📋 Contents
1 Setup
Place the board in the center of the table. Put all 100 tiles face-down in the bag and mix them. Each player draws one tile, the player closest to 'A' goes first (blank beats any letter). Return tiles and redraw. Each player draws 7 tiles to form their rack. Keep your rack hidden from other players.
2 Tile Values
Scrabble uses 100 tiles total. High-point tiles are rarer; common letters are worth less.
| Points | Letters | Count |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | Blank | 2 |
| 1 | A, E, I, O, U, L, N, S, T, R | 9–12 each |
| 2 | D, G | 4 each |
| 3 | B, C, M, P | 2–3 each |
| 4 | F, H, V, W, Y | 2 each |
| 5 | K | 1 |
| 8 | J, X | 1 each |
| 10 | Q, Z | 1 each |
3 The Board
The board is a 15×15 grid with premium squares that multiply scores. The center star (H8) is a Double Word square and must be covered by the first play.
- Double Letter Score (DL), light blue: doubles the value of the tile placed on it
- Triple Letter Score (TL), dark blue: triples the value of that tile
- Double Word Score (DW), pink/red: doubles the total word score
- Triple Word Score (TW), orange/red corner squares: triples the total word score
Premium squares only apply the first time a tile is placed on them. If a play covers two Double Word squares, the word score is doubled then doubled again (×4 total).
4 Taking Your Turn
On your turn, do one of the following:
Play a Word
Place tiles on the board to form one or more words. Rules:
- All tiles played must be in the same row or column
- At least one tile must touch an existing word on the board (except on the first turn, which must cover the center star)
- All new words formed (main word + any crosswords) must be valid
- Words read left-to-right and top-to-bottom only
After playing, draw tiles from the bag to replenish to 7 (or fewer if the bag is empty).
Exchange Tiles
If the bag has 7 or more tiles, you may exchange any number of tiles from your rack. Place discards face-down, draw replacements, then shuffle discards back into the bag. Score 0 for this turn.
Pass
Score 0 and do nothing. Passing is sometimes forced when you have no playable tiles and fewer than 7 remain in the bag.
5 Scoring
Score every new word formed on your turn, the main word and all crosswords created by your play.
- Apply letter multipliers (DL, TL) to individual tiles first
- Then apply word multipliers (DW, TW) to the entire word total
- If multiple word multipliers apply to the same word, multiply sequentially (DW × DW = ×4)
- Add all word scores together
- Add 50-point bingo bonus if applicable
Example: Playing QUARTZ with the Q on a Double Letter square and the Z on a Triple Letter square, crossing a Double Word square: (10×2 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 10×3) × 2 = (20+1+1+1+1+30) × 2 = 54 × 2 = 108 points (before bingo bonus).
6 The 50-Point Bingo Bonus
If you use all 7 tiles from your rack in one play, score a 50-point bonus on top of your word score. This is called a "bingo" in North America (or "bonus" elsewhere). It is the single largest scoring opportunity in Scrabble and is what separates strong players from casual ones, experienced players actively manage their rack to set up bingo opportunities.
7 Challenging a Word
Before the next player draws tiles, any opponent may challenge a word. Look it up in the agreed-upon dictionary (TWL06 in North America; SOWPODS/Collins internationally).
- If the word is valid: the challenger loses their next turn (standard rules)
- If the word is invalid: the player who played it removes all tiles from that turn and loses their turn
Some groups use free challenges (no penalty for incorrect challenges). Agree on this before the game starts.
Only finished words on the board can be challenged, you can't challenge a word mid-play.
8 Ending the Game
The game ends when:
- One player uses all their tiles and the bag is empty, OR
- All players pass consecutively (typically 6 passes in a row with 2 players)
Final scoring: The player who goes out adds the sum of all opponents' remaining tile values to their score. All other players subtract the total value of tiles remaining on their racks from their score.
9 Strategy Tips
Balance Your Rack
Keep a mix of vowels and consonants (ideally 2–3 vowels). A rack of all vowels or all consonants is nearly unplayable. Trade tiles when your rack is unbalanced and the bag has tiles to spare.
Hold S and Blank Tiles
S tiles can pluralize any existing word for a modest score boost. Blank tiles are best saved for high-scoring plays or bingos, don't waste them on small words.
Target Triple Word Squares
Triple Word squares (corners and edges) are the highest-value real estate on the board. Playing through them, or blocking opponents from reaching them, is a core strategic decision.
Know Two-Letter Words
Two-letter words (AA, QI, ZA, XI, OX, etc.) are essential for fitting tiles in tight spots and creating multiple words in one turn. Learning even 20–30 common two-letter words dramatically improves scoring.
Set Up Bingos
Leave yourself a good "leave" (the tiles remaining after your play). Common high-bingo leaves include AEINST, SATINE, RETINA, racks heavy in common letters that combine easily into 7-letter words.
