taking T₁A₁K₅I₁N₁G₂

TAKING is the -ING form of take, and it also stands alone as a noun for cash received by a shop, or a seizure of property. It ranks 382nd in English frequency with a count of 177,667. The K is the tile that makes it worth playing.

TAKING in numbers

• Letters: A, G, I, K, N and T.
• Base Scrabble value: 11 points, with K at 5 and G at 2.
• No anagrams are accepted.
• 17 neighbours, from MAKING to TAXING.
• About 6 percent of six-letter words begin with T.

How much does the K add?

K is worth 5 of the 11 points, which is just under half. Put it on a double-letter square and TAKING climbs to 16. The G adds 2 more, and A, I, N and T are worth 1 each.

That makes the K the tile to protect when you place the word. Choose a row where the K lands on a bonus square and the rest sits on plain ones. A triple-letter square under it would add 10 points, lifting the word to 21.

Which words sit one letter from TAKING?

Six of them share the -AKING core: MAKING, WAKING, BAKING, FAKING, RAKING and CAKING. Each swaps only the first letter. TAXING and TAPING change a middle tile instead.

This family matters for hooks. If an opponent leaves a column ending in -AKING, you can often drop a letter above it to build a new word, which is a reliable way to score twice in one turn.

Meaning beyond the verb

As a noun it means takings, the cash a business collects in a day. An older phrase, in a taking, describes a state of distress, and neither sense changes how it plays, since all three tournament dictionaries accept the plain word. Opponents rarely challenge a verb form this familiar, so you can play it without worrying about a lost turn.