Scrabble Tips for Beginners: 9 Ways to Score More

· 3 min read

Scrabble rewards more than a big vocabulary. Most points come from where you play and which tiles you keep. These nine tips will help you score more starting with your next game.

1. Learn the two-letter words

Two-letter words are the most useful words in Scrabble. They let you play parallel to an existing word, forming several short words at once and scoring each one.

Start with the high-value ones:

  • XI and XU: two ways to place an X for 9 points
  • JO: a Scottish word for a sweetheart, worth 9 points
  • QI and ZA: worth 11 points each. They were added to the official Scrabble dictionary in 2006, so they aren’t in the older ENABLE list our tools use. Check your game’s dictionary.

Common ones like AA, OE and EH are also worth knowing. Check any word in the Word Unscrambler, which marks every result with its point value.

2. Aim for the bonus squares

A premium square can easily double or triple your score.

  • Double and triple letter squares multiply a single tile, so put your high-value letters there. A Z on a triple letter square is worth 30 points by itself.
  • Double and triple word squares multiply the whole word. A word that covers two of them gets both bonuses.

When you look at your rack, look at the board first: where are the open bonus squares, and what could reach them?

3. Go for the bingo

Playing all seven tiles in one turn earns a 50-point bonus, called a bingo. Bingos often decide the game.

The best way to find them is to keep letters that combine well. Learn a few 6-letter stems that form many 7-letter words. The classic is AEINRST, which makes RETAINS, NASTIER, STAINER and more. Try a rack in the Scrabble Word Finder, which labels every bingo.

4. Keep a balanced rack

After each turn, think about the tiles you keep, not just the word you play. A good leave has a mix of vowels and consonants, roughly three vowels and four consonants. Avoid keeping duplicates like two Is or two Us; they rarely work together.

Sometimes the best move is a smaller play that leaves you with letters like E, R, S and T.

5. Don’t waste your S and blanks

There are only four S tiles and two blank tiles in a standard set of 100. They are the most flexible tiles in the game. An S can pluralize a word on the board for extra points, and a blank can become any letter you need for a bingo.

As a rule of thumb, only play an S or a blank if it adds at least 8 to 10 points to your score.

6. Know your Q words without a U

Being stuck with a Q is painful. These words don’t need a U:

  • QAT, QAID, QOPH, FAQIR and TRANQ
  • QI is valid in the official Scrabble dictionary too

If you draw a Q and can’t play it soon, consider swapping it on your turn.

7. Use hooks

A hook is a single letter added to the front or end of a word on the board, making a new word. For example, adding an S to CAT makes CATS, and adding a C to HAIR makes CHAIR. Your main word then scores along with the hooked word. Look for open hooks every turn.

8. Play defense when you’re ahead

Every move opens new spots for your opponent. Before you play, ask: does this give them easy access to a triple word square? If you’re ahead, a slightly lower-scoring move that keeps the board tight can win the game.

9. Swap when your rack is bad

If your rack is all vowels or holds awkward letters like V, V, Q and U, swapping is often better than making a tiny play. You give up one turn but improve your chances on the next several.

Practice makes it easier

You don’t have to memorize everything at once. Pick one tip per game, like the two-letter words or watching for bingos, and you’ll soon see your scores go up.

To check your plays, use the Scrabble Word Finder. Enter your rack and any letters already on the board to see every playable word, with points and bingo bonuses.