kwiz
QUIZ A test of knowledge, especially a short informal test given to students, or a competition in which teams or individuals answer questions.
22
Points in Scrabble
Base tile values • No multipliers applied
Quiz refers to a test of knowledge, typically as a short informal test given to students to assess their understanding of a subject. It can also describe a competition or game in which teams or individuals answer questions on various topics, often for entertainment or educational purposes.
In the context of word games, 'quiz' is one of the most valuable 4-letter words due to the high-scoring Q (10 points) and Z (10 points). It's particularly crucial in Scrabble and similar games because it's one of the shortest words containing both these premium letters, making it easier to fit on crowded boards.
The word has become ubiquitous in education and entertainment, spawning countless variations from pub quizzes to online trivia games. Its versatility as both a noun ('take a quiz') and verb ('quiz the students') adds to its linguistic value.
Beyond formal testing, 'quiz' has evolved to encompass any form of questioning or interrogation, from casual conversations to formal investigations. The digital age has transformed quizzes into interactive online content, personality tests, and viral social media challenges.
The word 'quiz' has a fascinating and somewhat mysterious origin. It first appeared in the late 18th century (around 1780s), possibly as a piece of university slang. One popular but unverified story claims that in 1791, a Dublin theater manager named Richard Daly made a bet that he could introduce a nonsense word into the language within 48 hours. According to the legend, Daly had the word 'quiz' chalked on walls throughout Dublin, creating curiosity and conversation about its meaning. Whether true or not, the word initially meant 'an odd or eccentric person' before evolving to mean 'to question' or 'to look at mockingly' by the mid-19th century. Its modern meaning of 'a test' emerged in American English around 1867.
Words with similar meaning
TEST
Formal examination
EXAM
Assessment of knowledge
QUESTIONNAIRE
Set of questions
INTERROGATION
Formal questioning
EXAMINATION
Detailed inspection
TRIVIA
Questions about facts
Words with opposite meaning
ANSWER
Response to question
SOLUTION
Answer to problem
RESPONSE
Reply or reaction
EXPLANATION
Clarification given
DECLARATION
Statement made
ASSERTION
Confident statement
Plural Form
quizzes
Verb Forms
quiz, quizzed, quizzing
Adjective Form
quizzical
Adverb Form
quizzically
Related Terms
Surprise test
TV game show
Person who asks questions
Evening of trivia
Question intensively
Total base points: 22 (Scrabble)
Vowels: 2 | Consonants: 2
Can be built from:
Can extend to:
Other high-scoring 4-letter words (Scrabble)
If you can't play QUIZ, consider these subwords:
"The teacher gave a pop quiz on Friday, catching many students unprepared."
"Let's quiz each other on vocabulary words before the spelling bee."
"The pub quiz attracts teams every Tuesday night for trivia and prizes."
[object Object]
Quiz vs Test
Quiz usually implies shorter, less formal than test
Plural form
Quizzes (double Z), not quizes
Past tense
Quizzed (double Z), not quized
Practice unscrambling letters to find more high-scoring words like QUIZ