You can say you don’t care if you win or lose at Scrabble, but you may very well be in the minority. Even former President Barack Obama, one of United States’ most high-profile Scrabble enthusiasts, isn’t above boasting about his wins. «It’s his favorite game to play,» then-White House communications director Robert Gibbs said in a 2008 interview with The Independent.
And Obama’s not the only famous Scrabble devotee. Former president Richard Nixon was an avid player. So is actor Daniel Radcliffe, who once had a spirited real-life battle with Harry Potter’s nemesis Draco Malfoy (aka Tom Felton). Late author Vladimir Nabokov, famous for his novel «Lolita,» was a skilled player. Even Queen Elizabeth II is reported to enjoy a royal game of Scrabble [source: McSmith].
Not bad for a pastime invented during the Great Depression. In 1931, out-of-work architect Alfred Mosher Butts came up with a game that he first called Lexiko, then Criss Cross Words. He spent several years tinkering before settling on the rules, now familiar to all Scrabble players: You draw seven letters and try to make words on a board with a 15-by-15 grid. Each letter scores specific points that roughly go along with how hard it is to fit the letter into a word. If an opponent challenges an unusual word, it had better be in the dictionary, or you’ll have to remove it and lose a turn.
Butts’ game didn’t meet with much success initially. But in the 1940s, another game maven, James Brunot, took over. He renamed the game Scrabble and by 1952, it had become a sensation [source: Fatsis].
Scrabble aficionados, like the ones we just mentioned, may memorize long lists of unusual words to win their bragging rights. But casual players can improve their games by learning just a handful of useful entries. You can impress — and even beat — your friends by blitzing them with high-scoring words, or by sneaking in common but strategic words that get rid of unwanted letters. Remember to make use of the double and triple squares to leverage your score on almost any word. And always look for what players call a «bingo,» the 50 extra points you get for using all your tiles on one play.
Now let’s look at 20 words that every Scrabble player should know.
Contents
- Za
- Muzjiks
- Aerie
- Caziques
- Faqir
- Jousted
- Quixotry
- Jukebox
- Zax
- Queue
- Chutzpah
- Xi
- Syzygy
- Wagyu
- Yo
- Zymurgy
- Bezique
- Flapjack
- Qanat
- Aa
20: Za
Challenge! That might be your first instinct, thinking there’s no way this is a word. But «za» is now accepted as slang for pizza and appears in the NASPA Word List 2020. NASPA stands for North American Scrabble Players Association, and it is the final authority for acceptable words in the U.S. and Canada.
Our two-letter word may not be much to look at, but «za» packs a big punch: With 10 points for the «z,» it’ll earn you least 11 total. Hit a triple letter square and you can score 31. Add pepperoni and you’ve got a meal.
19: Muzjiks
Muzjiks are Russian peasants — or so they were called under the tzar (another handy word to know). In Scrabble, «muzjiks» gives you the highest possible opening play. Put the «z» on the double letter square for an initial score of 39. All opening plays score a double word — that makes 78. Add 50 for a bingo, the use of all seven letters in your rack. With a total of 128, you’re off to a terrific start.
18: Aerie
An aerie is an eagle’s nest located on a cliff or some other high location. In Scrabble, the word is a handy way to get rid of four vowels in one fell swoop. You only score five points, but it beats turning your tiles in for new ones and losing a turn in the process.
17: Caziques
When Spanish explorers first reached the West Indies, they found tribes of Indians who described their chiefs using this word. The conquistadors applied the word, which can also be spelled «caciques,» to all native chiefs.
It also refers to a tropical bird similar to an oriole. In a game in England in 1982, Dr. Karl Khoshnaw set the record for the highest single word score in Scrabble competition. He played «caziques» across two triple word squares for a total score of 392.
16: Faqir
«Q» is the best of letters and the worst of letters. It gives you 10 points when you use it, but drags down your score if you end the game holding it. Thinking of «q» words is always a challenge. That’s why it’s a good idea to keep «faqir» in mind.
Faqirs were originally monks in the Sufi sect of Islam, who took vows of poverty. (The word came from the Arabic for «poor man.») The term is now used to refer to any Muslim or Hindu holy man. On the Scrabble board, «faqir» earns you a generous 17 points. And it’s an ideal way to use a «q» if you don’t have its usual partner, the letter «u.»
15: Jousted
Once upon a time, when knights jousted, they had great fun trying to knock each other off their horses with lances. In 2006, two journeyman Scrabble buffs jousted with each other in a game in Lexington, Massachusetts, that involved record high scores.
The loser, Wayne Yorra, opened with a bingo using the word «jousted.» He hit the double letter square with the «j» for an initial score of 23. Doubled, it was 46, plus 50 points for using all his tiles, and Yorra was off to a galloping start with a score of 96.
14: Quixotry
In that same record-setting 2006 game we mentioned previously, which took place in a church basement, winner Michael Cresta stunned Scrabble fans with the permitted word «quixotry.» It means a visionary scheme, action or thought and is derived from the fictional character Don Quixote, whose visions led him to joust with windmills.
