Scrabble Hints

A lot of people liken Scrabble to a game of geeks, but if that's what it takes to enjoy a game of Scrabble, so be it. Those who are uninitiated in this game would probably have a lot of opinions and perceptions about it. However, start once and you will be addicted to this word game. That is what it has done to me. Being someone who has played Scrabble since she learned to spell words, I know how much Scrabble is loved, appreciated, and thoroughly enjoyed by fellow Scrabble players. In effect, Scrabble is a game that can be mastered only over time and practice with some seasoned players as your opponents (for me, it was my mother). By monitoring the way they play their game, and the way they strategize (this is definitely not a simple word game) to get more points, you too can get better at this game and pose a real challenge for your opponent. Scrabble, though a game of luck, is also a game of strategy. When you combine the two, there is no way you cannot emerge a winner. For those of you who want to improve their game, here are some simple Scrabble hints and tips that will help you through. Take a look.

Hint #1: Start off Right
All of you know that the star is to be utilized while making a word at the start of a Scrabble game. If you have noticed, this star is surrounded by a double letter score, 4 blank spaces away, on all 4 sides. When you start, use this double letter score by placing a high score letter on it. For instance, if you can make the word 'BUILT', place the 'B' on the double letter score. This gives you 6 points instead of 3 for the letter 'B' and increases your overall score. Even if it is a simple word such as 'STAND', place the 'D' on the double letter. And if you are blessed with a 'Q' or a 'J' and can make words such as 'QUIET', 'JUICE', 'QUALM', etc., you are off to a great start. Remember if you have two letters that have individual points higher than one, always try to place the letter with the higher score on the double letter. For instance, if you can make a word such as 'CAGED', place the 'C' on the double letter and not the 'D'.

Hint #2: The Power of Double and Triple Letter/Word Score
You have already witnessed the power of double letter score in the first Scrabble hint. A lot of people either underestimate or overlook these spaces on a Scrabble board, and make the greatest words without getting the appropriate points. Imagine placing a 'C' on the double letter score that is just above or beside a triple word score, or making the word 'QUIZ' (if you are really lucky) in the exactly same spot. You have a whopping 96 points from a word that in effect only adds up to 22 points. The same goes for a double word score. If you notice, double word scores are surrounded by triple letter and double letter scores too. If you can make the most of these by placing high score letters on them, your score is bound to increase.

Hint #3: Points are more Important than Words
We're all out to prove that we have a great vocabulary when it comes to playing Scrabble. Thus, we would rather make 'VERSE' instead of 'SERVE' even if simply by interchanging the letters on a double or triple letter score you will get more points for the latter than for the former. Keep in mind, sometimes simple words get you more points than the fancy ones, and so does the method of using lesser letters to make a word with higher points, than using more letters. 'CUB' will give you more points than 'STUB'. However, there may be times when you simply need to exhaust your letters so that you get better letters. At the cost of a turn, you could make a 6 letter word instead of a 4 letter word so that you can get rid of all those letters that are not helping you.

Hint #4: Utilizing High Score Letters (K, J, X, Q, Z) Well
When all these letters are placed on a double or a triple letter score, their value increases greatly, and so does your overall score. As has been mentioned earlier, making the word 'QUIZ' by placing the 'Q' on a double or triple letter and getting it with a double or triple word score will help you score far better. Now you would think that you can make only a few words with these letters, but there are a whole lot of words that can be made. Some examples have been given here.

• K: Knife, Knives, Kite(s), Kit, Kind, Kinder, Kindest, Stink, Brink, Clink, Click, Clicked, Licked, Ticked
• J: Juice, Juicer, Juices, Jumble, Jagged, Joint, Joined, Joinery, Jester, Jut, Jutting, Jet, Jetty
• X: Excuse, Exotic, Oxidize, Anxious, Axis, Axial, Dexter, Exit, Tax, Taxed, Taxi, Oxen, Exodus, Boxing, Box, Boxed, Coax, Hoax
• Q: Quirk, Quiet, Quite, Quiz, Aquatic, Acquire, Squid, Squirt, Equip, Quip, Quire, Quest, Qualm, Quail, Query, Inquire, Require
• Z: Zone, Zoom, Zany, Zest, Zesty, Azure, Dazed, Haze, Raze, Gaze, Graze, Prize, Gauze, Zipper, Fazed, Size

These were just some examples of bigger and better words you can make with high score letters. There are many more that you can come up with. The more you play, the better you will be able to utilize these letters.

