Is SHEQALIM a valid word?

SHEQALIM is a plural of SHEQEL, the monetary unit of Israel, formed with a Hebrew plural ending; SHEQELS is valid too. At eight letters it has to be played through a tile already on the board. It is a rare sight, but when the letters line up it carries the Q and H for a big score. The same ending gives words like KIBBUTZIM and SERAPHIM. The coin's name goes back to an ancient weight of silver mentioned in the Bible. The Hebrew plural ending makes it look nothing like SHEQEL at first glance. The singular SHEQEL and the plural SHEQELS are valid too.

Before any bonus squares: S 1 + H 4 + E 1 + Q 10 + A 1 + L 1 + I 1 + M 3 = 22. On a double-word square that's 44, on a triple-word 66, and every letter bonus under one of these tiles is applied first.

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

No other word in the list uses exactly the letters S, H, E, Q, A, L, I and M.

SHEQALIM is a plural of SHEQEL, Israeli money, using the Hebrew plural ending.

• Q without U

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