Cresta, a carpenter by trade, stretched the word between two triple word squares. With a double letter square under the «x,» he initially scored 35. Two triples multiplies that by nine for 315. Add 50 for the bingo, and Cresta ended with a score of 365, a North American record for a single word. The two men went on to set two more records: Cresta’s final score of 830 was the most points in a game by one player. Combined with Yorra’s 490, the players set a record for most total points at 1,320.
13: Jukebox
Long before the iPod playlist, there was the coin-operated phonograph. Jukeboxes brought popular music to the world for decades and grew into colorful, bubbling neon shrines to pop and rock. The word comes from a Gullah term meaning wicked; it originally referred to a juke house, a brothel.
In Scrabble, you need to keep in mind that high-scoring words don’t have to be obscure. This common word gives you at least 27 points. As an opening bingo, it’s worth a solid 85, which is music to any player’s ears.
12: Zax
This word evolved from «sax,» a single-edge sword of ancient Scandinavia, and came to describe a tool for cutting and punching nail holes in roofing slates. It also refers to the craftsman who uses the tool. It gives the highest possible Scrabble score for a three-letter word: 19. Hit a double or triple letter square, and you’ll do even better. The bonus: You dump two problematic letters at once.
11: Queue
George Washington had one. So does your printer. «Queue» can refer to either a braid of hair hanging down a person’s back, or a line of people, print jobs or anything else. It comes from the Latin word cauda, which means tail.
In Scrabble, «queue» earns a minimum score of 14, nothing to sneer at. Even better, it clears your rack of a bunch of awkward vowels. And, of course, you lose the «q,» a letter you don’t want to be saddled with at the game’s end.
10: Chutzpah
The writer Leo Rosten said chutzpah was when a man murders his parents, then throws himself on the mercy of the court as an orphan. The word reaches us from Hebrew through Yiddish. It can mean either extreme self-confidence or shameless impudence.
You’ll score at least 27 points with chutzpah anywhere on the board. Fit it into either the upper right or lower right corner going across, and you’ll do better, much better. That puts the «z» on the double letter square, giving you an initial 37. It also lets you hit two triple word squares, which multiplies your score by nine. Add 50 for a bingo. You’ll wind up with a phenomenal 383 points and a major boost to your self-confidence.
9: Xi
Xi is the 14th letter of the Greek alphabet, falling between nu and omicron. In English, it’s pronounced something like «sigh.»
You may let out a sigh of relief when you make this play in Scrabble, because it clears your rack of the «x,» which will subtract eight points from your score if you’re stuck with it in the final tally. So keep «xi» in mind. It’s rare that you can’t find a place to squeeze this little word in, dispose of the «x» and pick up nine points in the process.
8: Syzygy
There’s no way to pronounce this word, which describes an alignment of three heavenly bodies, without sounding like you’ve had too much to drink. But it’s a cool and impressive word to keep in mind for Scrabble.
To begin with, you’ll score at least 21 points for «syzygy.» Of course, you’ll need to use a blank, because there are only two «y» tiles in Scrabble. But you can amp up your score if you bring the word into alignment with one of the corners. Hit the double letter square with the «z» and end on a triple word square, and you’ll have a total of 93. A great move when you’re short of vowels.
7: Wagyu
This Japanese breed of cattle provides gourmets with Kobe beef, which can sell for $200 a pound and up. In 2011, «wagyu» was added to the Scrabble word list for play outside the U.S. and Canada. That fact points out a great divide in the Scrabble world. In North America, the Scrabble brand is controlled by Hasbro, which rules on the words that are permissible in tournaments. In the rest of the world, Scrabble is marketed and overseen by Mattel. Different official word lists apply. For casual games, players can choose an ordinary dictionary as the last word in what words can be used.
With the combination AYWUG on your rack, you might be left scratching your head. But remember «wagyu,» and you’ll score at least 12 points initially, with a chance for more with double letter squares — if you live outside North America.
6: Yo
«Yo, my man!» This exclamation is used to get somebody’s attention. Sounds contemporary, but surprisingly, «yo» goes back to the Late Middle English of 1400. Soldiers in World War II used it to mean «present» in a roll call. Sylvester Stallone, in the Rocky movies, used it a lot, too. «Yo, Adrian!»
In Scrabble, it’s a clever way to dump a pesky «y.» It may only score you five points, but that can make a difference in a tight game.
5: Zymurgy
This is the branch of chemistry that deals with fermentation, as in winemaking or the brewing of beer. You might refer to your next kegger as an experiment in zymurgy.
It’s a high-octane word for Scrabble as well. For an opening bingo, put the «z» on the double letter square and you’ll brew up a score of 120. It can be a terrific way to score points when you’re short on vowels.
4: Bezique
Bezique was Winston Churchill’s favorite card game. It’s a high-scoring, trick-taking and melding contest that employs a deck of 64 cards. Its more popular offspring is pinochle.
