[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":443},["ShallowReactive",2],{"game-en-scrabble":3,"overlays-en-scrabble":442},{"id":4,"title":5,"accent":6,"age":7,"backdrop":8,"bggUrl":9,"body":10,"categories":27,"components":8,"cover":31,"deepDive":32,"description":16,"duration":157,"extension":160,"faq":161,"industryLegend":8,"lastReviewed":197,"leaders":8,"locale":198,"manualUrl":199,"mechanics":200,"meta":204,"navigation":205,"path":206,"players":207,"publisher":210,"quickStart":211,"resourceLegend":8,"rulesVersion":401,"seo":402,"sourceFiles":403,"sourceNotes":405,"stem":406,"strategies":407,"summary":438,"videoLanguage":8,"videoUrl":8,"weight":439,"year":440,"__hash__":441},"games\u002Fen\u002Fscrabble.md","Scrabble","#1B7F6B","8",null,"https:\u002F\u002Fboardgamegeek.com\u002Fboardgame\u002F320\u002Fscrabble",{"type":11,"value":12,"toc":23},"minimark",[13,17,20],[14,15,16],"p",{},"Scrabble is a word game won on the board, not in the dictionary. Long words\nimpress, but the order of the premium squares, the parallel hooks and the tiles\nyou leave on your rack weigh more on the score.",[14,18,19],{},"Every turn is a double decision: which word you play and which board you leave\nbehind. A twelve-point play that opens a triple word can cost fifty the next turn.\nThat is why strong players think about the gap they create, not only about the word\nthey make.",[14,21,22],{},"The endgame changes the game. Once the bag is empty there are no new tiles and\nevery letter spent counts twice. Whoever has looked after their rack and counted\nthe tiles collects on the adjustment; whoever played carelessly is left holding\nexpensive letters that subtract.",{"title":24,"searchDepth":25,"depth":25,"links":26},"",2,[],[28,29,30],"Word game","Abstract","Family","\u002Fimages\u002Fgames\u002Fscrabble\u002Fcover.webp",{"title":33,"intro":34,"phases":35},"The board is a map of bonuses","You can already form words and add points. The game is decided by which squares you open, which tiles you keep on your rack and how you close the endgame, when unplayed tiles are subtracted.",[36,83,127],{"id":37,"label":38,"steps":39},"board","Bonuses and positions",[40,55,69],{"title":41,"text":42,"images":43,"check":48},"Not every square is worth the same","Double and triple letter and word squares multiply either the whole word or a single tile, and the centre is a double word square. The same word can therefore be worth twice as much depending on where it lands. Before hunting for the longest word, hunt for the multiplying square: a short word on a triple can beat a long one on neutral ground.",[44],{"src":45,"alt":46,"label":47},"\u002Fimages\u002Fgames\u002Fscrabble\u002Fboard.webp","An open Scrabble board showing the 15x15 grid with red, blue and pink premium squares.","The board",{"question":49,"options":50,"answer":53,"explanation":54},"What does a triple word square multiply?",[51,52],"The whole word's value","Only the tile placed on it",0,"A word square multiplies the total; a letter square only multiplies that tile.",{"title":56,"text":57,"images":58,"check":63},"Opening the board is defending too","Every word you place creates new lines where the rival can hook on. Leave a vowel beside a bonus square and you are handing over a play. Strong players think in two directions: what this scores now and what it leaves open next. A lower-scoring word that closes a lane can be worth more than a brilliant word that opens a triple for the rival.",[59],{"src":60,"alt":61,"label":62},"\u002Fimages\u002Fgames\u002Fscrabble\u002Fguia-esquema-1.webp","Annotated diagram that makes the idea of the step visible.","Diagram",{"question":64,"options":65,"answer":53,"explanation":68},"Why does what you leave open matter?",[66,67],"Because the rival can hook words onto those lines","Because letters get used up","Every word creates hooks; opening lines with bonuses gifts points to the rival.",{"title":70,"text":71,"images":72,"check":77},"Parallel words all count","When the tiles you place form words in several directions, every new word scores, not just the main one. Plays that cross two words are therefore the most profitable, especially when they touch bonuses in both. Before playing, check whether you can cross an existing word and form another perpendicular to it: a play that looks small can score twice.",[73],{"src":74,"alt":75,"label":76},"\u002Fimages\u002Fgames\u002Fscrabble\u002Fguia-fichas-1.webp","Game tokens grouped by type, each detail visible.","Tokens",{"question":78,"options":79,"answer":53,"explanation":82},"How many words score in one play?",[80,81],"Every new word formed","Only the main word","All words created or modified by the placed tiles are counted.",{"id":84,"label":85,"steps":86},"rack","Tiles, bag and rack",[87,101,116],{"title":88,"text":89,"images":90,"check":95},"The bag has a fixed distribution","There are one