LOUIE a valid word?

LOUIE is a slang word for a lieutenant, especially in the armed forces or the police; its plural is LOUIES. It clears four vowels, O, U, I and E, with a single L, which makes it a superb vowel dump that also places the awkward U. Soldiers and cops use it the way they use sarge for a sergeant. Its four vowels make it a far better rack cleaner than its tough-guy sound suggests.

Before any bonus squares: L 1 + O 1 + U 1 + I 1 + E 1 = 5. On a double-word square that's 10, on a triple-word 15, and every letter bonus under one of these tiles is applied first.

Later in the game, put the L on a 3L square and LOUIE is worth 7 before any word bonus.

Place that one tile so it also forms a word in the other direction and both words score.

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

No other word in the list uses exactly the letters L, O, U, I and E.

LOUIE is slang for a lieutenant, in the military or the police.

• Vowel-heavy words

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