In Scrabble, the word bezique can be a winner. You’ll score a minimum of 27 points when you play it anywhere on the board. But use it as an opening bingo with the «q» on a double letter square and you’ll score 124, one of the highest possible openings.
3: Flapjack
In America, this is another word for pancake. Cowboys washed them down with bad coffee for breakfast. But in Britain, a flapjack is a chewy sweet made from oats.
You might overlook flapjack as a mundane word, but it can be a high Scrabble scorer. Hit a double letter square with the «j» and you’ll score 34. Stretch it between two triple word squares and you’ll end up with a sweet 356.
2: Qanat
A qanat is a tunnel used in arid regions for irrigation. It was invented in Iran, then called Persia, about 2,500 years ago and is still used today. It taps into underground water and uses the slope of the land to bring that water to where it’s needed without pumping.
A rack containing these letters can be maddening. Two «a’s» and no «u» to go with the «q.» But don’t despair. Qanat clears most of your letters and rids you of «q,» scoring you at least 14 points in the process.
1: Aa
Solidified lava comes in two forms. Aa is rough like cinders. Pahoehoe, formed from hotter lava, is smooth. Both words are Hawaiian.
The game is winding down. This could be your last play. You can fit the word in almost anywhere there’s another «a.» It’s only worth two points, but if they allow you to edge out your opponent, you’ll be bragging about those two points for a while.
Originally Published: Feb 22, 2012
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Sources
- Bialik, Carl. «Price Drop: Stocks, Homes, Now Triple-Word Scores.» Wall Street Journal. March 18, 2009. (April 7, 2022) http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123731266862258869.html
- Burkeman, Oliver.»Spell bound.» The Guardian. June 27, 2008. (April 7, 2022) http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2008/jun/28/healthandwellbeing.familyandrelationships
- Donahue, Daniel. «Important Scrabble News: Two New Q (Without U) Words.» Wired. May 9, 2011. (April 7, 2022) http://www.wired.com/geekdad/2011/05/important-scrabble-news-two-new-q-without-u-words/
- McSmith, Andy. «The sublime joy of Scrabble.» The Independent. Dec. 15, 2008. (April 7, 2022) http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/the-sublime-joy-of-scrabble-1067061.html
- Fatsis, Stefan. «How a Massachusetts carpenter got the highest Scrabble score ever.» Slate.com, Oct. 26, 2006. (April 7, 2022) http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/gaming/2006/10/830.single.html
- Fatsis, Stefan. «Present at the Creation: Scrabble.» Morning Edition, NPR.org. Aug. 19, 2002. (April 7, 2022) https://www.npr.org/2002/08/19/1148572/scrabble
- National Scrabble Association. «History of Scrabble.» (April 7, 2022) https://web.archive.org/web/20120202111144/http://www.scrabble-assoc.com/info/history.html
- Swenson, Christopher. «Best Words in Scrabble.» The Science of Board Games. (Feb. 9, 2012) http://www.scienceofboardgames.com/2007/12/best-words-in-scrabble/
- The Telegraph. «Scrabble: 60 facts for its 60th birthday.» telegraph.co.uk. December 15, 2008. (Feb. 9, 2012) http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/3776732/Scrabble-60-facts-for-its-60th-birthday.html
Table of Contents
- How much is each letter worth in Scrabble?
- What are the numbers on Scrabble tiles?
- How many points are letters in Scrabble?
- Is Xen a word?
- Is Zen a good Scrabble word?
- Is Xen a Scrabble word?
- Is okay a Scrabble word?
- Is Novac a Scrabble word?
- Is II a valid Scrabble word?
- Is Oi Scrabble word?
- Is YEET a Scrabble word?
- Is Monday a valid Scrabble word?
- Is QO a Scrable word?
- What is blocking in Scrabble?
- Which letters are worth the most in Scrabble?
- Is Z worth less in American Scrabble?
- What is the highest Scrabble word?
- Is QA a Scrabble word?
- Is IQ a Scrabble word?
- Is Ja a Scrabble word?
- Is AGOD a Scrabble word?
- What are not Scrabble words?
- Why is Zen not a Scrabble word?
- Is Zen Zena Scrabble word?
- Is Zen Zina word?
- Is OK a word?
- Who invented Scrabble?
- Can you skip a turn in Scrabble?
- Is Trivias a Scrabble word?
And though no one’s managed to use it yet, the theoretical highest-scoring Scrabble word out there is OXYPHENBUTAZONE. Ohioan Dan Stock found the word, which is worth a wild 1,458 points. And if a player was able to add some specific hooked words to the theoretical board, they could score up to 1,778 points.
How much is each letter worth in Scrabble?
Tile Values 1 Point – A, E, I, L, N, O, R, S, T and U. 2 Points – D and G. 3 Points – B, C, M and P.
What are the numbers on Scrabble tiles?
A-9, B-2, C-2, D-4, E-12, F-2, G-3, H-2, I-9, J-1, K-1, L-4, M-2, N-6, O-8, P-2, Q-1, R-6, S-4, T-6, U-4, V-2, W-2, X-1, Y-2, Z-1 and Blanks-2. What is the total face value of all the Scrabble tiles? Total face point value is 187. There are 225 squares on a Scrabble board.
