The word “uh” is generally not considered a valid word in official Scrabble dictionaries. In North America, the official word list used for tournament play is the Official Scrabble Players Dictionary (OSPD) or the TWL (Tournament Word List), while internationally, Collins Scrabble Words (CSW) is the accepted standard. In both of these authoritative sources, “uh” does not appear as an accepted word.
“Uh” is primarily an interjection used in spoken language to express hesitation, uncertainty, or a pause in speech. It is a non-standard, colloquial utterance rather than a formal word with a definable lexical meaning or etymology. Because Scrabble relies on words that are recognized in standard dictionaries, slang, abbreviations, and utterances like “uh” are typically excluded unless explicitly listed as valid words. Consequently, “uh” does not earn any points in Scrabble, and players cannot play it in official games.
To clarify further, the point value of a Scrabble word depends on the individual letter tiles it contains. Since “uh” is not valid, it has no point value in official play. However, for context, some short interjections or sounds that are accepted in Scrabble include “ah” (1 point), “oh” (5 points), and “eh” (1 point), which are recognized as valid words in the dictionaries. These words are often used as interjections or to convey emotion or hesitation in language, similar to “uh.”
In summary, “uh” is not a valid Scrabble word in either the TWL/OSPD or Collins Scrabble Words dictionaries. Its status as a spoken utterance rather than a formal word excludes it from official play. For players looking for short interjections, “ah,” “oh,” and “eh” are acceptable options that can be used strategically during the game.
See also: “Aha,” “Eh,” “Oh”