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People visit my Scrabble Help Line for all sorts of reasons, so I've tried to organize things as effectively as possible for you.

Over the years, my visitors have sent in hundreds of questions about Scrabble, and you can read all my detailed answers further down this page.
Not sure where to start? I've put together a mini-course that pulls out the most important and frequently asked Scrabble questions and I carefully answer them in a sensible order.

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Top Scrabble Questions & Answers

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Scrabble Helpers

The main reason people search the Web for Scrabble help, is to find some kind of Scrabble helper - by that, I mean a tool for solving Scrabble problems, including word finders, anagram solvers, and other handy Scrabble cheats ;-)

Sound like you?

Well, here is my shortlist of the very best free Scrabble helpers I use for getting just about any job done...

Cool Scrabble Cheats
The Ultimate Scrabble Word Finder
The OFFICIAL Online Scrabble Dictionary
Scrabble Game Analyzer

As I come across other handy goodies like these, I usually add them to my Ultimate Scrabble Helper Library, where I'm collecting the very best Scrabble tools on the net. There I describe in detail what each tool does, and tell you where you can find it.

NOTE - At the time of writing, these tools are completely FREE.

Scrabble Words

Collins Scrabble Words (CSW12)

Introduction to Scrabble Words
What is the 'Official' Scrabble Dictionary?
Where to Find a Free Online Scrabble Dictionary
Two Letter Words
Three Letter Words
Four Letter Words
Seven Letter Words
Eight Letter Words
Q Without U Words

Play Scrabble

How to Win at Scrabble
Scrabble Rules That Cause Arguments
How and Where to Play Scrabble Online
How to Improve Your Scrabble Rack
Introduction to Spanish Scrabble
The World Youth Scrabble Championship
How to Play Scrabble Like a Champion
Facebook Scrabble For Dummies

Scrabble Help
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Words that are part of a phrase 
This was a close game where ZOO was completed with a "T" formed from a word crosswise, ELITE (on a double word score tile). When challenged, my opponent …

Where do I start learning? 
There is a ton of places to start learning about Scrabble- two letter words, Q without U, three letter words, common eight letter words, common seven …

50-point word challenge? 
We've played Scrabble for years where a successful word challenge yielded 50 points for the challenger. Has that ever been a rule? Thank you. Hi …

What if a word covers two double word squares? 
If you start a word on a double word square and end the word on a double word score, how do you score it? The point value is 14 before any doubling. …

Help! I have ONE RASH 
Must find out or die: seven-letter word(s) from ONERASH How to get 50 bonus points in almost every game! Hi David - I hope you're …

When the first player to go forfeits his turn 
If the first person to play cannot take a turn (due to not having a vowel, say) does the second person to play a word get to use the centre double word …

What are the main advantages of challenging? 
Seems to me when playing family style (meaning competitive and the prize is pride) no one wants to challenge because it has the potential to hurt them... …

Incorrect Word 
One player played a word that was incorrect (BINKY*) and not challenged. The next player added an "S" to it. Neither play was challenged. We looked it …

Word hits on 2 double words 
I have a word that hit two different "double words". Does the score get doubled 2 times? How to get 50 bonus points in almost every …

Is passing on the first turn a good strategy? 
I'm playing Words With Friends and I keep thinking it's a little unrewarding and not much of a challenge to put down the first word. I started passing …

If a game ends and I have a blank tile, how many points are deducted? 
Been trying to figure this out... a blank tile is worth no points in the game; does that also apply to the end of the game? At the end, all of a …

Adding to an unchallenged incorrectly spelled word 
For example the word "fadeing" was placed on the board, the spelling was NOT challenged, and play continued. A player then added "un" to the beginning …

Is Slang Allowed in Scrabble? 
In your three letter words list it mentions that you can use the word BIZ, which is described as slang, but the rules indicate slang is not allowed. …

Challenge based on opponent's definition of the word.  
If a player challenges a word based on their opponent's definition (friendly game?) and that word is spelled incorrectly, but there is another word spelled …

Scoring 
If the word KITCHEN is placed vertically and someone puts a "S" at the end of it and creates KITCHENS. The S word is SWORD and there is a double word …

Vertical and Horizontal word 
If WEAR was on the board vertically, can I add SIEVE to the top but horizontally to form SWEAR and SIEVE How to get 50 bonus points in …

I only have a V left at the end of the game 
I have no other letters left, just a V at the very end of the game. What do I do? How to get 50 bonus points in almost every game! …

What is the bonus for going out? 
When a player has used all their tiles what is the bonus? I used to think it was 50 but nothing in the rules. How to get 50 bonus points …

Building Parallel Words 
DISCUS was already on the board. Can I do the following move in one turn?       R       U …