How many points are letters in Scrabble?
Scrabble is beautifully simple: 100 tiles, worth a combined 187 total points, come together to form every word in the English language. That even includes “oxyphenbutazone,” which is, by the power of math, the highest-scoring legal Scrabble word (1,778 points after bonuses).
Is Xen a word?
indicating something strange, different, or foreign: xenogamy.
Is Zen a good Scrabble word?
“Zen” has come to Scrabble. Specifically, the word “zen” is now acceptable, according to the latest edition of the Official Scrabble Players Dictionary, published on Monday by Merriam-Webster.
XEN is not a valid scrabble word.
Is okay a Scrabble word?
“OK” is now OK to play in a game of Scrabble. The two-letter word is one of 300 new additions to the latest version of the Official Scrabble Players Dictionary, which Merriam-Webster released on Monday. Other words that you can now play in a Scrabble game include macaron, facepalm, emoji, puggle, and ew.
Is Novac a Scrabble word?
novac is an acceptable dictionary word for games like scrabble, words with friends, crossword, etc.
Is II a valid Scrabble word?
No, ii is not in the scrabble dictionary.
Is Oi Scrabble word?
OI is a valid scrabble word.
Is YEET a Scrabble word?
YEET is not a valid scrabble word.
Is Monday a valid Scrabble word?
No, monday is not in the scrabble dictionary.
Is QO a Scrable word?
QO is not a valid scrabble word.
What is blocking in Scrabble?
BLOCKING. The act of playing a word on the board that stops the opponent from making a potentially large score. It also refers to the act of playing words that make it harder for either player to score many points.
Which letters are worth the most in Scrabble?
All Scrabble players know that Q and Z are the highest scoring tiles. You can get 10 points for each, in the English language version of the game.
Is Z worth less in American Scrabble?
All Scrabble players know that Q and Z are the highest scoring tiles. You can get 10 points for each, in the English language version of the game. But according to one American researcher, Z really only deserves six points.
What is the highest Scrabble word?
OXYPHENBUTAZONE
Is QA a Scrabble word?
To the frustration of quality assurance professionals and mystical students of Hebrew scripture alike, “qa” is not a playable word in Scrabble. You have lots of Scrabble words with “qa” you can play.
Is IQ a Scrabble word?
No, iq is not in the scrabble dictionary.
Is Ja a Scrabble word?
JA is not a valid word in the Scrabble US dictionary. JA is a valid play in the Scrabble UK dictionary.
Is AGOD a Scrabble word?
AGOD is not a valid scrabble word.
What are not Scrabble words?
That means that no word longer than 15 letters can possibly be played. So ‘absentmindedness’, ‘counterbalancing’, and ‘antidisestablishmentarianism’ will never be played in a Scrabble game. There is only 1 ‘z’ and 2 blanks. That means that any word with 4 ‘z’s cannot possibly be played.
Why is Zen not a Scrabble word?
Why can’t I use the word “Zen” when playing Scrabble? “Zen,” a form of Buddhism, is considered a proper noun and as all God-fearing, right-thinking people of all races and creeds know: You can’t play a proper noun in Scrabble.
Is Zen Zena Scrabble word?
Zen is valid Scrabble Word.
Is Zen Zina word?
Yes, zen is in the scrabble dictionary.
“OK” is now OK to play in a game of Scrabble. The two-letter word is one of 300 new additions to the latest version of the Official Scrabble Players Dictionary, which Merriam-Webster released on Monday. But of all those words, it’s the inclusion of “OK” that has some Scrabble players divided.
Is OK a word?
OK (spelling variations include okay, O.K., and ok) is an English word (originally American English) denoting approval, acceptance, agreement, assent, acknowledgment, or a sign of indifference. OK is frequently used as a loanword in other languages. OK, as an adjective, can express acknowledgement without approval.
Who invented Scrabble?
Alfred Mosher Butts
Can you skip a turn in Scrabble?
Passing Instead of Swapping Tiles Rather than exchange tiles, you can also pass your turn and take a zero score. This is your only option if there are six or fewer tiles remaining in the bag. If all of the players pass twice in succession, the game ends.
Is Trivias a Scrabble word?
TRIVIA is a valid scrabble word.
Are you a new Scrabbler looking for a way to improve your skills? Welcome to our blog, where you can find all the tips and tricks you need! Tips like: what the best Scrabble words are to study as you learn. One of the best ways to get better at Scrabble is simple: build your vocabulary. But the dictionary’s a pretty big book and you can’t exactly go memorizing the thing overnight. What to do? This list will give you a starting point in terms of what the most important words to know are to have a good game.
- Haze
Once you get used to Scrabble, you’ll start to notice that the best winning words have a few things in common. Case in point: haze. Not only does it have a high-point-value letter — the Z — it also has a few commonly-occurring vowels, like A and E. That makes it more likely you’ll be able to put together this word from your hand. Overall, this short word is worth a hefty 16 points.
