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function

/ˈfʌŋkʃən/
nounverb

FUNCTION is an eight-letter word worth 13 Scrabble points; it means what something does, and it has no anagrams.

NWL Collins ENABLE

Noun 4 meanings

  1. What something does or is used for.

  2. A professional or official position.

  3. An official or social occasion.

    “Our hotel is hosting a function for all the warehouse workers on the night of April 18.”

  4. Something which is dependent on or stems from another thing; a result or concomitant.

Verb 2 meanings

  1. To have a function.

  2. To carry out a function; to be in action.

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

Where it comes from

Etymology

From Middle French function, from Old French fonction, from Latin functiō (“performance, execution”), from functus, perfect participle of fungor (“to perform, execute, discharge”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰewg- (“to enjoy”).

Similar and opposite words

Similar
aimintentionpurposeroleuseoccupationofficepart
Opposite
malfunction

Function names what something does or is used for, as in “the function of a key.” It also means an official role, a social occasion, or a result that depends on something else. The word is accepted in Collins, NWL2023, and ENABLE, and its familiar meaning makes it less obscure than many eight-letter plays.

FUNCTION at a glance

  • FUNCTION has eight letters and scores 13 points before board bonuses.
  • F is its most valuable tile at four points; C adds three.
  • No anagrams use the same eight letters.
  • JUNCTION is its only one-letter neighbor.
  • FUNCTION rhymes with 12 words, including ACTION, QUESTION, and MILLION.

What does FUNCTION mean, and what is it worth?

FUNCTION's base score is 13: F contributes four points, C contributes three, and the other six tiles contribute one each. Protect F from a blank or blocked square; placing it on a letter premium matters more than boosting N or O. A word premium still multiplies the full play.

Meaning changes with context. “The function of a key” refers to its purpose; “an official function” can mean a role, while “a social function” is an event. The definition also covers an outcome that stems from another thing, so FUNCTION can describe a result rather than a task.

FUNCTION rhymes, neighbors, and anagrams

JUNCTION is FUNCTION’s only one-letter neighbor: change the opening F to J and keep the remaining letters in place. That is a neat board-play relationship, but it does not create a second arrangement of the same rack. FUNCTION has no anagrams, so tile shuffling alone offers no alternate word.

On sound rather than spelling, its -tion ending connects FUNCTION to 12 rhymes. ACTION, QUESTION, MILLION, and POSITION are among the examples, with different sounds leading into the shared ending. FUNCTION's spelling makes that ending a clear cue when you are searching for a rhyme.

The practical limit: a rhyme is not automatically a legal play in your game, and an eight-letter rack with no anagram has no fallback made from the same tiles. Check your game's dictionary when an unfamiliar form decides a turn.

Rhymes with function

All rhymes

One letter away

Change one letter, keep the rest

Questions people ask

Is FUNCTION a valid Scrabble word?
Yes. FUNCTION is accepted in Collins, NWL2023, and ENABLE. Its ordinary meaning is “what something does or is used for,” and the word also covers a role or an occasion. Confirm your game's selected lexicon if tournament rules specify one.
How many points is FUNCTION worth in Scrabble?
FUNCTION scores 13 points before any board premiums. F is worth four and C three; U, both Ns, T, I, and O are one point apiece. A premium letter square is most valuable under F or C, while a word square multiplies the whole score.
Does FUNCTION have any anagrams?
No anagrams are recorded for FUNCTION, so rearranging its eight letters does not produce another entry. JUNCTION is a one-letter neighbor, but it requires replacing F with J rather than rearranging the same tiles on the board.

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