Scrabble Rules

Scrabble rules are simple to learn, though there are a number of stipulations players must keep in mind. Below is a complete list of rules, though most Scrabble sets come with their own Scrabble rulebook. Print our version of, if you lose yours.

Some Scrabble clubs and Scrabble nights write their own house rules, to mix up the game and add spice to the night's events. Search the Internet and you'll find all kinds of alternate online Scrabble house rules.

For now, let's stick to the basics. Below are the original Scrabble rules you'll get from a Hasbro Scrabble game.

Scrabble Game Rules

Scrabble is a game for up to four players. Players place tiles on the playing surface, the Scrabble board, which is a 11x11 grid of squares large enough to fit one tile per square. Play begins in the center square of the board, which is marked by a star and gives a double-word score to begin the game.

Each succeeding player must play words off the already existing word tree. For instance, the second player plays a word that connects to the original word placed on the board, but which contains a full English language word that one would find in a dictionary or, in the case of Scrabble purists, tournament players and sticklers, from an Official Scrabble dictionary.

Each player receives exactly 7 letter tiles at the start of the game, drawn from a face-down pile of letter tiles. When a player plays a letter, they add up their points, including any multiplier squares they play their word off of. When a multiplier is used once, it becomes like any other square on the board. The player who placed tiles on the board immediately draws the same number of letter tiles that they just played on the board, so their letter rack always has 7 tiles.

This continues until the letter tiles (100 of them) run out. Therefore, in the endgame, players' letter collection dwindles. The first player who can draw no more letter tiles, and who gets rid of their remaining letters, ends the game. At this point, the player who ended the game gets the sum of all points totaled from the remaining players' letter tiles (in hand), while those players each have the points remaining in their letter rack deducted from their total. Scores are tallied and the high points determines the winner.

Deciding who goes first:

Place the tiles into the tile bag and shake well. Without looking, each player pulls a tile out of the bag. The player who chooses the letter closest to A goes first. The blank tile is considered better than A.

Starting the game

Each player pulls seven tiles and places them on his or her rack. At this point the player has three choices: set down a word, exchange tiles, or pass.

Playing a word is the best choice and will allow a player to score. The first word must be played using the center square on the board. Subsequent words must be played using at least one letter already on the board.

Exchanging tiles allows the player to switch out from one to all seven of the tiles. An exchange can be made only on that player's turn. After they have exchanged the tiles, their turn is over and the next player goes. This means you cannot score points on a turn you exchange letters.

Passing allows the player to let the other player go to see if it gives them a better opportunity, but if the player passes three times in a row, the game ends. Also, if all players in the game each passes two times in a row, the game ends.

Accepted Scrabble words

Any word that is in an English dictionary is accepted. Abbreviations and proper names are not allowed, so words like "George", "Coca-Cola" and "U.S.A." are not allowed. An official Scrabble dictionary can be purchased in a bookstore or online.

Replacing Scrabble tiles

Once the player has placed tiles down to form a word, the player pulls that many tiles out of the tile bag. If a player uses all seven tiles in a word, that player receives a fifty point bonus.

Ending the game

A Scrabble game ends when all the tiles have been used and any player has no tiles on his or her rack. Each player tallies up the points on the remaining tiles on their rack and deducts the points from their overall score.

Optional rule

Players have the option to limit the amount of time a player has to create a word, which should be determined before the game starts by unanimous consent.

Scrabble Scoring Rules

Scrabble scoring rules are fairly basic. Each player adds the points on tiles that makes up the word placed on the board. In some cases the player receives a bonus for placing a word on a special square.

Double Letter score

Double the face value of the letter placed on that square. The double-letter square is light blue.

Triple Letter score

Triple the face value of the letter placed on that square. The square is dark blue.

Double word score

Double the whole word score if a letter is placed on the square. The squares are light red that run diagonal to the four corners of the board.

Triple word score

Triple the whole word score if a letter is placed on the square. The squares are dark red and run equidistant to the four corners of the board.

The player who first places the tile on the extra point square is the only one who receives the extra points, even if the tile that is on the extra point square is use for another word

Scrabble Rule Basics

Those are the basics of the Scrabble rules. You now know all you need to know to enjoy a game of Scrabble.