- Jam
This short word doesn’t have the classically rare letters, but it does have a J — a letter any Scrabble aficionado knows its worth a surprisingly high 8 points. That means ‘jam’ is 12 points and can be a good option if you’re pinched for tiles.
- Yo
A lot of the words on this list will be short. Why? Well, first of all, they’re more realistic for beginners to play. And while it might seem like the only way to be successful is to play a bunch of 8-letter words, shorter terms can actually build up a lot of points. Yo, for example, can get rid of a couple of vowels while earning you 5 points when you’ve got a tough board.
- Ajar
Here’s that sneaky J coming back into play! This again follows the pattern of realistic, high-value words, with a high-point letter and a bunch of more common tiles, meaning ‘ajar’ is worth 11 points. And, as a bonus, if you’ve got a bunch of random A’s in your hand, this gets rid of some of them.
- Quickly
This is a full 7 letters, so it’s definitely a bit of a challenge for beginners to play, but that doesn’t mean it’s not possible. With a high-value Q, this word is worth a full 25 points in Scrabble — and if you use up all your tiles, you get a bonus of 50 points.
- Queenly
This word offers another great option if you’ve got a Q in your hand, while also not containing any other strange letters that might be hard to obtain.
- Za
You want to a slice of ‘za’? In Scrabble, you might. While this isn’t exactly a commonly used word, it’s one of the most often-played terms in Scrabble, since it’s a great way to get rid of a Z, and is worth 11 points for only two letters.
- Phony
This word may read ‘phony’ but we’re not joking about how valuable it is. It can help you get rid of a bunch of letters if you’re short on vowels — just find an O on the board you can build off of. And, as a bonus, it’s worth a full 13 points, making it a solid play.
- Gyoza
There are a lot of disagreements the world over on how to properly spell gyoza, a type of Asian dumpling. Wherever you fall on the scale, gyoza is a valid Scrabble word, and is worth a full 18 points.
- Qi
If you only learn one word from this list, it should be ‘qi.’ This short word is a fantastic way to use up a stubborn Q if you don’t have a U on your hand or the board. All you need is an i on the board to build off of, and you’ll get 11 points for almost no effort.
As previously stated in Becoming a Word Finding Master, one of the best practices you can do to improve your game is by learning new words. But there’s a lot of words to learn in the English language.
So to make it easier for you we’ve made a list of some of the best words you should know for games like Words With Friends and Scrabble. Many of which, will be somewhat unusual and contain difficult letters to use. So after learning these you’ll have some solid words you can whip out with those high-scoring letters.
2-Letter Words
Starting off with two-letter words we have some of the highest-scoring ones available. These are great for late in the game when you are running out of tiles or to branch off of a word to make another one. An interesting aspect to remember is that Scrabble allows for interjections like mm, hm, sh, um, and more.
- za — 11
- qi — 11
- xu — 9
- hm -7
- ye — 5
- wo — 5
3-Letter Words
These six three-letter words are especially helpful for using z and x while still being able to score well. It can be tricky to come up with words using these letters, so memorizing some shorter words with them will come in handy when you need to get them used up.
- zek — 16
- pyx — 15
- yez — 15
- adz — 13
- zee — 12
- xed — 11
4-Letter Words
One thing to note is that most of the highest-scoring four-letter words contain two z’s. These are words like jazz, fuzz, and buzz. But, it’s not too common that you’ll have both z’s at the same time. So this list contains words that you could use with more frequent letters while still being able to get a big score.
- hajj — 21
- fozy — 19
- joky — 18
- cazh — 18
- qoph — 18
- jeux — 18
- chez — 18
5-Letter Words
Just like the four-letter words, the best words you can make with five letters also contains two z’s but with an added y. These are words like jazzy, fuzzy, and buzzy. For this list, there’s some good words you should learn for the letter q.
- qajaq — 30
- huzza — 26
- quaky — 21
- muzak — 20
- qophs — 19
- zincy — 19
- zilch — 19
- nudzh — 18
6-Letter Words
Getting into 6-letter words now offers the possibility to connect two words together. So if you know which ones to use, they can really help to lengthen your words. These are words like skybox, cowpox, jetway, and more.
- exequy — 25
- skybox — 22
- bombyx — 22
- joypop — 20
- zygoid — 20
- jimply — 20
- qualmy — 20
- chuffy — 20
7-Letter Words
Ending at seven letters, here are some familiar-sounding yet unexpected words that won’t be too tough to memorize. Yet, with words like jazzbos and skyjack, they can definitely boost your score and even moreso when paired with bonus tiles.
- jazzbos — 34
- mezquit — 27
- skyjack — 27
- zinkify — 26
- packwax — 25
- jumbuck — 24
- squabby — 23
Scrabble Word Finder is a helpful tool for Scrabble® players — both on a traditional board and Scrabble Go fans. By entering your letter tiles in the search box, Scrabble Word Finder finds the best cheats and high scoring words instantly. The advanced options are intuitive, and easy to use, for seasoned pros and newcomers alike.
