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three-letter word · 8 points

Is PAY a Scrabble Word?

Yes, PAY is a valid Scrabble word. It is used as a verb and a noun, most often meaning “give money, usually in exchange for goods or services”.

Quick answer

Is PAY a valid Scrabble word?

Yes. PAY is a valid 3-letter word in Scrabble and Words With Friends. It scores 8 points in Scrabble and 8 points in Words With Friends, and it has 2 anagrams: YAP, PYA.

Checked against this site’s open English word list. Tournament play uses the official NWL or Collins lists, which can differ on rare words and inflections.

Letters
3
Scrabble
8 pts
Words With Friends
8 pts
Anagrams
2
Familiarity
100th percentile

PAY meaning and definition

PAY has 4 common senses and works as a verb and a noun. The most common meaning is listed first.

PAY as a verb

  1. Give money, usually in exchange for goods or services.
  2. Convey, as of a compliment, regards, attention, etc.; bestow.
  3. Cancel or discharge a debt.

PAY as a noun

  1. Something that remunerates.

PAY Scrabble score and Words With Friends points

PAY scores 8 in Scrabble and 8 in Words With Friends. The highest-value tile is Y, worth 4 in Scrabble.

Letter-by-letter tile values

LetterScrabbleWords With Friends
P34
A11
Y43
Total88

PAY on premium squares

On a double word square PAY scores 16 in Scrabble; on a triple word square, 24. Putting Y on a triple letter square instead adds 8 points. Its middling value makes it a flexible play for scoring steadily without breaking up a strong rack. At 3 letters it fits tight spots on a crowded board.

Rearranging the letters of PAY

2 words use exactly the same 3 letters as PAY. See all anagrams of PAY.

  • yap8
  • pya8

Unscramble PAY: 3 words from its letters

The letters P, A, Y make 3 shorter words, up to 2 letters long. Most common first.

  • pa4
  • ay5
  • ya5

Words like PAY

One-letter changes to PAY, useful for word ladders and board hooks.

Change one letter in PAY

Add one letter to PAY

  • play9
  • pray9
  • spay9
  • apay9
  • pacy11
  • paly9
  • paty9
  • pays9

Remove one letter from PAY

  • pa4
  • ay5

More 3-letter words starting with PA

PAY word facts

PAY is a 3-letter word with 3 distinct letters: 1 vowel (A) and 2 consonants. It starts with P and ends with Y. By corpus frequency, PAY is among the top 1% most familiar words in the dictionary.

Holding the letters P, A, Y on your rack? The word unscrambler lists every word they make, sorted by score, and the anagram solver finds words that use all 3 of them. To check another word before you play it, use the Scrabble word checker.

Explore more words like PAY

3 letter wordsEvery 3-letter wordWords starting with PBrowse by first letterWords ending in YBrowse by last letterAnagrams of PAYWords using all its lettersScrabble word finderBest play from your rackWord unscramblerEvery word from any lettersAnagram solverWords using all your letters

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PAY Scrabble word FAQ

Is PAY a Scrabble word?

Yes. PAY is a valid 3-letter word in Scrabble and Words With Friends. It scores 8 points in Scrabble and 8 points in Words With Friends before premium squares.

What does PAY mean?

PAY is used as a verb and a noun. Its most common meaning is “give money, usually in exchange for goods or services”.

How many points is PAY worth in Scrabble?

PAY is worth 8 points in Scrabble: P (3) + A (1) + Y (4). On a double word square it scores 16, and on a triple word square 24.

How many points is PAY in Words With Friends?

PAY is worth 8 points in Words With Friends, which uses different tile values from Scrabble.

What are the anagrams of PAY?

PAY has 2 anagrams: YAP, PYA. Each uses exactly the same letters.

What words can you make from the letters in PAY?

You can make 3 shorter words from the letters in PAY, including PA, AY and YA.

Definitions from Princeton University’s WordNet. Check another word.