hundred tiles and letters are not evenly spread: vowels and common letters are plentiful, valuable and rare ones are few, and there are only two blanks. The odds of drawing a letter therefore depend on what has already come out. If you need a Q or a Z, do not count on it; if you need an E, it is likely to appear. Adapt the plan to the letters left, not the ones you wish you had.",[91],{"src":92,"alt":93,"label":94},"\u002Fimages\u002Fgames\u002Fscrabble\u002Frack.webp","Several Scrabble tiles with their point values standing on a wooden rack.","Seven tiles on a rack",{"question":96,"options":97,"answer":53,"explanation":100},"How many blanks are in Scrabble?",[98,99],"Two","Four","The bag holds two blank tiles worth zero that can stand for any letter.",{"title":102,"text":103,"images":104,"check":110},"Manage the rack, do not suffer it","You hold seven tiles and may exchange them, but exchanging costs a turn. A balanced rack — enough vowels, useful consonants, no repeated expensive tiles — is what allows long words. If your rack jams, change early: waiting for the bag to save you usually costs more turns than exchanging in time. And if you hold a blank, do not spend it on a three-point word.",[105,106],{"src":74,"alt":75,"label":76},{"src":107,"alt":108,"label":109},"\u002Fimages\u002Fgames\u002Fscrabble\u002Fguia-bolsa-1.webp","Open bag with tokens showing and the pile beside it.","Bag",{"question":111,"options":112,"answer":53,"explanation":115},"What does exchanging tiles cost?",[113,114],"A whole turn","Points at the end","Exchanging consumes the turn, which is why it should be decided early.",{"title":117,"text":118,"images":119,"check":121},"A seven-tile word changes the game","Placing all seven tiles at once adds 50 bonus points on top of the word's value. It is the most profitable play in the game and justifies keeping a balanced rack for several turns. If you are close to it, avoid spending the letters that would make it possible on small words; if the rival is about to close, it can be worth playing now and giving up the bonus.",[120],{"src":74,"alt":75,"label":76},{"question":122,"options":123,"answer":53,"explanation":126},"How many bonus points does using all seven tiles give?",[124,125],"50","25","The seven-tile play adds a 50-point bonus.",{"id":128,"label":129,"steps":130},"endgame","The endgame subtracts",[131,146],{"title":132,"text":133,"images":134,"check":140},"Unplayed tiles are subtracted","When the bag empties and one player runs out of tiles, everyone subtracts the value of the tiles left on their rack. The endgame becomes a conservation exercise: expensive letters held for an impossible word are negative points. If you are behind, dump expensive tiles early; if you are ahead, you can afford to hold one big play.",[135,139],{"src":136,"alt":137,"label":138},"\u002Fimages\u002Fgames\u002Fscrabble\u002Ftiles.webp","Scrabble tiles showing letters with their point values, including a 4-point Y and a 1-point L.","Tiles and their values",{"src":107,"alt":108,"label":109},{"question":141,"options":142,"answer":53,"explanation":145},"What happens to tiles you have not played at the end?",[143,144],"They are subtracted from your score","They are added to your score","Each player subtracts the value of their unplayed tiles.",{"title":147,"text":148,"images":149,"check":151},"The closer takes the rest","The player who runs out of tiles not only avoids the subtraction: they add the value of everyone else's remaining tiles. That makes closing the game double-edged: with a bad rack, closing can turn the game around; if the others hold the bad tiles, you can hand them points. Before forcing the end, count the value of the tiles still on the table.",[150],{"src":74,"alt":75,"label":76},{"question":152,"options":153,"answer":53,"explanation":156},"What does the player who runs out of tiles gain?",[154,155],"The value of the other players' remaining tiles","Nothing, they only avoid the subtraction","The closer adds the value of everyone else's tiles on top of avoiding their own subtraction.",{"min":158,"max":159},60,90,"md",[162,166,169,173,176,180,183,186,190,193],{"category":163,"question":164,"answer":165},"setup","How many players can play?","Two to four. Two players is the most competitive format and the one that works best for serious games; with three or four the board opens up sooner and the crossings get wilder.",{"category":163,"question":167,"answer":168},"Which dictionary is used?","Whichever you agree on before the game. Club play uses official Scrabble dictionaries with words a standard dictionary does not list. What matters is that everybody plays from the same one.",{"category":170,"question":171,"answer":172},"turn","Can you use two blanks in the same word?","Yes. Blanks are worth zero points but may stand for any letter. If one lands on a premium square, the premium still applies to the