What is the highest-scoring 9-letter word starting with O?

OXYBENZYL scores 33 points, the highest of the 1892 valid 9-letter words starting with O in the SOWPODS dictionary.

How many 9-letter words starting with O are there in Scrabble?

There are 1892 valid 9-letter words starting with O in the SOWPODS (international) dictionary.

How many points is the letter O worth in Scrabble?

O is worth 1 point on a standard Scrabble tile.

9 Letter Words Starting with O

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July 30, 2026 7 min read Word Finder

There are 1892 valid 9-letter words starting with O in the SOWPODS dictionary. O is one of the common 1-point tiles, and the highest-scoring option here is OXYBENZYL at 33 points. That's about average for 9-letter words starting with a letter — most letters in this slot manage around 2054.

Why O at the Start Matters

💡 Tile Value

O won't win you points on its own, but a 9-letter word is a full rack commitment either way — the win here is having 1892 options ready rather than hunting mid-game.

Because you place the first letter, 9-letter words starting with O work well for parallel plays — starting a new word alongside one already on the board without touching it.

Notable Words

Highest scorer: OXYBENZYL is worth 33 points — O's 1 points plus the rest of the tiles in the word. It's the play to look for if you're building toward a big turn.

Worth memorising first: OXYPHILIC (26 points) is one of the lower scorers here, which usually means it's a more familiar word — a safer one to keep in your working vocabulary than the obscure high scorers.

How many options: 1892 valid 9-letter words starting with O exist in SOWPODS — close to the ~2054 typical for this slot.

Try This on the Board

🧩 Worked Example

Play OXYBENZYL through a Double Word Score square and it scores 66 points instead of 33 — worth chasing when you have the tiles and the board opens up that square.