Is SHEQELS a valid word?

SHEQELS is one of the plurals of SHEQEL, the currency of Israel, also spelled SHEKEL; the other plural is SHEQALIM. Seven tiles means SHEQELS from your rack is a bingo. Its letters, besides the Q and H, are two E tiles, an L and two S tiles. If SHEQEL is already on the board, the S hook makes SHEQELS and counts the Q again. The new shekel replaced the old one in the 1980s, and the word list accepts several spellings and plurals. Learn SHEKEL and SHEQEL together, and their plurals. An S on the end of SHEQEL is the simplest way to reach this one.

Before any bonus squares: S 1 + H 4 + E 1 + Q 10 + E 1 + L 1 + S 1 = 19. On a double-word square that's 38, on a triple-word 57, and every letter bonus under one of these tiles is applied first.

Later in the game, put the Q on a 3L square and SHEQELS is worth 39 before any word bonus.

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

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

SHEQELS is a plural of SHEQEL, the Israeli money; the other plural is SHEQALIM.

• Q without U

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