word, even though the blank scores nothing itself.",{"category":170,"question":174,"answer":175},"Can you pass?","Yes. Passing uses your turn and leaves your tiles as they are. Two passes in a row by every player end the game. In competitive play passing is a normal move and sometimes the best one.",{"category":177,"question":178,"answer":179},"special","What if you cannot form any word?","You may exchange tiles (if the bag holds enough) or pass. There is no point penalty for passing, but you give up the chance to score.",{"category":177,"question":181,"answer":182},"Do two-letter words count?","Yes, as long as they are in the agreed dictionary. In competitive play they are essential, because they let you hook words into gaps and block your opponent.",{"category":177,"question":184,"answer":185},"Can you move tiles already on the board?","No. Tiles on the board are never moved or taken back once played, unless a word is removed after a lost challenge.",{"category":187,"question":188,"answer":189},"scoring","How do you score a word crossing two premiums?","Add the letter premiums first and then the word premiums, in the order the squares appear on the board. A double word square doubles the total of the whole word, not just the letter covering it.",{"category":187,"question":191,"answer":192},"Is the bingo bonus added before or after premiums?","After: first work out the score of the play with its premiums, then add the 50 bingo points.",{"category":194,"question":195,"answer":196},"end","When does the game end?","When the bag is empty and one player uses their last tile, or when everyone passes twice in a row without being able to play. Leftover tiles are then adjusted and the winner is declared.","2026-10-24","en","https:\u002F\u002Finstructions.hasbro.com\u002Fen-us\u002Finstruction\u002FScrabble-Game",[201,202,203],"Word building","Tile placement","Grid movement",{},true,"\u002Fen\u002Fscrabble",{"min":25,"max":208,"best":209},4,[25],"Hasbro \u002F Mattel",{"pitch":212,"pitchCheck":213,"setup":219,"turn":293,"mistakes":366,"winning":394,"winningCheck":395},"Scrabble is the crossword word game: every player holds seven tiles on a rack and places them on a 15x15 grid, forming words that cross the ones already played. Each letter is worth a different number of points, and the board has premium squares: double and triple letter, double and triple word, with the centre counting as a double word for the opening play. Play all seven tiles at once and you score 50 bonus points. When the bag runs dry and one player has no tiles left, the game ends and everybody subtracts the value of the tiles still on their rack. The highest score after that adjustment wins.",{"question":214,"options":215,"answer":53,"explanation":218},"What is the bonus for playing all seven tiles at once?",[216,217],"50 points","25 points","Using all seven tiles in one turn is called a bingo and adds 50 points.",[220,236,247,258,271,281],{"text":221,"images":222,"check":230},"Put the board in the middle and drop all 100 tiles into the bag, mixing them well. Each player takes a rack. Keep the score pad and a pen within reach.",[223,224,225,226],{"src":45,"alt":46,"label":47},{"src":74,"alt":75,"label":76},{"src":107,"alt":108,"label":109},{"src":227,"alt":228,"label":229},"\u002Fimages\u002Fgames\u002Fscrabble\u002Fguia-libreta-1.webp","Open score pad with an entry and a pencil beside it.","Score pad",{"question":231,"options":232,"answer":53,"explanation":235},"How many tiles does a full set have?",[233,234],"100","144","There are 100 tiles: 98 letters and 2 blanks.",{"text":237,"images":238,"check":241},"Decide who starts: every player draws one tile from the bag and shows it. The letter closest to A goes first, and the tiles go back into the bag. Ties are redrawn.",[239,240],{"src":74,"alt":75,"label":76},{"src":107,"alt":108,"label":109},{"question":242,"options":243,"answer":53,"explanation":246},"How is the first player decided?",[244,245],"Drawing a tile: closest to A","The youngest player starts","The tile draw sets the order; if two players draw the same letter, it is repeated.",{"text":248,"images":249,"check":252},"Deal seven tiles to each player and stand them on the rack, hidden from the others. The rest of the bag stays in the middle. You may reorder the tiles on your rack however you like.",[250,251],{"src":92,"alt":93,"label":94},{"src":107,"alt":108,"label":109},{"question":253,"options":254,"answer":53,"explanation":257},"How many tiles does each player start with?",[255,256],"Seven","Ten","Seven tiles per player, topped back up to seven after each turn.",{"text":259,"images":260,"check":265},"Agree on the dictionary before you start. Every word must appear in it, apart from proper nouns, abbreviations, prefixes, suffixes and words with hyphens or apostrophes. Plurals and inflected forms are