Whether you're a casual player or a competitive Scrabble enthusiast, these strategies will help you score more points and win more games.
Scoring Fundamentals
Understand Letter Values
Every tile has a point value. Knowing which letters score highest helps you prioritize which words to play:
Points
Letters
1 point
A, E, I, O, U, L, N, S, T, R
2 points
D, G
3 points
B, C, M, P
4 points
F, H, V, W, Y
5 points
K
8 points
J, X
10 points
Q, Z
Use Bonus Squares Wisely
Triple Word Score (TWS): The highest value squares on the board. Always try to land a high-scoring word on these, or block your opponent from using them.
Double Word Score (DWS): Doubles your entire word score. Combine with high-value letters for big plays.
Triple Letter Score (TLS): Place your highest-value tile — Q, Z, X, or J — on these squares for maximum points.
Double Letter Score (DLS): A good place for medium-value tiles like K, F, or H.
Blank Tile Strategy
Blank tiles are the most powerful tiles in the game — worth 0 points on their own but invaluable for completing high-scoring words.
Save blanks for bingos: A 7-letter word using all your tiles earns a 50-point bonus in Scrabble (35 in Words with Friends). Blanks make bingos much easier to achieve.
Use blanks as S: An S tile lets you pluralize existing board words and play off them simultaneously — worth saving a blank for in many situations.
Don't hoard forever: If you've been holding a blank for several turns without a bingo opportunity, use it on a solid scoring play and move on.
Use blanks as high-value letters: If you can place a blank as Q, Z, X, or J on a triple letter square as part of a good word, that can be worth more than saving it for a bingo.
Enter your letters plus your blank tiles into our unscrambler — it automatically tests every letter of the alphabet for each blank and shows all valid combinations.
Essential Two-Letter Words
Two-letter words are the secret weapon of experienced players. They let you squeeze into tight board positions and create parallel plays that score multiple words at once. Memorize these high-value two-letter words:
Word
Points
Notes
QI
11
The only valid Q word without U — essential knowledge
ZA
11
Slang for pizza — great for using Z in tight spots
XU
9
Vietnamese currency — valid in Scrabble dictionaries
JO
9
Scottish term for sweetheart
KA
6
Egyptian spiritual concept — valid in Scrabble
OX
9
Common word, high value
AX
9
Alternate spelling of axe
EX
9
Common and easy to remember
Rack Management
Balance Your Rack
A balanced rack gives you more options each turn. Aim for a mix of vowels and consonants — ideally 2-3 vowels and 4-5 consonants. If you have too many of one type, make plays that use the excess even if they don't score as high.
Avoid Duplicate Letters
Having two or three of the same letter drastically reduces your word options. When you have duplicates, prioritize plays that use the extra copies even at some scoring cost to free up your rack.
When to Exchange Tiles
If your rack is truly unplayable — too many vowels, too many consonants, or an awkward combination — exchanging tiles is sometimes the right call. You lose a turn but gain a better rack for future plays. Don't exchange if you can score more than about 10-15 points with what you have.
Prefixes and Suffixes That Score
High-Value Prefixes
UN-: UNBOX, UNFED, UNZIP, UNWRAP — adds 2 letters to many words
RE-: REMIX, RETAX, REZONE — very versatile prefix
EX-: EXACT, EXULT, EXPEL — X gives you built-in high value
OUT-: OUTBOX, OUTFOX, OUTWIT — great for using O, U, T
IN-: INBOX, INFIX — short but opens many combinations
High-Value Suffixes
-ING: Extends almost any verb — ZONING, BOXING, MIXING
-ED: Past tense of most verbs — ZAPPED, FOXED, MIXED
-ER: Creates nouns — BOXER, MIXER, FIXER
-LY: Creates adverbs — DRYLY, SLYLY, WRYLY (all high scorers)
-S: Simple plurals extend existing board words
Playing on a Touchscreen
Mobile word games have some unique considerations compared to playing on a physical board or desktop:
Take your time: Most mobile word games are asynchronous — your opponent isn't waiting in real time. Use that time to look up your options properly before committing to a play.
Screenshot the board: Before your turn, screenshot the current board state. You can refer back to it while using our tool without switching apps repeatedly.
Use the position filter: Our tool's board position boxes are especially useful on mobile where you can't easily visualize long words across the board in your head.
Check word validity first: Nothing is worse than planning a big play only to have it rejected. Use our tool to verify words before committing to a play in-game.