Ultimate Scrabble Word-Finder and Game Guide
“What words can I make with these letters?” This is the constant question when trying to win Scrabble. A word cheat tool is a handy thing that can help you unscramble letters to make words. With letters on your tray that are hard to use, like X, Z, Q, or nothing but vowels, it can be almost impossible to figure something out without a Scrabble word-finder cheat! Of course, “Scrabble cheat” may be the wrong way to think about it; it’s more like Scrabble word-search help. This powerful tool allows you to train your brain, build your vocabulary muscles, become a master Scrabble anagram solver, impress friends, strike fear into the hearts of your enemies, AND, naturally, learn some new words. Use our free Scrabble solver with blank tiles or question marks to unscramble words, cheat with permission, or just become better at the game!
Besides our ultimate word unscrambler tool, we also have some other helpful tips and tricks to help you win Scrabble®. Word-help searches for common problems like “two-letter scrabble words” and “words that start with Q” are listed here, and we’re also going to go into some Scrabble rules, a short history of the board game, some of the top strategies, and the best words for winning. We’ll answer any common questions you might have about the classic word game. Solver tools let you unscramble words, finder searches can help you solve specific problems, and all of our information can help you become the ultimate Scrabble champion!
50 Scrabble Words to Win With (Infographic)
You might already be an expert Scrabble word finder, sitting next to your Scrabble dictionary and looking up the definition whenever you come across a word you don’t know, but an essential piece of the game is something unrelated to your vocabulary: the strategy. You have to know the rules, so you don’t accidentally make a big mistake in Scrabble® — you don’t want to cheat or perform an illegal move. You also need to know some of the special tips for getting the most points possible! See a rundown in the next section.
A Short Timeline of the Scrabble Board Game
How, why, when, and where did Scrabble originate? Americans weren’t always obsessed with the question, “What do these letters spell?” A few people with ingenuity in New York in the 1930s and ’40s developed the game we now know and love. Here’s a brief Scrabble timeline:
- 1930s: During the Great Depression, when Scrabble was invented, an unemployed architect from Poughkeepsie, New York, named Alfred Mosher Butts begins designing the popular game, which he imagines as a combination of a board game, number game, and crossword puzzle. As urban legend has it, he chose the frequency of the game’s tiles and their values by counting up the letters on the front page of The New York Times. Funny enough, he reportedly did not like to spell.
- 1948: After selling the game as “Lexiko” and then as “Criss-Cross Words,” Butts hands the reins to a New Yorker named James Brunot to mass-produce the game. Brunot comes up with a new color scheme as well as the now-famous name “Scrabble.” The game is trademarked in this year.
Fun Fact: The word “scrabble” is a real word; it means “to scratch, claw, or grope about clumsily or frantically.” You can play the word scrabble in the game Scrabble if you have the right tiles!
- 1949:Brunot and his family rent an abandoned schoolhouse in Dodgington, Connecticut, to hand-produce the game. They reportedly make 2,400 sets but lose $450.
- 1950s: Scrabble explodes in popularity when Jack Straus of Macy’s goes on vacation and discovers the game, deciding he wants to sell it in Macy’s stores.
- 1952: The game is licensed to and manufactured by the Selchow & Righter Company.
- 1953: Some of the rules, like parallel words and the effects of premium squares, are clarified.
- 1973: The first tournaments begin, unofficially at first.
- 1976: The rules are updated again to make clear who goes first, whether a player can pass their turn, and the final scoring.
- 1978: The first national tournament is held, the North American Invitational.
- 1984: Scrabble becomes a game show on NBC, running until 1990.
- 1986: Selchow & Righter is sold to COLECO Industries.
- 1989: COLECO Industries and its games are sold to today’s owner, Hasbro Inc.
- 1991: The World Scrabble Championship (WSC) officially begins.
- 1999: There is another major rule change, making clear some of the rules around challenges.
- 2003: The first National School Scrabble Championship takes place in Boston.
- 2004: The game is inducted in the National Toy Hall of Fame.
- 2009: The competing online game Words With Friends is released and is an overnight success.
The Basics of the Official Scrabble® Rules: How to Play
One might be surprised that the official Scrabble® rules are fairly sparse. But don’t be fooled: It’s deceptively complex, with special championship or tournament rules and many different examples of creative house rules. What are the Scrabble rules newbies need to know in order to play? Here are some of the absolute basics of how to play Scrabble:
- Which words are officially allowed? There is a sanctioned dictionary produced by Merriam-Webster: the official Scrabble dictionary, online or in print. You can also check the word against the official Hasbro Scrabble page. It’s recommended to officially decide on a game dictionary before the game begins.
- Which words are not allowed? Some types of words are not allowed, like foreign words that do not appear in official English-language dictionaries, abbreviations, suffixes, prefixes, hyphenated words, any word requiring an apostrophe, and proper nouns (or any word ordinarily requiring a capital letter).
