Compact A openers help you unload a surplus vowel without wasting the turn.
ADZE ranks highly because it plays 14 tile points before board multipliers, converts the difficult Z into points and keeps a balanced vowel-to-consonant mix.
A cutting tool.
ACHE ranks highly because it keeps a balanced vowel-to-consonant mix and uses 4 distinct letters with no repeats.
A dull pain.
ALLY ranks highly because it is a valid, playable option from your letters.
Trade-off: it banks only 7 tile points.
A supportive partner.
ARTS ranks highly because it is a common everyday word and uses 4 distinct letters with no repeats.
Trade-off: it banks only 4 tile points.
Plural of art.
ABLE ranks highly because it converts the difficult B into points, keeps a balanced vowel-to-consonant mix and uses 4 distinct letters with no repeats.
Trade-off: it banks only 6 tile points.
Having the power to do.
AMEN ranks highly because it keeps a balanced vowel-to-consonant mix and uses 4 distinct letters with no repeats.
Trade-off: it is an uncommon, specialist word.
So be it.
ACRE ranks highly because it keeps a balanced vowel-to-consonant mix and uses 4 distinct letters with no repeats.
Trade-off: it is an uncommon, specialist word.
A unit of land area.
AIDE ranks highly because it uses 4 distinct letters with no repeats.
Trade-off: it banks only 5 tile points.
An assistant.
ANTE ranks highly because it keeps a balanced vowel-to-consonant mix and uses 4 distinct letters with no repeats.
Trade-off: it banks only 4 tile points.
A stake in poker.
AREA ranks highly because it is a valid, playable option from your letters.
Trade-off: it banks only 4 tile points.
An extent of space.
Results are ordered by strategic score rather than alphabetically, so the plays most worth making appear first. Each card shows the tile score, the word length and why the word ranks where it does. Save a word to revisit it later, or open a solver to filter against the exact letters on your rack.
Word validity depends on the lexicon your game uses. These lists rank against the WordPilot Master Lexicon and show a verified definition wherever our licensed dictionary data covers the word, so you can judge a play before you make it.
This page is a filtered slice of every 4 letter word we rank.
See all 4 letter words49 sample lists published · see them all