Spectrum #52: Order these words by Scrabble value — the solution
The Spectrum puzzle from October 5, 2026: six things on one hidden scale, lowest to highest, with every figure and where the checks were best spent.
The puzzle
Order these words by Scrabble value, lowest at the top and highest at the bottom. The board opened in this order:
- PIZZA
- CAT
- JAZZ
- QUIZ
- WORD
- FOX
QUIZ was already in place; PIZZA opened 4 places from home.
The walkthrough
The ends first. CAT is the lowest of the six at 5 points and JAZZ the highest at 29 points. Anchor those and the middle four are what is left to place.
Where the scale splits. The widest gap is between FOX (13 points) and QUIZ (22 points) — 9 points apart. Everything above that line belongs on the lowest side and everything below it on the highest side, so sorting the six into those two groups is most of the puzzle.
The closest call. CAT (5 points) and WORD (8 points) are only 3 points apart — the pair that is a coin flip without the figures, and the place to spend a check: a check locks whatever is already right and leaves only the wrong tiles to swap.
The answer
| # | Lowest to Highest | Figure |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | CAT | 5 points |
| 2 | WORD | 8 points |
| 3 | FOX | 13 points |
| 4 | QUIZ | 22 points |
| 5 | PIZZA | 25 points |
| 6 | JAZZ | 29 points |
Previous: Spectrum #51 (Sun, Oct 4)
About Spectrum
Spectrum is Noggin’s daily ordering puzzle: six things, one hidden scale, three checks. Tiles in the right place lock green; the figures turn over when the board is done. How to play Spectrum, or play today’s.