- Which Scrabble letter is worth the most? Q and Z are both worth 10 points and are the highest-point letters in Scrabble. Here’s how the rest of the letters rank in terms of Scrabble points:
— 10 Points: Q, Z
— 8 Points: J, X
— 5 Points: K
— 4 Points: F, H, V, W, Y
— 3 Points: B, C, M, P
— 2 Points: D, G
— 1 Points: A, E, I, L, N, O, S, T, R, U - In Scrabble, can you make two words? Yes and no. When putting down new tiles, you must stick to placing tiles in one direction and stick to the row or column you started with. You can add letters both before and after an existing word in a single turn, but it must be going in the same direction to make a single word. But in Scrabble, can you add to a word and end up making more than one word? Yes, you can; the process is colloquially called “hooking” or “parallel words.” With parallel words, you might be able to complete and score points for several words, not just two. Basically, there are three main ways to form new words in Scrabble:
— You can add more letters to a word that’s already been placed on the board.
— You can place a word at a right angle, using one of the letters already on the board or adding a letter to an existing word.
— You can place a complete word parallel to a word already on the board, as long as the adjacent letters all form complete words. - In traditional Scrabble®, how many players can play? The traditional board game is for two to four players.
- In traditional Scrabble®, who goes first? After setting up the board and racks and deciding on a dictionary and any house rules, each player draws one tile from the pouch, and the player with the letter closest to “A” goes first; the second player is the one to that person’s left. Next, put the letters back into the pouch and mix them up. Then, each player draws seven letters to place on their rack. The first player needs to place a word on the board that crosses the square in the middle. That’s how Scrabble starts! Then, they should add up their score and draw tiles to replace the ones they played before the turn passes to the next player.
- How does the game end? There is sometimes confusion about how Scrabble ends. The game ends when all of the letters have been drawn and one of the players uses their last letter (or when all plays possible have been made). When Scrabble ends, players may double-check their scoring, paying attention to the bonuses on the grid itself, and then, they must subtract the values of their unplayed letters from their score. If a player ends the game with an empty rack, they should add the values of everyone else’s unplayed letters to their score. Then, the highest point total decides the winner of the game.
- When you’re playing Scrabble®, when you can’t go, what’s allowed? The official rules allow you to pass your turn and use it to exchange “all, some, or none” of the letters you have. This can slow down gameplay, so some people’s house rules allow the use of an online Scrabble word-maker tool like ours along with some sort of point penalty. (Players will definitely want to agree to this beforehand!) This may be a good idea to speed things along if you’re playing with young or new players who want to learn the game and have fun. For instance, if you’re a parent trying to expand your child’s vocabulary, using a free Scrabble word-builder and then going over what the word is and its definition might be a good idea!
- Could I be playing the game wrong? Firstly, obviously, it’s important to have fun, so if you’re all flustered, consider taking a short break. But one common mistake a lot of players make is not picking a Scrabble word dictionary to use at the beginning of the game. That makes challenges hard later! You might even want to allow it to be used as a reference throughout the same for someone who is new to Scrabble®. Cheat tools like a Scrabble word-checker should definitely not be used without the other players knowing about it, though. Often, casual players are fine with someone new using a Scrabble helper, but absolutely ask permission before looking for a hint: You want to be known as the one who wins, not the one who cheats! And lastly, make sure you understand the rules about parallels. If you make a horizontal word that makes sense but one of the vertical words isn’t a word, you can’t place it.
It’s important to point out that there are several special rules in Scrabble®; for instance, you can get a 50-point bonus if you use all seven of your tiles in one turn (called a “bingo”). You can also get extra points by using bonus squares on the board, including the coveted “triple-triple,” when you play a word covering two triple word score squares. The special squares are double letter (DL), triple letter (TL), double word (DW), and triple word (TW). Bluffing is also allowed; it’s OK to play a fake word if you can get away with it! But your opponents can challenge a word if they think it’s fake, and if you’re caught, you’ll face a penalty. (Maybe don’t risk it if they already have a Scrabble dictionary handy!)
The Highest-Scoring Scrabble Word (and Other Amazing Scrabble Moves)
What Is the Highest-Scoring Scrabble Word in History?
It’s “caziques,” which is a variant of “cacique,” meaning “a native Indian chief in areas dominated primarily by Spanish culture.” It’s also a type of bird. On their own, the letters add up to 28 points, which isn’t too shabby, but in 1982, Karl Khoshnaw landed his Q on the double letter score box, his word landed on a triple-triple, and he got a 50-point bingo bonus, resulting in a total of 392 points.
The game has been full of tricky moves like that; just check the official NASPA records. Here are some of the other best Scrabble words and moves played in the game’s history as well as the latest Scrabble champions!