allowed.",[261],{"src":262,"alt":263,"label":264},"\u002Fimages\u002Fgames\u002Fscrabble\u002Fguia-cenital-1.webp","Top-down view of the table at the setup point the step describes.","Table from above",{"question":266,"options":267,"answer":53,"explanation":270},"Are proper nouns allowed?",[268,269],"No, unless the dictionary lists them as common words","Yes, if they are in the dictionary","Proper nouns are not accepted: only common words from the agreed dictionary.",{"text":272,"images":273,"check":275},"The first word must cover the centre double-word square and use at least two tiles. From then on, every play must connect to letters already on the board.",[274],{"src":136,"alt":137,"label":138},{"question":276,"options":277,"answer":53,"explanation":280},"Where does the first word go?",[278,279],"Across the centre square","Anywhere along the board edge","The opening play covers the centre, which counts as a double word.",{"text":282,"images":283,"check":287},"Keep score on the pad turn by turn. Also note the tiles left at the end, because each one subtracts its value from whoever is holding it.",[284,286],{"src":285,"alt":228,"label":229},"\u002Fimages\u002Fgames\u002Fscrabble\u002Fguia-libreta-2.webp",{"src":74,"alt":75,"label":76},{"question":288,"options":289,"answer":53,"explanation":292},"When are leftover tiles subtracted?",[290,291],"At the end of the game","Every time you cannot play","The leftover adjustment happens once, when the game ends.",[294,305,319,332,344,355],{"title":295,"text":296,"images":297,"check":299},"Build a word","Place two or more tiles from your rack in a straight line, horizontally or vertically, to form at least one valid word. The opening play must cross the centre; later plays must touch existing letters.",[298],{"src":74,"alt":75,"label":76},{"question":300,"options":301,"answer":53,"explanation":304},"Can you place a word diagonally?",[302,303],"No, always horizontal or vertical","Yes, if it touches another word","Words always run in a straight line along the grid.",{"title":306,"text":307,"images":308,"check":313},"You can form several words","One turn can create several words at once: the main one plus any formed where your tiles cross existing letters. All of them count and all must be valid.",[309],{"src":310,"alt":311,"label":312},"\u002Fimages\u002Fgames\u002Fscrabble\u002Fguia-mesa-1.webp","The table mid-turn, with the pieces the step mentions.","Table in play",{"question":314,"options":315,"answer":53,"explanation":318},"Do the words formed by crossing letters count?",[316,317],"Yes, each one scores separately","No, only the main word counts","Every word formed that turn scores, including the shared letter at full value.",{"title":320,"text":321,"images":322,"check":326},"Add up the points","Add the letter values and apply the premiums of the squares you covered that turn. Premiums only count the first time a square is used: a letter already on the board is worth its face value on later turns.",[323],{"src":45,"alt":324,"label":325},"Close view of the board with double and triple letter and double and triple word squares around the centre.","Premium squares",{"question":327,"options":328,"answer":53,"explanation":331},"How many times does a triple word square count?",[329,330],"Only the first time it is covered","Every time a word uses it","Premiums apply on the turn the tile is played and never again.",{"title":333,"text":334,"images":335,"check":338},"Refill your rack","After playing, draw as many tiles as you used until you are back to seven. If the bag holds fewer, draw what is left. You may pass or exchange tiles, but both use up your turn.",[336,337],{"src":74,"alt":75,"label":76},{"src":107,"alt":108,"label":109},{"question":339,"options":340,"answer":53,"explanation":343},"How many tiles do you draw after playing?",[341,342],"As many as you used, up to seven","Always seven","You only replace what you spent: the rack returns to seven, it is not reset.",{"title":345,"text":346,"images":347,"check":350},"Exchanging tiles","You may exchange any number of tiles: put them face down back into the bag, shuffle it and draw the same number. You lose the turn, and you cannot exchange if fewer than seven tiles remain in the bag.",[348,349],{"src":74,"alt":75,"label":76},{"src":107,"alt":108,"label":109},{"question":111,"options":351,"answer":53,"explanation":354},[352,353],"Your whole turn","One point per tile","Exchanging uses the turn; it costs no points, only tempo.",{"title":356,"text":357,"images":358,"check":360},"The challenge","If you doubt a word, you may challenge it before the next player moves. If the word is not in the dictionary, the player who made it removes the tiles and loses the turn; if it is, the challenger loses the turn. Only one challenge per play.",[359],{"src":74,"alt":75,"label":76},{"question":361,"options":362,"answer":53,"explanation":365},"Who loses the turn if a challenge