How to Get a Higher Score When Playing Scrabble
- 1). Research tricky situations you might encounter before you play. For example, most words with the letter "Q" also have the letter "U." Knowing the few options that don't can greatly increase your score. Utilize organizations like the National Scrabble Association and various books about Scrabble that group difficult words for memorization.
- 2). Use high scoring letters such as "Q" and "Z," which are worth 10 points each, and "X" and "J," which are worth eight points each whenever possible. Always try to get these letters on the squares that double or triple the value of the letter.
- 3). Add letters to an existing word to take advantage of that word's high scoring points. For example add "s," "ing," "es" or "ed" to the end of any word that can take it.
- 4). Pass up a higher scoring word that contains six or less letters for a lower scoring word that contains all seven letters. This is because a seven letter word will give you a 50 point "Bingo" bonus, which will make up for the lack of scoring in the word itself.
- 5). Use your "X" tile if you're fortunate enough to get one. A strategically placed "X" can score you the highest points of the game because of the strength of the words that contain it.
- 6). Reach into the bag for all new letters sometimes, even if you have options for words that won't give you a lot of points. If you're consistently putting poor words onto the board, it's actually better to sacrifice points for better letters down the road.
