How to Play Scrabble
Scrabble is played on a 15×15 grid with 100 letter tiles. Players take turns building words that interlock like a crossword, scoring for the letters they place and any premium squares those tiles cover.
It rewards both a good vocabulary and smart board play — a short word on a triple-word square can beat a long word placed poorly.
Last reviewed 2026-07-27
What's in the box
- A 15×15 game board with premium squares
- 100 letter tiles (98 letters plus 2 blanks)
- Four tile racks
- A tile bag
Setup
- Place all tiles in the bag and mix them.
- Each player draws one tile; closest to “A” (a blank wins) goes first, then returns the tiles.
- Each player draws 7 tiles onto their rack.
- The first player must place a word crossing the center star.
How to play — the rules
Placing words
On your turn, place tiles from your rack to form a single word reading left-to-right or top-to-bottom. After the first turn, every new word must connect to tiles already on the board, and all letters formed in the process must be valid words.
Then draw back up to seven tiles. Instead of playing, you may exchange any number of tiles (forfeiting your turn) or simply pass.
Premium squares
- Double- and triple-letter squares multiply that tile’s value.
- Double- and triple-word squares multiply the whole word’s value.
- Premiums only score when a tile is first placed on them — reusing that square later scores at face value.
- The center star counts as a double-word square for the opening play.
Bingos, blanks, and challenges
- Bingo — using all 7 of your tiles in one turn earns a 50-point bonus on top of the word score.
- Blank tiles — wild for any letter (worth 0 points); once placed, the chosen letter is fixed.
- Challenge — if you doubt a word, challenge before the next turn. An invalid word is removed and its player loses the turn; house rules vary on penalizing a wrong challenge.
A turn, step by step
- Form a word on the board using tiles from your rack (connecting to existing tiles after turn one).
- Total your score, applying premium squares and the 50-point bingo bonus if earned.
- Draw back up to seven tiles.
- Alternatively, exchange tiles or pass, then play moves on.
How to win
The game ends when all tiles are gone and one player uses their last tile, or when no more plays are possible.
Each player subtracts the value of tiles left on their rack; the player who went out adds the total of everyone else’s leftover tiles. The highest final score wins.
Strategy tips
- Learn the two-letter words (QI, ZA, XU, JO). They let you play parallel words and reach premium squares.
- Save an S and the blanks — they open up huge plays and bingos.
- Balance your rack: dumping all your vowels or consonants leaves you stuck next turn.
- Play the board, not just the word. A 20-point word on a triple beats a 30-point word that opens a triple for your opponent.
- Aim for bingos: keeping common letters (retains, satire) sets up the 50-point bonus.
Frequently asked questions
What is a bingo in Scrabble?
Playing all seven tiles from your rack in a single turn. It earns a 50-point bonus on top of the word’s normal score.
How do premium squares work?
Letter-premium squares multiply a single tile’s value; word-premium squares multiply the whole word. They only count the turn a tile is first placed on them.
What are the blank tiles worth?
Blanks are wild and can be any letter, but they score 0 points. Once you place a blank and declare its letter, that letter is fixed for the rest of the game.
What happens when you challenge a word?
The word is looked up. If it’s invalid, it’s removed and the player who made it loses that turn. Different rule sets vary on whether an incorrect challenger is penalized.
House-rule ideas
- No blanks may be reclaimed — keep the standard rule that a placed blank stays put.
- Speed Scrabble: use a per-turn timer for a faster game.
- Open dictionary: allow players to check a word list before playing for a friendlier, learning-focused game.
Buy Scrabble Classic
Scrabble Board Game
The classic 15×15 board and 100 tiles — the definitive word game.
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