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band

/bænd/
nounverb

BAND meaning: a strip used for strengthening or coupling; the four-letter word scores 7 Scrabble points and has no anagrams.

NWL Collins ENABLE

Noun 4 meanings

  1. A strip of material used for strengthening or coupling.

  2. A long strip of material, color, etc, that is different from the surrounding area.

    “sandstone with bands of shale”

  3. A strip of decoration.

  4. That which serves as the means of union or connection between persons; a tie.

Verb 4 meanings

  1. To fasten with a band.

  2. To fasten an identifying band around the leg of (a bird).

  3. To group together for a common purpose; to confederate.

  4. To group (students) together by perceived ability; to stream.

Definitions: Wiktionary (CC BY-SA) via Kaikki/Wiktextract

Where it comes from

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English band (also bond), from Old English beand, bænd, bend (“bond, chain, fetter, band, ribbon, ornament, chaplet, crown”), from Proto-Germanic *bandą, *bandiz (“band, fetter”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰendʰ- (“to tie, bind”). Middle English band reinforced by Old French bande.

BAND is a familiar four-letter word, but its dictionary definition is specific: a strip of material used for strengthening or coupling. That physical sense gives the letters a clear Scrabble value of 7. The surprising word-game detail is structural: BAND has no anagrams, yet changing one tile opens 23 recorded neighbours.

BAND at a glance: score, anagrams, and neighbours

  • BAND scores 7 Scrabble points: B is worth 3, A and N are 1 each, and D is 2.
  • Change B to H for HAND or to L for LAND.
  • Change the third letter to make BEND, or switch the last letter for BANK.
  • BAND has no exact-letter anagrams, but it rhymes with HAND, LAND, and STAND.

What does BAND mean, and what is its score?

BAND means a strip of material used for strengthening or coupling. The definition points to a physical strip doing a job between or around things. BAND appears in ENABLE, NWL2023, and Collins, so it is included in those word-game lexicons.

The score adds up cleanly: B contributes 3 points, A contributes 1, N contributes 1, and D contributes 2. That makes 7 points before board premiums. BAND is common English, with a frequency count of 38,918 and a rank of 1,223 in the frequency list.

The score comes from the letter values, not from BAND being unusual or long. On a board, a premium square can change the total; the base value remains 7. That distinction helps when you compare a safe, familiar play with a higher-risk spot on the board.

Which words rhyme with or differ from BAND?

HAND and LAND are familiar one-letter neighbours, and SAND keeps the final three letters unchanged. Other recognisable changes include BEND, BANK, BANG, BIND, BOND, and BANE. The full neighbour set has 23 words, including less familiar forms such as BUND, BANC, and BAUD.

For a rack, try the everyday transformations before spending time on obscure entries, then check an unfamiliar play against your game's dictionary. BAND also rhymes with 12 words ending in the same “and” sound, including BRAND, GRAND, DEMAND, and COMMAND.

The BAND meaning is a physical strip, but its rhyme family reaches well beyond words with similar spellings. ISLAND, HUSBAND, THOUSAND, and UNDERSTAND rhyme with BAND despite having different lengths. A sound clue calls for that broader set; a one-tile clue calls for the neighbours.

Rhymes with band

All rhymes

One letter away

Change one letter, keep the rest

Questions people ask

Is BAND valid in Scrabble?
BAND appears in ENABLE, NWL2023, and Collins, so it is included in those word-game lexicons. Its base Scrabble value is 7 points: B is worth 3, A and N are worth 1 each, and D is worth 2. Board premiums can change a play's total.
What are the anagrams of BAND?
BAND has no anagrams made from the same four letters. Its letters are A, B, D, and N, but no other arrangement is listed as a word. For a related play, try one-letter neighbours such as HAND, LAND, or BEND instead.
Which words are one letter away from BAND?
BAND has 23 one-letter neighbours, including HAND, LAND, SAND, BANK, BEND, and BOND. The set also contains less familiar options such as BUND, BANC, and BAUD, so check your game's dictionary before playing an unfamiliar word.

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