Hint #5: Keeping an Eye Open for 'S', 'ED', 'LY', 'ING'
Various words can be modified to mean different things, and this can be utilized to enhance word play in Scrabble. For one, if you are getting more points simply by adding an 'S' or a 'D' to the world 'BONE' it is a better idea to go for this rather than making a futile 2-3 letter word. The same goes for the other suffixes such as 'ED', when added to words such as 'LIVEN', or 'LY' added to the word 'WEEK', or 'ING' added to the word 'DAWN'. A lot of us are known to hang on to 'ING' when we get these letters in the hope of making a 7 letter word. However, this is sometimes not possible. For instance, when you have the letters 'V, I, S, E, I, N, G', there is no possibility of making a seven letter word. However, you can make words such as 'GIVEN', 'GIVES', 'SING', that will get you some points rather than trying to make words only with 4 letters. Always understand the implications of such moves before you make them.

Hint #6: The Power of Multiple Words
Making two, three, and even four words at one time is possible in Scrabble, but you must have a keen eye to observe where such a possibility can occur, and how you can utilize this Scrabble tip. Using an 'S' or a 'D' to connect two words, or making smaller two letter words such as 'HE' and 'IT' while making the word 'HINGE' against a word that ends with 'ET' such as 'SOCKET' will get you more points than the word 'HINGE' alone. This was just an example, and you can do that with a lot of words. Adding 'Z' against 'ONE' to make another word such as 'ZOOM' gives you 20 points with the 'Z' alone, and more if it is placed on a double or triple letter score.

Hint #7: Making 7 Letter Words
Sometimes, time constraints do not allow you to think clearly, and you miss out on the opportunity to make a 7-letter word. Always be on the lookout for the ability to make a 7 letter word, in conjunction with other letters already on the board. It gives you a 50 point bonus over and above your score for the word. For instance, if there is an 'E' on the board and an opening around, and if you have the letters 'G, R, E, I, N, E, N', you can make the word 'ENGINEER' by using all your 7 letters, even though it is an 8 letter word. Sometimes, you may not be able to make the most of double or triple letter or word scores to make a 7 letter word. However, a 50 point bonus in addition to any score is always helpful, so try to utilize it whenever you can. There are some other great 7 letter words you can make with high scoring letters too, such as 'OXIDIZE', 'QUIETER', 'EXAMPLE', 'JUSTIFY', etc. Making these words obviously depends on the kind of luck you have in getting these letters. But these words have been made, so it can't be said that it is impossible.

Hint #8: Block Opponent Moves
Even in Scrabble, you can definitely weaken your opponent's position if you can't strengthen your own position. This you can do by making words that cannot be lengthened by adding additional letters in strategic locations. For instance, if you have 4 blank spaces before a triple word score, and you cannot use all the spaces because you don't have enough letters, you can make a word that will not allow your opponent to use the triple word score either. Like if you make the word 'THE' before this point, your opponent can easily add 'RE' to make 'THERE' and get 24 points from the triple word score. However, if you make 'THEN', nothing can be added to this word, which means the triple word is blocked for the opponent as well.

Hint #9: Exchange Letters You Can't Use
There are times when you have only consonants or only vowels on your tile rack, and you are unable to make any words. At times like these the best way is to exchange one or more letters for another one, even if it is at the cost of one chance. If you try to exhaust these letters one by one, and if your opponent has all the right letters, she/he will go way ahead of you while you try to get better letters. This opportunity is permissible only twice in a game, per player. Use it wisely.

Hint #10: Use Up High Score Letters Before the Game Ends
The rule in Scrabble is that if you don't exhaust all your letters at the end of the game before your opponent does, the points of the remaining letters on your tile rack get added up to your opponent's score, and subtracted from your own score. To avoid that, use up the high score letters before the game ends. This can easily strip you off your winning position and lead to a sorry defeat.

Scrabble is a game that you can master only by playing regularly. Now there are a lot of places online where you can play Scrabble and improve your skills in this game. There are some words that are acceptable on online Scrabble, which may not be acceptable otherwise. There is also a specific list of two letter words that are allowed in Scrabble, which you can go through in order to increase your points if you can't use the letters in another way. There are different versions of Scrabble that will accept and not accept these words. Based on the predetermined rules, you can use these words in your game. Hopefully, these Scrabble hints will prove helpful, and make you an undisputed master of the game!