FLAT primarily means level, smooth, and horizontal without raised areas. It can also describe something lacking flavor or excitement, or a residential unit on one floor. In Scrabble, FLAT scores 7 base points with the valuable F tile.
Yes. FLAT is in the Scrabble-style word list used by our tools and scores 7 points in Scrabble, 8 in Words With Friends and 7 in Wordfeud (base tile values, no board multipliers). Always check the dictionary your game uses (NWL, Collins or the WWF list) before playing.
| Letter | F | L | A | T | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scrabble | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 |
| Words With Friends | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 8 |
| Wordfeud | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 |
FLAT embodies simplicity and levelness across its many uses. As an adjective, "flat" primarily describes surfaces that are smooth, level, and even—lacking bumps, curves, or inclinations. A flat table, flat land, or flat screen all share this quality of uniform levelness. This physical meaning extends metaphorically to describe things lacking variation or excitement: flat soda has lost its fizz, a flat performance lacks energy, and a flat joke fails to amuse.
In British English, a "flat" is an apartment or self-contained housing unit occupying part of a building, typically on a single floor. Americans visiting London might stay in a "holiday flat," while Londoners might refer to a "studio flat" or "garden flat." This usage highlights interesting linguistic differences between British and American English, where the same living space is called different names.
Music gives "flat" special meaning. A flat note is lowered by a half step (semitone) from its natural pitch. The flat symbol (♭) appears in key signatures and before individual notes. B-flat (♭) major, for instance, is a common key in jazz and classical music. Musicians speak of singing "flat" when they fail to reach the correct pitch, producing notes slightly below where they should be.
The word "flat" derives from Old Norse "flatr," meaning "level, even, smooth," which entered English through Scandinavian influence during the Viking invasions. This Norse root connects to Proto-Germanic *flataz and ultimately to Proto-Indo-European *plat-, meaning "to spread."
Anagrams: no other word uses exactly the letters of FLAT.
Hooks: no front hooks; back FLATS.
Words inside FLAT: 9 shorter words can be made from these letters – highest scoring: AFTFATFAALTLATALATLATA. See all words from FLAT.