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Updated June 2026
a New Zealand shrub with small leaves
“The mapau grew in the understory of the forest.”
"Mapau" repeats a letter (4 unique of 5), so it rules out fewer options as an opening guess. Its 3 vowels help pin down vowel positions early.
"Mapau" is worth 9 points before board bonuses. Aim its letters at double/triple-letter and word squares to lift the score.
Look up mapau in an authoritative dictionary for full definitions, pronunciation, and etymology.
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