Triple Letter Score 
Say there were two words, PLAY and YARD. Suppose they both intersect at a triple letter score. If I put down a S making PLAYS and YARDS, does the triple …

Covering the pink star 
We just played a game in which the first player's word was successfully challenged and so had to be removed. I realize that the spirit of the rules …

What does having an unplayed blank tile do? 
How many points do you lose for having a blank tile at the end of the game? Which specific Scrabble(tm) rule applies to said situation. How …

When playing a rematch game, who goes first, the winner or loser? 
If I win the first Scrabble game, who gets to put the first word out on the board the next round? Does the winner skip so the loser gets the board first? …

Playing separated letters 
Hello, having a heated discussion about whether the following is allowed in Scrabble. Can you help? I would like to add a 'T' and 'C' to make the words …

Can you add an S to an incorrect word if that word was not challenged? 
The word QUAF* is played (it is incorrect as the correct spelling has two Fs). The word is not challenged. Later my opponent, who did not challenge the …

Can a new word only contain new letters? 
Hello, I was wondering if it is possible to lay a word on the board completely made up with tiles from yourself (SUMO) and not using any tiles from the …

Triple word square twice in one word 
Can the triple word count twice if I make a word with existing letters that originally did not cover either square? How to get 50 bonus …

Word repetition 
I've been playing scrabble since childhood and it was in college when I began joining scrabble tournaments. I'm just confused about the rule on word repetition. …

New word credit by adding an S to an existing word 
Do you get full credit including any bonus squares from the existing word? How to get 50 bonus points in almost every game! Hi …

Can you add a letter to both the beginning and the end of a word? 
I say you cannot put a K to the start of NOW and then put an S at the end of NOW in one move. How to get 50 bonus points in almost every …

First word placement 
Does the first letter of the first word have to be on the star square, or can it be anywhere as long as the world covers the star square? …

What do you do when both players have one letter left but can't play it? 
Both players have a V, but there is no place to put a V where it will work. What happens now? I'm ahead, so I don't want to forfeit! :-) …

Word scoring when two new words are on a triple word square 
How do you score in a situation where two words join over a triple word square? Such as HEAR becomes HEAR-D with the D being the first letter of DEAF …

Used two triple points in one word do they both still count? 
I used the word MEANDERS which has used two triple point squares. Do I count both or just one? How to get 50 bonus points in almost every …

Is it allowed to use a Scrabble dictionary during your turn? 
Using a Scrabble dictionary during play seems to me to take away from the game because it is not a word in your vocabulary. How to get 50 …

Clearing the board 
How many extra points are awarded to the player if they clear the board? How to get 50 bonus points in almost every game! None. …

Dictionaries 
Can you use a dictionary before you lay a word on the board? How to get 50 bonus points in almost every game! Absolutely not …

Hook a horizontal word with a new vertical word, that uses no existing tiles? 
Can someone add a word vertically that does not use any existing tiles on the board, but does hook to a horizontal word, creating a new word horizontally …

Can a person use two blank tiles in one word? 
How to get 50 bonus points in almost every game! Yes, absolutely - the Scrabble rules place no restriction on the use of two blanks …

Spanning two triple word squares 
Is it possible to start on a triple word square and end on a triple word square? If so, how do you score it? How to get 50 bonus points …

Latin version of Scrabble and "two char letters"  
Here in Mexico we have lots of words that use double "r", also words that use "ch" as if they were single letters. The thing is that our scrabble …

What if a Scrabble word has more than one plural? 
If the plural of a word is challenged and the dictionary documents two different plural forms, does the challenger lose turn? Example: the word "elks" …

Perpendicular word that "breaks" other words are allowed? 
Supposing you have CAT and DOG on the board as in the picture above. Can I add B ND to form BAND, as also shown in the picture, but breaking the word …

Is a Scrabble game void if an incorrect word is missed? 
Half way through the game, I noticed that we missed a word that was wrong. What do we do? Is it void? How to get 50 bonus points in almost …

Double Letter Score 
If you make two words at the same time and one of the letters is used in both of the words at the beginning of the words and the tile is a double letter …

Can you check the spelling of a word before you play it? 
Before you place a word on the board, are you permitted to check the dictionary to make sure it is spelled correctly? My Scrabble club insists you cannot …

Last move stale mate 
What happens if no-one can make the last move in Scrabble? How to get 50 bonus points in almost every game! In Scrabble tournaments …

If a word played makes two words can the other player challenge both? 
Recently there was a play which made two words. The other player challenged the first word, which was a valid word. Then the other player challenged the …

Scoring mistake found after a Scrabble game ends 
Once the Scrabble game ends and a winner is determined, can a person go back and look at the board and notice they miscalculated a score on the board …

Placement of tiles when making more than one word 
My son says that in professional Scrabble matches he has seen on television, players are allowed to put down tiles adjacent to a word that is already …

