diff --git a/lib/adagrams.rb b/lib/adagrams.rb
index e69de29..55629ff 100644
--- a/lib/adagrams.rb
+++ b/lib/adagrams.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,109 @@
+LETTER_POOL = { A: 9, N: 6, B: 2, O: 8, C: 2, P: 2, D: 4, Q: 1, E: 12, 
+                R: 6, F: 2, S: 4, G: 3, T: 6, H: 2, U: 4, I: 9, V: 2, 
+                J: 1, W: 2, K: 1, X: 1, L: 4, Y: 2, M: 2, Z: 1 }
+
+def draw_letters 
+  letters = LETTER_POOL.map do |letter, count|
+    Array.new(count, letter.to_s)
+  end
+  
+  return letters.flatten.sample(10)
+end
+
+def uses_available_letters?(input, letters_in_hand)
+  letters = letters_in_hand.clone
+
+  input.upcase.each_char do |c|
+    index = letters.find_index(c)
+
+    if index.nil?
+      return false
+    else
+      letters.delete_at(index)
+    end 
+  end
+
+  return true
+end
+
+scores = [
+  {
+    letters: %w(A E I O U L N R S T),
+    value: 1
+  },
+  { 
+    letters: %w(D G),
+    value: 2
+  },
+  {
+    letters: %w(B C M P),
+    value: 3
+  },
+  {
+    letters: %w(F H V W Y),
+    value: 4
+  },
+  {
+    letters: %w(K),
+    value: 5
+  },
+  {
+    letters: %w(J X),
+    value: 8
+  },
+  {
+    letters: %w(Q Z),
+    value: 10
+  }
+]
+
+# make scores into a global hash
+SCORE_CHART = {}
+scores.each do |score| 
+  score[:letters].each do |letter| 
+    SCORE_CHART[letter] = score[:value]
+  end
+end
+
+def score_word(word)
+  total_points = 0
+
+  word.upcase.each_char do |c|
+    total_points += SCORE_CHART[c]
+  end
+
+  total_points += 8 if word.length >= 7
+
+  return total_points
+end
+
+def break_tie(word_1, word_2)
+  length_1 = word_1[:word].length
+  length_2 = word_2[:word].length
+
+  return word_1 if length_1 == length_2
+  return word_1 if length_1 == 10
+  return word_2 if length_2 == 10
+  return length_1 < length_2 ? word_1 : word_2
+end
+
+def highest_score_from(words)
+  winning_word = { word: nil, score: 0}
+
+  words.each do |word|
+    score = score_word(word) #the score of current word
+
+    if score > winning_word[:score]
+      winning_word[:score] = score
+      winning_word[:word] = word
+    elsif score == winning_word[:score] 
+      winning_word = break_tie(winning_word, { word: word, score: score })
+    end
+  end
+
+  return winning_word
+end
+
+def is_in_english_dict?(input)
+  File.read("assets/dictionary-english.csv").split.include?(input)
+end
diff --git a/test/adagrams_test.rb b/test/adagrams_test.rb
index 90ec44d..e0da148 100644
--- a/test/adagrams_test.rb
+++ b/test/adagrams_test.rb
@@ -178,4 +178,23 @@
       expect(best_word[:score]).must_equal 18
     end
   end
+
+  describe "is_in_english_dict?" do
+
+    it 'should say cat is a word' do
+
+      input = "cat"
+
+      output = is_in_english_dict?(input)
+      expect(output).must_equal true
+    end
+
+    it 'should say adagrams is not a word' do
+
+      input = "adagrams"
+
+      output = is_in_english_dict?(input)
+      expect(output).must_equal false
+    end
+  end
 end