10 Common Rules Disputes
"Is QI a valid Scrabble word?"
Yes, QI (variant of chi, the Chinese life force) is in both TWL and SOWPODS. It's one of the most valuable two-letter words (10 points + multipliers).
"Can you add to an existing word?"
Yes, adding letters to the front (prefix), back (suffix), or both ends of a word is a legal play. Adding -S to pluralize, -ED, -ING, RE- to the front, etc.
"Does the first word have to be at least 2 letters?"
Yes, the first play must cover the center star and use at least 2 tiles.
"Can you play a word backwards?"
No, all words must read left-to-right or top-to-bottom. Right-to-left or bottom-to-top placement is not allowed.
11 Complete Tile Distribution
Scrabble uses exactly 100 tiles. Knowing tile counts helps you track what remains in the bag and on opponents' racks in the endgame.
| Letter | Count | Points | Letter | Count | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 9 | 1 | N | 6 | 1 |
| B | 2 | 3 | O | 8 | 1 |
| C | 2 | 3 | P | 2 | 3 |
| D | 4 | 2 | Q | 1 | 10 |
| E | 12 | 1 | R | 6 | 1 |
| F | 2 | 4 | S | 4 | 1 |
| G | 3 | 2 | T | 6 | 1 |
| H | 2 | 4 | U | 4 | 1 |
| I | 9 | 1 | V | 2 | 4 |
| J | 1 | 8 | W | 2 | 4 |
| K | 1 | 5 | X | 1 | 8 |
| L | 4 | 1 | Y | 2 | 4 |
| M | 2 | 3 | Z | 1 | 10 |
| Blank | 2 | 0 | Total: 100 tiles | ||
12 Blank Tile Rules
Blank tiles are the most powerful tiles in Scrabble. Rules:
- A blank tile can represent any letter of the alphabet.
- When you play a blank, declare which letter it represents and orient it on the board to indicate that letter. It remains that letter for the rest of the game.
- Blanks score zero points regardless of which letter they represent or what square they land on. A blank on a Triple Letter square still scores 0.
- Once played, a blank tile cannot be retrieved or re-designated. It stays as the declared letter permanently.
- The blank tile cannot be swapped out of your rack, if you have 6 other tiles and a blank, you still have a full rack of 7.
Strategy: Never waste a blank on a small word for modest points. Blanks are most valuable for enabling bingos (7-tile plays worth 50 extra points) or for placing a key letter on a Triple Word Square. A blank used for a 20-point play when it could have enabled a 90-point bingo is a significant error.
13 Opening Move Strategy
The first play must cover the center star (H8, a Double Word square). The first player effectively always gets a double-word score on their opening. Here is how to maximize it:
- Play your highest-scoring word possible using the center star. Longer words are not always better, a shorter word hitting a Triple Letter Square can outscore a longer plain word.
- Do not play all 5 high-value tiles at once if it leaves you with a bad rack. Consider what tiles you will draw next.
- Aim for 24 to 36+ points on the opening play. Anything below 20 should prompt you to consider whether exchanging tiles is better.
- Common strong opening plays include words like QUINT, FIZZ (with multipliers), or any 5-6 letter word crossing the center star on the DW square.
14 High-Value Short Words to Know
These short words are legitimate and extremely useful in Scrabble:
- QI, the Chinese concept of life force/energy. 11 points base, and valid in both TWL and SOWPODS. The only common 2-letter word using Q.
- ZA, informal for pizza. Valid in TWL. 11 points base. Extremely useful for placing the Z on a premium square.
- XI, the Greek letter. 9 points. Valid in both dictionaries.
- OX, 9 points. The X makes any 2-letter play involving it high-value.
- AX, 9 points. Variant of axe.
- EX, 9 points. Valid and common.
- JO, a sweetheart (Scottish). 9 points. Valid in TWL and SOWPODS.
- KA, in Egyptian mythology, the spirit. 6 points. Valid in TWL.
- AA, a type of rough lava (common in Hawaii). 2 points but useful for building off A tiles.
- QUIZ, 22 points base, one of the highest-scoring 4-letter words possible.
- JAZZ, 27 points base (two Z tiles needed, but very strong if available).
15 Endgame Tile Tracking
When fewer than 30 tiles remain in the bag, experienced players begin tracking which tiles have been played and which remain unseen. This is legal and is considered standard competitive technique.
- Keep a running tally of tiles played by crossing them off a tile sheet (some score sheets include this).
- When the bag is empty, you know exactly which tiles your opponent holds (all unseen tiles minus your own rack).
- Use this knowledge to block your opponent's most dangerous plays and position your own tiles for maximum endgame scoring.
- Endgame decisions, whether to play out your rack or exchange, how to spread or block the board, can swing the final score by 50 or more points.