Scrabble & Scrabble Go Tips and Tricks: Sneaky Strategies
As you can see from the highest-scoring Scrabble words, a huge vocabulary isn’t necessarily the secret to winning games. Being a master of placement is how to win at Scrabble. Can’t make a word? Chances are decent that you can pluralize one, add a suffix, or do something sneaky instead. Here are some other tips for winning Scrabble every time you play:
Tip #1: Aim to Get a Bingo
It’s 50 points; that’s nothing to sneeze at! You get a Scrabble bingo when you use all seven of the letters on your rack at once. Use our Scrabble word generator to practice figuring out seven-letter words and eight-letter words that will let you get rid of everything at once. This is a great reason to hang onto blank tiles as well.
Tip #2: Become a Master at “Hooking”
In Scrabble®, hooking is the practice of adding a letter to a word already on the board (usually an S) and then using that one letter to build a new word in the opposite direction. For example, you could add an “S” to the end of “hat” to create “hats” and then use the “S” to write out a whole new word, like “shield.” What’s important to remember is that once you pick a direction to drop letters in, you must keep to that same column or row.
Tip #3: Memorize High-Scoring Two-Letter Words for Parallel Words
Those semi-annoying words like aa, qi, xi, xu, ja, and ax are absolutely vital to your late-game performance, when there’s often less space available, especially if you’re planning on doing a parallel play. Parallels in Scrabble are sort of like the practice of hooking gone extreme: You can add a whole word parallel to another word, as long as the combination of letters line up to form words themselves. For example, if the word “zit” is on the board horizontally, you could add the word “at” horizontally underneath it, forming both “za” and “it” vertically. This practice can rake in a bunch of points later in the game!
Tip #4: Have Backup Words in Mind for Tough Situations
If you have a Q, the urge might be to hang onto it forever until you get a U, but it’s important to remember that all unplayed letters are counted against you in the end. A Q tile is worth 10 points, so that would take 10 points off of your score! Sometimes, you need to figure out what to do with a Q quick, and the same goes for Z, which is also worth 10 points. Use our word scramble finder tool to figure out words ahead of time so you’re prepared for tricky situations, like when you have a Q without a U.
Tip #5: Pay Close Attention to the Board Itself
Remember if you’re a Words With Friends fan that the board for Scrabble is very different! Things are arranged differently so you’ll need to develop a strategy. For instance, it’s really important to keep in mind that you can get a “triple-triple.” According to the rules, “If a word is formed that covers two premium word squares, the score is doubled and then re-doubled (4 times the letter count) or tripled and then re-tripled (9 times the letter count).” Combining that with a powerful letter like Z, Q, or J can result in a ton of points, especially if you happen to get a bingo at the same time!
Scrabble FAQs
Here are some more interesting facts about one of America’s favorite board games.
Who Manufactures Scrabble?
Hasbro Inc. manufactures it within the U.S. and Canada, and Mattel manufactures it abroad.
Who Decides Scrabble Words?
Two main word lists exist: the Official Tournament and Club Word List (aka OWL or TWL) for players within North America and Collins Scrabble Words (aka CSW or SOWPODS) for players outside of the U.S. and Canada. There are some small differences. It may be odd, but this is a surprisingly political question, with some offensive words being removed from the OWL and a great deal of stress being caused by new versions.
The OWL is typically based on the Merriam-Webster dictionary, and the CSW is based on the Collins dictionary.
At the end of the day, though, who decides Scrabble words is you, the player: In the rules, it states that players should collectively decide at the start of the game which dictionary they’ll be checking during challenges. If you as a group, prefer the Oxford dictionary, for instance, you simply need to agree beforehand.
How Many Tiles in Scrabble Are There?
There are 100 total tiles in a game of Scrabble. If you feel like you’re missing some, feel free to count them up — there should be 98 letters and two blank tiles.
Here’s how many tiles there are for each letter in Scrabble:
- 12 tiles: E
- 9 tiles: A, I
- 8 tiles: O
- 6 tiles: N, R, T
- 4 tiles: D, L, S, U
- 3 tiles: G
- 2 tiles: B, C, F, H, M, P, V, W, Y, Blanks
- 1 tile: J, K, Q, X, Z
If a few have come up missing, you can often find replacement tiles online on sites like Etsy or Amazon. Also, you can use this list to make your own DIY Scrabble board, like this hardwood version or this magnetic board.
Can You Play Online? What is Scrabble Go?
One of the most popular apps for playing a Scrabble-like game is Words With Friends produced by Zynga, though there are differences between Words With Friends and traditional Scrabble. (For example, there’s no 50-point bonus in Words With Friends, and the board layout is different.) Some prefer the official Scrabble app produced by Scopely. There is also an official Facebook version of the game.
Why Is Scrabble Good for Your Brain?
Incredibly, the effects of playing Scrabble have been studied a great deal. Researchers have found that expert Scrabble players use different parts of their brains than non-experts, relying more on visual perception, and scientists hope that these discoveries mean that a fun word game like this one can be helpful to people with neurological degenerative conditions like Alzheimer’s disease. Scrabble® is also praised as a fun word game for kids looking to work on their vocabulary and spelling, increase game skills, and practice thinking critically. But engaging people and bringing them together in a friendly and competitive way is why Scrabble® is important to us.