Yes. NAOI is a valid word.
NAOI is valid in the North American word list used for the Scrabble board game and other crossword tile games.
NAOI 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 NAOI
NAOI is the plural of NAOS, the inner chamber of an ancient Greek temple where the statue of the god stood. It is a Greek plural, which is why it ends in OI. NAOI clears an A, an O and an I with one N, a useful combination when your rack has too many vowels. In a Greek temple the naos held the cult statue, while the public gathered outside at the altar. Ruined temples across Greece still show the walls of their naoi.
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NAOI scores 4 points
Before any bonus squares: N 1 + A 1 + O 1 + I 1 = 4. On a double-word square that's 8, on a triple-word 12, and every letter bonus under one of these tiles is applied first.
Example: NAOI as the first play
Later in the game, put the N on a 3L square and NAOI is worth 6 before any word bonus.
Change one tile
Same letters, other words
No other word in the list uses exactly the letters N, A, O and I.
Add one tile: words from these letters plus one more
NAOI + D
NAOI + G
- GONIAform of GONION: the craniometric point on either side at the apex of the lower jaw
NAOI + L
NAOI + M
NAOI + N
- ANIONa negatively charged ion
NAOI + P
- PIANOa keyboard instrument that is played by depressing keys that cause hammers to strike tuned strings and produce sounds
NAOI + R
- NORIAa water wheel with buckets attached to the rim
NAOI + V
NAOI + X
Memory tip
NAOI is the plural of NAOS, the inner room of an ancient Greek temple.
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.