How to play Scrabble

The objective

Your goal is simple: build crossword-style words and score with letter and board bonuses. This guide uses the most common beginner-friendly rules. Families and groups may agree on variations before starting.

What you need

A Scrabble set and agreed dictionary.

How to set up

1. Place all tiles in the bag and draw seven each.
2. Choose a dictionary for challenges.

How to play: step by step

1. The first word crosses the center star.
2. Add connected words left-to-right or top-to-bottom.
3. Calculate tile values and new premium squares.
4. Refill to seven tiles. Highest score after tiles run out wins.

Beginner strategies

• Balance vowels and consonants.
• Learn useful two-letter words.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Reusing a premium square on later turns.
• Creating an invalid side word.

Frequently asked questions