Scrabble Rules
Learn how to play Scrabble using basic rules. Scrabble is word game where up to 4 players (at least 2) form words on a 15x15 grid game board. Words are formed using tiles. Each tile is marked with a letter from the alphabet and a numeral score. All letters are given point values based on their rarity and difficulty level of forming words. The ultimate goal is to score the most points and win.
Official Scrabble rules:
1. Game setup
A Scrabble game contains 100 tiles, a game board, four racks and a bag for the tiles. Before the start of the game all tiles are being placed upside down on the table. Then the tiles have to be shuffled. Each player randomly selects 7 tiles and places them on his rack. Seven letters is the maximum allowed amount of letters on a rack at any given time.
2. Scrabble tiles
English Scrabble contains 100 tiles in every game. The total value for all the tiles is 187 points. This list shows tile frequencies.
- 1 tiles of (J, K, Q, X, Z).
- 2 tiles of (Blanks, B, C, F, H, M, P, V, W, Y).
- 3 tiles of (G).
- 4 tiles of (D, L, S, U).
- 6 tiles of (N, R, T).
- 8 tiles of (O).
- 9 tiles of (A, I).
- 12 tiles of (E).
A blank tile can be used as a substitute for any other letter. When using a blank tile the player has to state what letter the tile represents until the end of the game.
3. Tile values
- Letters (A, E, I, L, N, O, R, S, T, U) are 1 point.
- Letters (D, G) are 2 points.
- Letters (B, C, M, P) are 3 points.
- Letters (F, H, V, W, Y) are 4 points.
- Letter (K) is 5 points.
- Letters (J, X) are 8 points.
- Letters (Q, Z) are 10 points.
Scrabble word scores are calculated by adding up tile values for each tile played. An example of word score calculation for the word 'Winning' is W (4 points) + I (1 point) + N (1 point) + N (1 point) + I (1 point) + N (1 point) + G (2 point) = 11 points.
4. Choosing a Scrabble dictionary
What are
acceptable words? Before the game starts players must choose what Scrabble dictionary they will use. A Scrabble dictionary limits what words are allowed to be used. Players can choose between
TWL Dictionary (U.S. and Canada) and CSW Dictionary (UK and world). Official Scrabble rules only allow to spell valid English words. All played words must be spelled correctly and exist in the agreed upon dictionary. Proper nouns, names, abbreviations and acronyms are not allowed, except if they are also real words.
5. Who goes first?
Players are allowed to determine among themselves who starts the game. The most common way to begin Scrabble is for all players to randomly select a tile from the bag. The player with the letter closest to 'A' will start the game. Blank tiles are considered an order above the letter 'A'.
6. Scrabble rules for playing the first word
The first word of the game must always be placed on the center square of the board. The center tile is a double word score tile. Each word placed after the first move has to be connected to at least one tile that was previously played. New words can only be created by using existing tiles on the board. An easy example of this is making a word plural by playing the 'S' tile. It is possible to create two words in a single turn by playing parallel to an existing word.
7. Rules on how to play Scrabble
Players take turns and use tiles from the rack to place horizontal or vertical(not diagonal) words on the game board. Words can be as short as two letters and as long as the dictionary allows. After placing a word on the game board the player counts the word score of the played tiles and adds it to his overall score. Next he or she randomly takes new tiles to replace all the played tiles. This process is repeated until no more unused tiles are left to draw. The next turn always passes to the left.
Players grow scores by adding up points from the words they created. Before writing down a score it should be announced to others. The board has highly valuable different color premium squares that reward extra points if tiles are placed on them.
8. Challenging a word
Words can only be challenged before the next player starts their turn. The purpose of a challenge is to determine if a word is acceptable or not. An unacceptable word needs to be taken back and the player misses his turn as a punishment. If the word is acceptable then the challenger loses his next turn as a consequence.
9. Replacing tiles or passing a turn
Players are allowed to use their turn to exchange all or only some of the tiles. This need arises when the rack contains too many
vowels or
consonants. To exchange tiles the player returns the undesired tiles to the pool upside down. Returned tiles should be shuffled around a bit. Turns can also be skipped.
Passing a turn will gain the player no points.
10. Scrabble rules end of game
When does Scrabble end? The game is over once one player has used all of their existing tiles and there are no more tiles to draw from the pool. Scrabble can also end when each player passes (by choice or because they can’t play) 3 times in a row. The player who has accumulated the largest score wins.
Scrabble rules for scoring
- 1. How to keep score: Each player has to keep track of their own score by calculating and writing down the new score after each play that has been made. Using a scrabble score calculator is a fast way to do addition. A paper and pen are good tools to keep score. Each tile(letter) has a point value written at the bottom right. A blank tile is worth zero points.
- 2. Scoring Scrabble plays: Each words score is calculated by adding up all single letter values. If the word was placed on a premium square then the extra points are also added to the score.
- 3. Bonus points: Premium squares can only be used once for extra points. Four types of premium squares exist. Double letter score (DLS) and triple letter score (TLS) squares double or triple the point value of the tile placed on them. Double word score (DWS) and triple word score (TWS) squares double or triple the whole word. If a placed word touches a letter premium square and a word premium square then the letter premium is added before doubling or tripling the whole word score. Words that manage to cover two premium word squares are doubled (4 times letter values) or tripled (9 times letter values) twice. Connecting a new word that lands on a double word score with an existing word will not result in doubling the existing words score.
- 4. Scoring multiple words in one turn: When two words are formed in a single play then both word values are added to the score. The common letter is counted for each word individually.
- 5. Bingo scoring rules: Playing all seven tiles in a single turn is called a Bingo. Bingo words are worth extra 50 points in addition to the original word score.
- 6. Unplayed letters: At the end of the game each player has to count the unplayed letter values from their rack and subtract the sum from the final score.
- 7. Who wins Scrabble: The game is won by the highest final score. Ties are decided by the highest score before subtracting the unplayed letters.