Is PSST a valid word?

Yes. PSST is a valid word.

PSST is valid in the North American word list used for the Scrabble board game and other crossword tile games.

PSST 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.

Meaning

Used to attract someone's attention.

About PSST

PSST is a quiet sound used to catch someone's attention, a longer form of PST. Its tiles are a P, two S tiles and a T, with no vowels at all, so it can rescue a rack stuck with consonants, though spending two S tiles on it is rarely the best use of them. Remember it with the other no-vowel sounds people make: HMM, SHH, TSK, BRR and ZZZ.

Settle the next one at the table: score your game free in Tileside →

PSST scores 6 points

Before any bonus squares: P 3 + S 1 + S 1 + T 1 = 6. On a double-word square that's 12, on a triple-word 18, and every letter bonus under one of these tiles is applied first.

Example: PSST as the first play

2L2L

★

2L2L2L

PSST through the ★: P 3 + S 1 + S 1 + T 1 = 6, and the ★ doubles the first word: 12 points. New tiles are outlined.

Later in the game, put the P on a 3L square and PSST is worth 12 before any word bonus.

Change one tile

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

PASTthe time that has elapsed
PESTa serious (sometimes fatal) infection of rodents caused by Yersinia pestis and accidentally transmitted to humans by the bite of a flea…
POSTthe position where someone (as a guard or sentry) stands or is assigned to stand

Same letters, other words

No other word in the list uses exactly the letters P, S, S and T.

Add one tile: words from these letters plus one more

PSST + A

PASTSform of PAST: the time that has elapsed
SPATSform of SPAT: a quarrel about petty points

PSST + E

PESTSform of PEST: a serious (sometimes fatal) infection of rodents caused by Yersinia pestis and accidentally transmitted to humans by the bite of a flea…
SEPTSform of SEPT: people descended from a common ancestor
STEPSform of STEP: any maneuver made as part of progress toward a goal

PSST + I

SPITSform of SPIT: expel or eject (saliva or phlegm or sputum) from the mouth

PSST + O

POSTSform of POST: the position where someone (as a guard or sentry) stands or is assigned to stand
SPOTSform of SPOT: a point located with respect to surface features of some region
STOPSform of STOP: come to a halt, stop moving

Memory tip

PSST is PST with an extra S, the quiet sound to get someone's attention.

On these lists

Words without vowels

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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.

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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.