Yes. QAJAQ is a valid word.
QAJAQ is valid in the North American word list used for the Scrabble board game and other crossword tile games.
QAJAQ 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 QAJAQ
QAJAQ is the Inuit spelling of the word that English borrowed as kayak, a small covered boat paddled with a double-bladed paddle; its plural is QAJAQS. It is remarkable for its tiles: two Q tiles, one J and two A tiles, with no U in sight. But the bag has only one Q, so QAJAQ needs a blank for the second Q. It is a lovely word to know, and a showstopper on the rare day it fits.
Settle the next one at the table: score your game free in Tileside →
QAJAQ scores 20 points
Before any bonus squares: Q 10 + A 1 + J 8 + A 1 + blank Q 0 = 20. On a double-word square that's 40, on a triple-word 60, and every letter bonus under one of these tiles is applied first.
QAJAQ needs a blank: the bag has one Q.
Example: QAJAQ as the first play
Later in the game, put the Q on a 3L square and QAJAQ is worth 40 before any word bonus.
Hooks: one tile makes a new word
After QAJAQ (1):
- QAJAQSform of QAJAQ: a traditional watercraft of the Aleut, Inuit and Yup'ik peoples
Place that one tile so it also forms a word in the other direction and both words score.
Longer words from QAJAQ
Other forms of QAJAQ (1):
- QAJAQSform of QAJAQ: a traditional watercraft of the Aleut, Inuit and Yup'ik peoples
Same letters, other words
No other word in the list uses exactly the letters Q, A, J, A and Q.
Add one tile: words from these letters plus one more
QAJAQ + S
- QAJAQSform of QAJAQ: a traditional watercraft of the Aleut, Inuit and Yup'ik peoples
Memory tip
QAJAQ is the Inuit spelling of kayak. It has a Q, a J and no U at all.
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.