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How to Make Words out of Letters Drawn for Scrabble

Scrabble can be incredibly fun to play, especially if the players are well-matched in their language skills. You can improve your Scrabble game by playing a lot and by studying the dictionary for unusual words. Of course, the point of the game is to score as many points as possible, but sometimes you should strategically play a lower-point word so you can play a higher-point word---or a bingo---later in the game. Aim for the premium squares and have fun.

Things You'll Need

Scrabble board game
Dictionary

Instructions

- 1
  Arrange the letters in your rack to form complete or nearly complete words as soon as you draw them. This helps you visualize how you'll play those words on the board, and helps you form longer words for more points.
- 2
  Save the letter U even if you haven't drawn the Q yet. You'll have it available if you should draw the Q, and you'll keep it out of your opponent's hands.
- 3
  Use the S to make plurals of words already played, especially if you have a complete word on your rack that could be a plural.
- 4
  Keep the I, N and G together to make longer words. Likewise, E and D can be added to words already played to score points without using a lot of letters from your rack. E and R, L and Y, and U and N are other combinations to watch for.
- 5
  Use the V, J, Q, Z and X as soon as possible after drawing them. You don't want to be stuck with high-point letters at the end of the game. The E is very handy to have when playing these difficult letters, so try to reserve an E in case you draw them.
- 6
  Familiarize yourself with a bunch of two-letter and three-letter words from the dictionary. These small words allow you to play long words from your rack by combining with words already played.
- 7
  Play words that can be made into new words with the addition of one letter. For instance, LAZE can be turned into GLAZE; AX can be turned into TAX, LAX, FLAX, etc.; VOID can be turned into AVOID, and so on.
- 8
  Play long words that open up the board rather than stacking letters. This keeps the game moving faster and makes it more fun.

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