When a play results in two words, can both words be challenged at once? 
I played RAGOT on the end of HATE, making HATER and RAGOT. My husband challenged both words, starting with HATER. Since that is a word, we can't resolve …

First play challenged 
On the first play of the game my opponent used the word ITALIAN. I challenged and won. By default I became the first player to play. Do I still get double …

Snooze you lose? 
My husband and I along with our 11 year old son were playing Scrabble. The game was almost over and I just finished playing my turn and went to take more …

Does a challenge to a word which is correct cost the challenger their turn? 
If a word is challenged and is looked up in the dictionary and is found to be correct, does the person who challenged incorrectly, lose the next turn? …

How do experts memorize alphagrams with the words? 
DO THEY ACTUALLY CRAM THE ALPHABETICAL ARRANGEMENT WITH THE WORDS, OR DO THEY JUST ROUTINELY FAMILIARIZE THEMSELVES WITH THE ARRANGEMENT. I AM TRYING …

I have a bag of Scrabble tiles with no numeric values, only letters 
About 20 years ago I purchased what I thought was a bag of Scrabble tiles. They look exactly like Scrabble tiles but they only have the letter - there's …

Ruling on who goes first for the next Scrabble game 
Once a game of Scrabble has finished and another game is about to begin with the same players, does the loser or the winner of the previous game place …

Can the same word be used twice in a single turn? 
My opponent added a letter 'X' next to two 'A' tiles making the word 'AX' twice. Because it fell on a pink square it gave him 36 points. Can he do that? …

Adding a tile to each end of a Scrabble word 
Can you place tiles on either end of a word (in one turn) that is already on the Scrabble board? For example, if WORD is down, could one person (in one …

If I miss counting some points, does my opponent receive them? 
During a Scrabble game I missed counting some points on an intersecting word. My opponent noticed this and first gave me the points, but later said, "if …

Adding letters after a challenge 
My husband put the word varmint down where the M was already on the board. I questioned the spelling and we agreed on a friendly challenge. He was right. …

Defence 
Besides attacking, we have to defend too. Scoring is not the only way to win. Even when you score a lot of points, you might give your opponents bonus …

Looking up a word after a challenge 
I challenged a word and it was found to be incorrect. Is the person that lost the challenge technically allowed to then look up the correct word for future …

Bingo in 38 straight Scrabble games 
What are the odds of someone scoring a bingo in 38 consecutive Scrabble games? How to get 50 bonus points in almost every game! …

Challenge Rule 
I understood from a few years back that if you were challenged you had to use the challenged word in a sentence. A fellow player used the word BA and …

Replaying a word 
Can the same word be played again in the same game? How to get 50 bonus points in almost every game! Hi Phyllis - Absolutely! …

Are you able to switch the blank tile for another tile? 
If you already have a blank tile on the board (let's say the blank tile on the board is 'B') and you have a 'B' on your rack, are you allowed to replace …

Is this move legal? 
The word YETTS is on the board vertically. I add an I to the left of the S making IS and add F below I to form IF. Is this move legal? …

Procedure for returning overdrawn tiles to the bag after a successful challenge 
A player plays a five letter word and inadvertently gets 5 tiles from the bag and places them on his (her) rack just as the opponent is challenging the …

When a player challenges another player who has formed multiple words in a single turn, is it necessary to identify the speific word, or are all words open to the challenge? 
My recollection from reading Scrabble rules that come with the board game is that any and all words played in a turn are open to a challenge, and the …

Using a blank 
When using a blank, can you make it into a Q, if the Q is already in use? How to get 50 bonus points in almost every game! Hi …

Challenging the potential last word of a Scrabble game 
How do you discourage frivolous challenges of the last word -- the word that is expected to end the Scrabble game? The challenger hasn't got much to lose, …

Pluralizing Scrabble words 
The word PONG was made and verified in the Scrabble dictionary. My opponent then added an S to pluralize PONG. I challenged the word PONGS and it was …

I want values and quantity of tiles for letter frequencies in my language 
Hi, Let's say I want to know what value to give the tile and how many tiles of it, i need in a game; e.g of letter A (is on top of list) in my language. …

How to score two triple word scores 
What happens if you get one word with two triple words scores? How to get 50 bonus points in almost every game! Hi Nolan - the …

Regarding the Challenge Rule, can a player be challenged twice in a single turn?  
Four players are in the game. Player #1 put down the word NICER below the word CAMPED, like this... C A M P E D        & …

How to place tiles on the board 
If a word such as YES was placed across the board, could another player add FEW down the board to makes EYES, therefore starting the new word above the …

Challenges WhenTwo Words are Formed 
Upon challenge of two words may the challenger look up both words even after the first word was found to be no good in the Official Scrabble Dictionary …

