equipment E₁Q₁₀U₁I₁P₃M₃E₁N₁T₁

EQUIPMENT names the items needed for a task, such as gear for a voyage or expedition, and also the act of equipping someone. It comes with a Q already followed by a U, which is why it is one of the friendlier ways to get rid of that costly tile. Its rank is 1,351.

EQUIPMENT by the numbers

• The nine tiles are E, Q, U, I, P, M, E, N and T.
• Q carries 10 of the 22 base points, with P and M adding 3 each.
• No anagrams and no neighbours.
• Frequency rank 1,351, with a count of 17,536.

Why EQUIPMENT is a good way to use the Q

Q is one of the two 10-point tiles, and without a U it is hard to place. EQUIPMENT puts the U right behind it, so one play clears the Q and banks 22 points without a short Q word.

With 10 of the 22 points sitting in one tile, a double-letter square under the Q lifts the total to 32.

Can you build a nine-letter word from a rack?

Not on your own. Seven rack tiles fall two short, so the board has to supply a pair of letters. Scan the lane you want for an E and a T, or an N and an E.

Beyond the Q, the weight sits in P and M at 3 each. The remaining six tiles, E, U, I, E, N and T, are 1-pointers. Because the Q sits second, a premium square near the start of a lane is the best place to land it.

Where does EQUIPMENT sit among nine-letter words?

The -ENT ending matches DIFFERENT, GOVERNMENT, WENT, PRESIDENT and DEVELOPMENT in spelling. Out of the nine-letter list, 1,857 words start with E and 2,304 end in T, roughly 4 and 5 percent. Check your game’s word list only if a variant spelling tempts you.