All Your Best Scrabble FAQ Answered
What Are the Letters Worth in Scrabble?
Every letter tile (102 to be exact) has a value in Scrabble, but they aren’t all the same. In fact, part of the fun of the game is trying to play those super high-value letters in just the right spot to maximize your points.
The Scrabble letter values range from 0 for a blank to 10 points for the rare Q and Z. Here’s what everything else is worth too:
J and X - 8 points
K - 5 points
F, H, V, W, and Y - 4 points
B, C, M, and P - 3 points
D and G - 2 points
E, A, I, O, N, R, T, L, S, and U - 1 point
How Do I Know if a Word Is Legal to Play?
Scrabble isn’t just about plunking down those letter tiles to make a word (although that’s a big part of the game). Your word actually has to be legal. The thing is, not every word works.
Slang is totally fine. So is any foreign word that’s really a part of English now. But proper nouns and abbreviations? Nope.
The best way to know for sure if your play is legal is to look it up in our Scrabble Dictionary. You can even choose from US and UK dictionaries based on where you’re playing.
What’s the Deal With All Those Colored Spots on the Board?
If you’re new to Scrabble, this is a big one for you to understand. The colored squares on a Scrabble board are the bonus spots, and they make or break a winning game.
There are two main kinds of bonuses. You’ll see double-letter and triple-letter scores, which basically do exactly what they say (double or triple the score of the letter you play there). There are also double-word and triple-word scores, which double or triple the whole word you play.
Can I Get More Than One Bonus on a Single Scrabble Play?
Oh yeah. In fact, that’s one of the secrets to dominating at the game. In an ideal world, you play one of the highest-scoring Scrabble words on those bonus spots. You get the letter bonus and the word bonus. And just like that, maybe you jump way ahead and lead the rest of the game.
Hint: If you want to stack your bonuses, keep your eyes peeled for possibilities. Constantly scan the board for ways to play in different directions to maximize your bonus points.
Can a Short Word Still Be Worth a Lot?
For sure. As they say, size isn’t everything. If you play high-value letter tiles, you might actually end up with a two-letter Scrabble word that’s worth more than a lot of longer ones. For example, QI, which means Chi, will net you 11 points!
What’s the Best Way to Get a High Score?
The secret to getting a great score comes down to those letter tiles. Seriously. Do your best with what you have in your rack. And then scan the board for openings on bonus spots. It’s all about combining high-point letters with the perfect place to play.
How Can I Get Better at Scrabble?
It’s just like your grandma told you: practice makes perfect. Like anything, getting better at Scrabble takes practicing your game. A lot.
Playing against your friends and family is great, but what if they aren’t always around to play? We like playing Scrabble online when we want to build our word-building skills.
What If I Want to Make Sure I Win?
Well, don’t tell anyone we said this, but a good Scrabble Cheat is the way to go here. When you use a tool like ours to help you make words from the letters in your rack, you’re not just winning this single game: you’re also getting better overall. You learn to see patterns and build better words the next time you play.
Elevate Your Scrabble Game and Strengthen Your Skills
Here at Simply Scrabble, we’re all about…(you guessed it) Scrabble! Let us help you improve your game and strengthen your skills so you can win against any opponent from your girlfriend to your grandma to the smartest person you know.