16 TWL vs. SOWPODS: Which Dictionary?
Two official word lists govern competitive Scrabble:
- TWL (Tournament Word List), also called OWL (Official Word List) or OSPD: Used in North American club and tournament play. Based on major American dictionaries. Approximately 178,000 valid words.
- SOWPODS (also called Collins Scrabble Words or CSW): Used in international and UK tournaments. Combines TWL with OSPD and SOWPODS lists. Approximately 276,000 valid words, about 100,000 more than TWL.
Key differences: SOWPODS accepts many words that TWL does not, including QI (valid in both), ZA (valid in TWL), and dozens of British English words not used in North America. Before starting a serious game, agree on which dictionary to use.
For casual home play, use any reputable dictionary and agree on a single reference before the game begins.
17 Wrong House Rules
- Proper nouns are allowed, They are not. No names, brand names, or capitalized words are valid in Scrabble.
- Foreign words are allowed, Not unless the word has been adopted into standard English dictionaries (like KIMONO, FIESTA, or PIZZA). "Je" and "du" are not valid.
- Abbreviations are allowed, Abbreviations (TV, USA, etc.) are not valid. The word must appear as a standard dictionary entry.
- You can rearrange your tiles after playing, Once tiles are placed on the board for scoring, they cannot be moved. The play stands unless a challenge is immediately raised.
- Challenges cost nothing, In standard tournament rules, an unsuccessful challenge costs the challenger their turn. Agree on challenge rules (standard penalty or free challenge) before the game begins.
- You can hold tiles from a previous turn, You always replenish to 7 tiles immediately after playing. You cannot "save" a draw for later.
18 History of Scrabble
Scrabble was invented by Alfred Mosher Butts, an unemployed architect from Poughkeepsie, New York, during the Great Depression. In 1938, he developed a word game called "Criss Cross Words," combining crossword puzzle and anagram elements. He carefully analyzed letter frequency in newspapers and magazines to determine how many of each tile to include, the distribution he calculated is essentially unchanged today.
Butts sold handmade sets but struggled to get the game commercially published. In 1948, he partnered with entrepreneur James Brunot, who acquired the rights and renamed the game Scrabble (from the Dutch "schrabbelen," meaning to scratch or scrape). Brunot refined the rules, designed the premium square board, and began small-scale manufacturing in a converted schoolhouse in Connecticut.
The game remained obscure until 1952, when Jack Strauss, president of Macy's department stores, played Scrabble on vacation and ordered a supply for his stores. Demand exploded: by 1954, Brunot's small operation could not keep up, and he licensed production to Selchow and Righter, a major game publisher. Scrabble became the second-best-selling board game in the world (after Monopoly).
Selchow and Righter was eventually acquired by Coleco in 1986 and then by Hasbro in 1989. In North America, Hasbro owns the Scrabble trademark. Internationally, Mattel holds the rights. The game now sells in over 120 countries and has been produced in more than 29 languages.
19 Frequently Asked Questions
Can you use a word as both a noun and a verb?
Yes. Scrabble dictionaries list all valid forms. GROOM, GROOMS, GROOMED, GROOMING are all valid regardless of whether you play the noun or verb form.
What if a played word creates two crosswords that are invalid?
All new words formed in a single play must be valid. If any crossword is invalid, the entire play is invalid and can be challenged. The player loses their turn and removes their tiles.
Can you play a word that extends an existing word?
Yes. Adding -S, -ED, -ING, -ER to existing words, or adding letters to the front of a word, are all valid plays. The extended or modified word counts as a new word formed during your turn.
Is it legal to swap all 7 tiles?
Yes, as long as there are at least 7 tiles remaining in the bag. You score 0 for that turn.
Does the 50-point bingo count if the bag is empty?
Yes. You score the 50-point bingo bonus any time you play all 7 tiles from your rack in one turn, regardless of the bag state.
Can you look up words during the game?
In official rules, you cannot pre-emptively look words up before playing. You play, and your opponent may challenge. Looking up words before placing them is generally considered unsportsmanlike and is prohibited in tournament play.
What happens if the last two tiles in the bag are used and neither player can go out?
If all players consecutively pass (typically six passes with two players), the game ends. All players subtract their remaining rack values from their scores. No one adds the rack value bonus since no one went out.
Can blanks be swapped out once placed on the board?
No. Once a blank tile is placed and designated, it stays on the board as that letter permanently. No player may remove or re-designate it.
Is it legal to make a single-letter play?
No. Every play must form at least a 2-letter word (either the new word or a crossword formed by the play).
What is the highest possible score in a single turn?
The theoretical maximum single-turn score is approximately 1,778 points, achieved by playing a bingo across two triple-word squares with high-value tiles. In practice, tournament bingos typically score 80 to 150 points.
🎲 House Rules
Play Scrabble your way?
Save your house rules and share a link or QR code — friends can pull them up at the table.