KEEN-wah
QUINOA A grain-like seed from South America, considered a superfood due to its high protein content and nutritional value.
Yes. QUINOA is in the Scrabble-style word list used by our tools and scores 15 points in Scrabble, 17 in Words With Friends and 16 in Wordfeud (base tile values, no board multipliers). Always check the dictionary your game uses (NWL, Collins or the WWF list) before playing.
| Letter | Q | U | I | N | O | A | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scrabble | 10 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 15 |
| Words With Friends | 10 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 17 |
| Wordfeud | 10 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 16 |
Quinoa is a flowering plant in the amaranth family grown primarily for its edible seeds. Native to the Andean region of South America, it has been cultivated for thousands of years and was sacred to the Inca civilization, who called it 'chisaya mama' or 'mother of all grains.'
Though technically a seed, quinoa is prepared and eaten like a grain, making it a popular gluten-free alternative to wheat, rice, and other cereals. It's one of the few plant foods containing all nine essential amino acids, earning its reputation as a superfood.
In word games, 'quinoa' is valuable as a Q word that breaks the usual Q-U pattern, using U-I-N-O-A instead. This unusual vowel combination makes it a strategic word to remember for difficult letter combinations.
The word 'quinoa' comes from Quechua 'kinwa' or 'kinuwa,' through Spanish 'quinua.' The Quechua language was spoken by the Inca Empire, and the grain was a staple food in pre-Columbian civilizations. The word entered English in the early 17th century through Spanish colonial accounts. The pronunciation 'KEEN-wah' reflects its Spanish spelling, though many English speakers initially said 'kwi-NO-ah' before the correct pronunciation became widely known.
Anagrams: no other word uses exactly the letters of QUINOA.
Hooks: no front hooks; back QUINOAS.
Words inside QUINOA: 19 shorter words can be made from these letters – highest scoring: QUOINQUAIQUINQUAQINAOIUNAIAINANIIONAIAN. See all words from QUINOA.