STERN is a valid Scrabble word — 5 points
Yes. STERN is accepted by every list we check: Collins, the North American lists and Words with Friends. It scores 5 points in Scrabble and 6 in Words with Friends.
Which word lists accept STERN?
| Official Scrabble Players DictionaryUSA, Canada, Thailand | Valid |
|---|---|
| Official Tournament and Club Word ListUSA, Canada, Thailand | Valid |
| Collins Scrabble WordsEnglish in most countries | Valid |
| Words with FriendsZynga word list | Valid |
Word power: 35 / 100
Our own measure of how useful STERN is to know. It scores 5 from 5 tiles, takes 3 hooks, and its letters make up 6.8% of the bag. How this number is calculated
Hooks for STERN
Checked against OSPD, TWL, CSW, WWF. Takes an S, so it hooks onto plurals easily.
How STERN scores
Face value of the 5 tiles in STERN, before any board multiplier.
Tiles you need
| Letter | Needed | In the bag |
|---|---|---|
| s | 1 | 4 |
| t | 1 | 6 |
| e | 1 | 12 |
| r | 1 | 6 |
| n | 1 | 6 |
Drawing exactly these 5 tiles as an opening rack: 1 in 7,262.
What stands out about STERN
- The same 5 tiles also spell 3 other words, so the rack is worth re-reading before you play it.
Counted from the four word lists we hold, not taken from anywhere else. How we calculate things
What does STERN mean in Scrabble?
adjective
Serious, strict and showing no warmth or sympathy, especially when dealing with other people's behaviour.
A stern teacher, parent or judge makes their disapproval clear through tone, expression or words, without needing to raise their voice. The word often describes a face or manner rather than a single action, so a stern look can communicate disapproval just as effectively as a stern warning. English also uses stern as a noun for the rear part of a ship, a completely unrelated sense that comes from a different word history. In modern usage the adjective stern is most common in descriptions of authority figures and formal warnings.
How STERN is used
Common in descriptions of strict people, warnings and expressions of disapproval, from parents and teachers to judges.
- The teacher gave the noisy pupils a stern warning.
- Her stern expression made it clear she was not joking.
- He kept a stern face despite wanting to laugh.
- The judge spoke in a stern voice about the seriousness of the crime.
- A stern letter arrived demanding payment within a week.
Written for this site: 1 meaning of STERN and 5 example sentences, not copied from a published dictionary.
Anagrams of STERN
The 5 tiles of STERN in a different order — 3 found.
Words starting with STERN
Showing 24 of 53 words that begin with STERN.
Words ending in STERN
14 words end in STERN. Useful as a back hook: play STERN onto a word already on the board.
Words with STERN inside
Showing 24 of 76 words that contain STERN somewhere in the middle. Words that start with STERN are listed separately above, so nothing is repeated.
Shorter words from the letters in STERN
Common questions about STERN
- Is STERN valid in Words with Friends?
- Yes. Words with Friends accepts STERN, where it scores 6 points. That game keeps its own list, separate from the Scrabble dictionaries.
- How many points is STERN worth?
- STERN is worth 5 points in Scrabble and 6 points in Words with Friends.
- What does STERN mean?
- Serious, strict and showing no warmth or sympathy, especially when dealing with other people's behaviour.
- What letters can be added to STERN?
- STERN takes 3 hooks: 1 in front and 2 at the end.
Every word you can build from the 5 letters of STERN:
Open STERN in the Word Finder