fails?",[363,364],"The challenger","The player who made the word","A baseless challenge costs the turn of the player who asked.",[367,376,385],{"title":368,"text":369,"check":370},"Wasting premiums on short words","A single eight-point letter on a triple word can be worth more than a long word of cheap letters. Before you play, check whether you can carry a high letter to a premium instead of a vowel.",{"question":371,"options":372,"answer":53,"explanation":375},"When do a square's premiums count?",[373,374],"Only on the turn the tile is placed","Whenever a word uses that square","The premium is spent once the square is covered.",{"title":377,"text":378,"check":379},"Draining the bag of good tiles","If you swap tiles blindly, you may hand back the ones you will need. Vowels are easy to come by; useful consonants and blanks are not.",{"question":380,"options":381,"answer":53,"explanation":384},"Which tile is best saved to hook plays?",[382,383],"The S, because it pluralises and hooks","Vowels, because they are scarce","The S is the most versatile hook tile, though only four exist.",{"title":386,"text":387,"check":388},"Leaving the board open","Every word you leave open can feed your opponent's bingo. If your play leaves two parallel letters and a reachable premium, the next player can score 60 points at once.",{"question":389,"options":390,"answer":53,"explanation":393},"What is a bingo?",[391,392],"Using all seven tiles in one turn for 50 bonus points","Completing a row of the board","A bingo is the seven-tile play with its 50-point bonus.","The game ends when the bag is empty and one player has no tiles left, or when everyone passes twice in a row. Each player then subtracts the value of the tiles still on their rack, and the player who went out adds the value of everyone else's remaining tiles to their score. The highest total wins; on a tie, the player who was ahead before the adjustment wins.",{"question":396,"options":397,"answer":53,"explanation":400},"What happens to the tiles left on your rack at the end?",[398,399],"Their value is subtracted from your score","They do not count","Unused tiles are subtracted at the end; the tiles of the player who went out are added to their total.","Reglamento EN (Hasbro, 2003)",{"title":5,"description":16},[404],"reglamentos-pdf\u002FScrabble_Rules_EN.pdf","The rulebook is a four-page scan covering setup, word formation, premiums, scoring, challenges and the endgame. It also includes the nine-tile and finish-line variants, which this guide does not detail.","en\u002Fscrabble",[408,412,415,418,422,425,428,432,435],{"level":409,"title":410,"text":411},"beginner","Learn the two-letter words","They are the foundation of the game: they let you hook words in parallel, close gaps and block your opponent. Without them, many high-scoring plays have no way in.",{"level":409,"title":413,"text":414},"Balance your rack","A hand with six vowels cannot make long words. Exchange tiles early if the rack is lopsided: every turn without a play is a turn without points.",{"level":409,"title":416,"text":417},"Play the expensive letters on premiums","Q, Z, J and X are worth 8 or 10 points. Put them on double or triple letter squares whenever you can; a single one can double the score of the play.",{"level":419,"title":420,"text":421},"intermediate","Play in parallel","Laying a word parallel to another, touching several letters, multiplies the words formed. A four-tile play can score three words at once.",{"level":419,"title":423,"text":424},"Keep an S for hooks","The S turns any word plural and opens plays where there were none. The same goes for R and D in other combinations. Do not spend them for nothing.",{"level":419,"title":426,"text":427},"Do not hand over a bingo","Before you play, think about the gaps you leave. An open board with reachable premiums invites your opponent to lay all seven tiles. Sometimes an ugly word that closes the board is worth more.",{"level":429,"title":430,"text":431},"advanced","Work the bingo stems","Certain six-letter combinations, such as TISANE or RETINA, make seven-letter words with many different letters. Learning a few stems and their outs changes the game more than memorising loose lists.",{"level":429,"title":433,"text":434},"Count the tiles left","Knowing which letters remain in the bag tells you which words are still possible and which are not. Late in the game that information decides whether to exchange, pass or gamble.",{"level":429,"title":436,"text":437},"Control the endgame","With an empty bag every turn counts double: no new tiles arrive and every letter spent is a letter gone. Keep the tiles that close the board and force your opponent to sit on expensive letters.","Seven tiles, a 15x15 grid and premium squares: build crossword words and squeeze every turn for points.",2.1,"1948","nMzeOz8DSr1ihSxIkTy-CeFwR3PwxKfMtUOq6ulXSlo",[],1792932784479]