TEK-sel
Texel is a fundamental unit in computer graphics representing a texture element - the smallest unit of a texture map. In 3D graphics and game development, texels are to textures what pixels are to images, forming the building blocks of all textured surfaces in digital environments.
12
Points in Scrabble
Base tile values • No multipliers applied
💡 Pro Tip:
The X in TEXEL is worth 8 points! Try to place it on a double or triple letter score for maximum value. Combined with common letters, this word is more playable than many X-words.
A texel (texture element) is the fundamental unit of texture space in computer graphics, analogous to how a pixel is the fundamental unit of picture space. When a texture is applied to a 3D surface, each texel corresponds to a specific location on that texture map, containing color and sometimes additional data like transparency or normal information.
In modern graphics programming, texels play a crucial role in rendering realistic surfaces. When you see detailed wood grain on a virtual table, rust on a game character's armor, or realistic skin textures in animated films, you're looking at millions of texels working together to create those visual effects. The term combines "texture" and "element," following the naming pattern established by "pixel" (picture element).
Beyond computer graphics, "Texel" also refers to a Dutch island in the Wadden Sea, the largest and most populated of the West Frisian Islands. Additionally, it's the name of a breed of sheep originating from this island, known for their lean meat and high fertility. However, in word games, players most commonly encounter it as the graphics term.
In Scrabble and other word games, TEXEL is particularly valuable due to the high-scoring X (8 points). The word's relatively common letters (T, E, L) combined with the X make it more playable than many other X-words, especially when you can place the X on a double or triple letter score.
The word "texel" emerged in computer graphics terminology in the 1980s as a portmanteau of "texture" and "element." This naming convention follows the pattern established by "pixel" (picture element) and later adopted by similar terms like "voxel" (volume element).
The timeline of texel's development:
The geographic origin of "Texel" as an island name is much older, deriving from the Dutch "t Eijland" (the island) or possibly from "Tessel," meaning "high ground" in Old Frisian. This name has been in use since medieval times.
Related computer graphics concepts
Pixel
Picture element - 2D image unit
Voxel
Volume element - 3D space unit
Texture map
Image applied to 3D surfaces
UV mapping
Process of projecting textures
Mipmap
Pre-calculated texture sizes
Related to Texel island
Frisian Islands
Island chain including Texel
Wadden Sea
UNESCO World Heritage site
Den Burg
Main town on Texel island
Texel sheep
Breed originating from the island
Eierland
Northern part of Texel
Plural Form
texels
The image contains millions of texels.
Related Adjective
texel-based
They used texel-based rendering techniques.
Technical Variations
While pixels represent screen space, texels represent texture space. Multiple texels might map to a single pixel (minification) or one texel might cover multiple pixels (magnification), depending on camera distance and angle.
In game development, maintaining consistent texel density (texels per meter) across all assets ensures visual coherence. A typical modern game might target 512-1024 texels per meter for important objects.
Texel fetch operations are a significant factor in GPU performance. Modern graphics cards can perform billions of texel operations per second, with dedicated texture memory units to optimize these operations.
"The GPU's texel fill rate of 95.4 gigatexels per second ensures smooth rendering even at 4K resolution with complex texture maps."
"To optimize performance, we reduced the texel density on background objects from 1024 to 512 texels per meter."
"Each texel in the normal map contains XYZ directional data encoded in the RGB color channels."
"The art director insisted on maintaining consistent texel density across all environment assets to avoid visual discontinuity."
"When the camera zooms in, you can see individual texels if the texture resolution is too low for the viewing distance."
"I held onto my X tile for three turns waiting for the right moment to play TEXEL on a triple word score."
"TEXEL is one of my favorite five-letter words because the X is easier to place than in words like PROXY or BOXER."
Total base points: 12 (Scrabble)
Vowels: 2 | Consonants: 3
High-value letters: X (8 pts)
TEXEL has these anagrams:
Can be extended to:
💡 Tip: TELEX is also a valid word, making these letters particularly versatile!
If you can't play TEXEL, consider these subwords:
Remember the spelling
Think "texture element" = tex-el
Not just graphics
Valid in Scrabble despite technical origin
Pronunciation
TEK-sel, not TEX-el
PIXEL
Picture element
VOXEL
Volume element
EXCEL
To surpass
EXILE
Banishment
LATEX
Rubber material
TELEX
Telegraph system
Other valuable 5-letter words with X in Scrabble
Practice unscrambling letters to find more high-scoring words like TEXEL