e-n-i-g-m-a
ENIGMA A mystery, puzzle, or riddle; something that is difficult to understand or explain. In word games like Scrabble, Words With Friends, and crossword puzzles, ENIGMA is a valuable 6-letter word worth 9 points.
9
Points in Scrabble
Base tile values • No multipliers applied
An enigma represents the ultimate intellectual challenge—a mystery wrapped in uncertainty, demanding careful thought and analysis to unravel. In its classic sense, an enigma is a riddle, puzzle, or perplexing situation that defies easy explanation. From ancient Greek "ainigma" meaning "to speak in riddles," the word has evolved to describe anything mysterious, puzzling, or difficult to understand.
In modern usage, enigma often describes people whose motivations remain unclear, situations with hidden meanings, or problems that resist conventional solutions. Historical figures like Leonardo da Vinci, with his cryptic notebooks and mysterious paintings, or the Enigma machine used in World War II cryptography, exemplify how the word captures both human complexity and intellectual challenge.
For word game enthusiasts, ENIGMA offers strategic value beyond its mysterious meaning. The combination of common vowels (E, I, A) with less frequent consonants (N, G, M) creates flexible placement opportunities. The word's balanced structure makes it easier to build off existing tiles, while its 6-letter length can help clear difficult tiles from your rack. Professional Scrabble players often seek words like ENIGMA that combine reasonable probability of drawing with solid point values.
ENIGMA traces its roots to ancient Greek "αἴνιγμα" (ainigma), meaning "riddle" or "dark saying." The word entered English through Latin "aenigma" in the 1530s, initially used for verbal puzzles and riddles posed by scholars and philosophers. The Greek root "ainissesthai" means "to speak in riddles," derived from "ainos" (tale or story). This etymological journey reflects humanity's long fascination with mysteries and the challenge of hidden meanings. During the Renaissance, enigmas became popular entertainment at courts, while the 20th century saw the word gain new significance through the German Enigma cipher machine, forever linking the term to cryptography and code-breaking.
•ENIGMA contains all three major vowels (A, E, I), making it highly playable when you're vowel-heavy
•The famous Enigma machine used in WWII had 158 million million million possible settings, making it history's most famous cryptographic enigma
•ENIGMA can form ENIGMAS (plural) or combine with prefixes for higher scores in word games
"The Mona Lisa's smile remains an enigma that has captivated viewers for centuries."
"Despite years of research, the construction methods of the pyramids remain an architectural enigma."
Words with similar point values to help diversify your game strategy:
Total base points: 9 (Scrabble)
Vowels: 3 | Consonants: 3
Solve the enigma of high-scoring words—practice unscrambling letters to discover more valuable plays