l-a-t-i-n
LATIN is the ancient language of Rome, now used in scientific naming, legal terms, and religious texts. Also refers to people or cultures from Latin America. In word games, it's a perfect low-risk play with all common letters worth exactly 1 point each.
5
Points in Scrabble
Base tile values • No multipliers applied
LATIN has two primary meanings in English:
The Classical Language
The ancient language of the Roman Empire, still used in scientific nomenclature, medicine, law, and the Catholic Church. Famous for phrases like "carpe diem" and "et cetera."
Cultural/Geographic Reference
Relating to Latin America or people of Latin American descent. Also refers to cultures influenced by Romance languages derived from Latin.
The word LATIN comes from Latinus, meaning "of Latium," the region around Rome where the language originated.
"Latin is a language as dead as dead can be. It killed the ancient Romans, and now it's killing me!"- Student rhyme highlighting Latin's reputation
Common Latin expressions still used today
Everyday Phrases
etc. (et cetera) - "and the rest"
e.g. (exempli gratia) - "for example"
i.e. (id est) - "that is"
vs. (versus) - "against"
Academic & Legal
alma mater - "nourishing mother"
bona fide - "in good faith"
habeas corpus - "you shall have the body"
pro bono - "for the good"
Latin in modern science
Every species has a two-part Latin name (binomial nomenclature):
💡LATIN is one of the few 5-letter words using only 1-point tiles - perfect for clearing common letters!
🌍Latin gave birth to Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, and Romanian - the Romance languages
🏛️The Vatican still uses Latin as its official language, making it technically not "dead"
🎯In competitive Scrabble, LATIN is a go-to word for "rack management" - clearing tiles efficiently
"I used LATIN to clear five common tiles and set up my next big play."
- Strategic tile management
"The Latin class helped me remember this word exists in Scrabble!"
- Educational crossover
"LATIN + -O = LATINO for an easy 6-letter extension."
- Extension strategy
Similar length and difficulty words
Total base points: 5 (Scrabble)
Vowels: 2 | Consonants: 3
Letter value: All letters = 1pt (rare!)
All green = all 1-point letters (perfect for rack clearing!)
LATIN excels at clearing common tiles while setting up parallel plays. The perfect consonant-vowel alternation makes it easy to build off.
Rack Management Master
All 1-point letters make LATIN perfect for clearing common tiles when your rack is clogged
Parallel Play Paradise
The C-V-C-V-C pattern creates multiple two-letter word opportunities: LA, AT, TI, IN
Extension Excellence
LATINA (+A), LATINO (+O), LATINS (+S) all valid 6-letter extensions
Opening Game Hero
LATIN across the star square = 10 points + clears 5 tiles for better draws
LATIN can be rearranged to form these valid words:
LATIN
Original
LIANT
Supple, flexible
Shorter words from LATIN letters:
Pro tip: 4-letter words like TAIL, NAIL, and ANTI are solid plays from these letters!
Practice unscrambling letters to find more strategic words like LATIN