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letter

/ˈlɛtɚ/
nounverb

LETTER means an alphabet symbol or written message, and the six-letter word scores 6 points in Scrabble.

NWL Collins ENABLE

Noun 4 meanings

  1. A symbol in an alphabet.

    “There are twenty-six letters in the English alphabet.”

  2. A written or printed communication, usually defined as longer and more formal than a note. (Sometimes specifically one that is on paper.)

    “I wrote a letter to my sister about my life.”

  3. The literal meaning of something, as distinguished from its intended and remoter meaning (the spirit).

  4. Literature.

    “Benjamin Franklin was multiskilled – a scientist, politician and a man of letters.”

Verb 2 meanings

  1. To print, inscribe, or paint letters on something.

  2. To earn a varsity letter (award).

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

Where it comes from

Etymology

From Middle English letter, lettre, from Old French letre, from Latin littera (“letter of the alphabet"; in plural, "epistle”). Displaced Old English bōcstæf (literally “book staff”) in sense 1 and ǣrendġewrit (literally “message writing”) in sense 2.

Similar and opposite words

Similar
bookstaffltr

LETTER is a common English word with several related senses: a character in an alphabet, a written communication, or the literal meaning of something. Its recorded frequency count is 65,448. The familiar double E and double T make its spelling easy to recognize, though its rearrangement LETTRE is far less familiar.

LETTER meaning and quick facts

  • LETTER has six letters and scores 6 points in Scrabble.
  • Its primary sense is a symbol in an alphabet.
  • LETTER has one recorded anagram: LETTRE.
  • Fourteen listed words differ from LETTER by one letter.

What does LETTER mean?

A letter is a symbol used to write an alphabet, such as L or R. The word also names a written or printed message, often one more formal than a note. In another sense, “the letter” means the literal wording or meaning, as opposed to the spirit or intention behind it.

Those meanings connect the word’s two everyday roles: letters build written language, and a letter can carry language from one person to another. The literary sense is less common, but it appears in phrases about following the letter of an instruction. LETTER appears in Collins, NWL2023, and ENABLE.

What does LETTER score in Scrabble?

LETTER scores 6 points before any board bonuses. Each tile is worth 1 point: L, both Es, both Ts, and R. No single tile carries a premium value, so the word’s score comes from placing six low-value letters rather than relying on a costly consonant.

That even spread gives you a straightforward scoring calculation, but the board still matters. A double-word square doubles the total, while a triple-letter square adds only the value of the tile on it. Save the placement for a premium word square when the rack and board let you do so without opening a strong lane for your opponent.

What can you make from LETTER?

Rearranging all six letters produces one recorded anagram: LETTRE. It is much less familiar than LETTER, so check your game’s word list before trying it. The anagram is a useful rack clue, but it is not a second everyday spelling of the same word.

Changing one letter gives more familiar options, including BETTER, LATTER, LITTER, and SETTER. LETTER also rhymes with AFTER, BETTER, and WATER. The word’s double T makes those sound matches especially easy to spot, while its 14 one-letter neighbours offer several different opening and closing patterns.

Rhymes with letter

All rhymes

One letter away

Change one letter, keep the rest
  • BETTER8
  • LATTER6
  • LITTER6
  • SETTER6
  • WETTER9
  • GETTER7
  • PETTER8
  • VETTER9
  • NETTER6
  • FETTER9
  • LOTTER6
  • LEFTER9
  • TETTER6
  • LETTED7

Questions people ask

Is LETTER a valid Scrabble word?
Yes, LETTER is accepted in Collins, NWL2023, and ENABLE. Its six tiles are all worth 1 point, giving it a base Scrabble score of 6. Premium squares can raise the play’s total, but they do not change the word’s printed tile value.
How many anagrams does LETTER have?
LETTER has one recorded anagram: LETTRE. It uses the same six letters, including both Es and both Ts, in a different order. Because the rearrangement is less familiar than LETTER, check that your game accepts it before playing.
What words are one letter away from LETTER?
BETTER, LATTER, LITTER, and SETTER are examples of words one letter away from LETTER. Fourteen such neighbours are recorded in total. Swapping one tile can preserve most of a rack’s structure, so compare the changed letter’s position before choosing a play.

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