The 7-Letter Bingo Stems Every Scrabble Player Should Memorise

What a stem actually is

A stem is a six-letter combination that forms a valid seven-letter word with an unusually high number of different final letters. SATIRE is the most famous: it bingos with 24 of the 26 letters of the alphabet.

The core six

• SATIRE — 24 letters work. The single best stem in the game.
• SATINE — 23 letters. Nearly as good, and far more common on a rack.
• RETINA — 22 letters. Same tiles as SATIRE minus S, plus N.
• SANTER — 20 letters.
• ARSINE — 20 letters.
• SENIOR — 18 letters, and it turns up constantly.

If you memorise nothing else, memorise SATIRE and SATINE. Between them they cover the overwhelming majority of realistic bingo racks.

How to actually drill this

Don't try to memorise all 24 SATIRE words at once. Work through the alphabet one letter per day: SATIRE + B = BAITERS. SATIRE + C = RACIEST. SATIRE + D = ASTRIDE. Twenty-four days, and you own the most valuable stem in Scrabble.