volume V₄O₁L₁U₁M₃E₁

VOLUME has three common jobs: a measure of space, a level of sound and a single book in a set. It ranks 1,759th in English frequency with a count of 5,684. Two heavy tiles, V and M, lift its score above what a six-letter word usually earns.

VOLUME in numbers

• Letters: E, L, M, O, U and V.
• Base Scrabble value: 11 points.
• V is worth 4 and M is worth 3, together 7 of the 11.
• No anagrams; one neighbour, VOLUTE.
• About 12 percent of six-letter words end in E.

Which VOLUME meaning do games care about?

None: a dictionary check looks at spelling only. Still, the senses explain the word's weight. In maths it is a three-dimensional measure, in audio it is loudness, and in publishing it is one book of a series or a year of a magazine.

That spread makes VOLUME a safe, familiar play that few opponents will question. You can drop it on the board without defending it, which saves time in a timed match.

How do you place VOLUME for the best score?

The V and M are the tiles to aim at premium squares. A double-letter square under V adds 4 and takes the word to 15, while one under M adds 3. A triple-word square would multiply all 11 points by three.

It also carries three vowels, O, U and E, so it clears a vowel-heavy rack in one turn. Keep the L and M if you can, since they combine well with almost anything.

What is the one neighbour?

VOLUTE swaps the M for a T. It means a spiral scroll, as on the top of an ionic column, and it scores 9 against VOLUME's 11, since the 3-point M is gone. Few casual players know it, so confirm it is allowed in your game's dictionary before playing it.