Foreign Words In Scrabble Dictionary 
Why is it that there are many foreign words in the Scrabble dictionary but scrabble rules clearly state that no foreign words are allowed? Many words …

See details on legal play below 
While playing my daughter, she challenged me on whether I could add an 'S' to the TWEAK, which was placed horizontally, and then I added FIB above the …

Adding a letter. 
My fiancee and I were playing last night and she had a vertical word on the board. I added a letter to the end of that word and wanted to also add tiles …

Big Scrabble game and need a big word! 
I have the letters APIAAGT which make a 7 letter word, but I cant find anywhere to play it. This is a big game since I am playing with co-workers and …

Do I lose a turn?  
I spelled a word that was a word (LATELY), but my 'L' overlapped a previous word spelling a wrong word LE*. Do I lose my turn for spelling this incorrect …

Can you challenge a variation of a word that you used earlier in the game? 
I used a word and my opponent didn't challenge it. Then my opponent added an -S to my word and then I challenged it and it turned out that it wasn't a …

Multiple challenges and passes in a row. Does the game end?  
My brother and I play a lot of Scrabble. Towards the end of the game I challenge one of Chad's words. He loses his turn and I can play but don't want …

To what point can tiles be exchanged 
My wife had the Q until she realized there was no way she could use it. There were only three tiles left so she traded her turn and picked. Is there a …

What if the blank tile covers a triple word square? 
Suppose there was a long word down the board and a long word across the board, placed so that a person could put an "S" on a triple word square and get …

Can a Blank represent a blank? 
If a blank can represent anything, can it represent nothing? If I have placed it next to an "A" as a last move, have I simply (by my election) created …

Can you add a word vertically to a horizontal word that also completes that word? 
If you have word NOD going across can you add PUSH going down where the -S adds to NOD making it NODS? Another question: If you have the word BOX for …

Can you extend words in Scrabble? 
My friend says that I can't add -ED or -ING to the end of a word to make a new word (for example, EXIT-ED or EXIT-ING). What do you think? …

Opponent played a word which was correct and another that was incorrect. 
The word COUPE was on the board. The other player added a D (which I challenged and lost), but continued to add another word beginning with the D that …

Counting Premium Squares Twice 
The situation was that the word FEE was on the board. POD was added, with the D of POD turning FEE to FEED. Under the P was a double word square. …

How long should you hold a bingo on your rack? 
I've recently started playing scrabble, and am noticing that I can usually get one bingo word per game. However, sometimes I find myself with a problem, …

Playing two words at once in a Scrabble game 
Can you build two words in a single turn if you connect to a word that is already there, and then go in the other direction adding to the new word? …

Can the word WISED be played in Scrabble 
...if only the phrase WISE UP is in the dictionary as a verb? In the dictionary we were using, there is no other verb form for the word WISE . …

Repeating words on the board 
The word GOAT was played in our game. My competitor then tried to place GOAT on another location of the board. Is this valid? How to get …

When the first player's word is challenged successfully does the next player receive the double points since their word is now covering the premium star? 
We had a dispute over whether the doubling of the word score, which is customary for the first word played, is a bonus afforded the first player only …

How do you count a word that intersects with another word? 
In other words, if you use the word NOTE , and the N also starts a connecting word of say NOODLE , do you count the N twice? How …

Scoring two words on a
triple word square
 
I asked a question earlier but my boyfriend does not think I was specific enough. Since this will help settle an argument of epic proportions, I will …

When does a Scrabble game end? 
Player 1 has used her remaining tiles but Player 2 can still make a word. Is the game over when Player 1 uses up her remaining tiles, or does it end when …

Why isn't ERODERS allowed in Scrabble? 
I used this in a sentence: Wind, water, and time are all natural ERODERS of soil on the great plains. Yet, in Scrabble, ERODERS is not an allowable word? …

Probability of drawing an A from a full Scrabble bag 
What is the probability of getting an A on your first draw when playing Scrabble? How do I determine this outcome? How to get 50 bonus …

What is the probability of a Scrabble player making two seven letter words on their first two turns? 
Hi Jeremy - thanks for a very interesting question. How to get 50 bonus points in almost every game! First let me explain why …

How to score an opening bingo in Scrabble. 
Please help me resolve this dispute with my neighbor, who I play Scrabble with every Sunday. Now the question is when you first start the game and the …

Can I start a Scrabble game using a one-letter word?
(A or I, for example)
 
Or does the first word in a game have to be at least 2 letters long? How to get 50 bonus points in almost every game! Hi Lee …

How well do you have to play to be qualified to join a Scrabble club? 
I'm probably above average in Scrabble, but don't know how good you have to be in order to join a club. I need others to play with. How …


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