Scrabble Hints

Use the Board Wisely

• In Scrabble, you do not receive points for creativity. Take advantage of the word and letter bonus spaces on the board. The length of the word does not matter as much as the value of the words placed.

Plan Ahead

• Get the most out of waiting for your next turn. Instead of daydreaming, plan ahead. Look for opportunities where you can place potential words and have a back-up plan in case the word you were looking to place on your turn does not pan out. Also, while waiting, shuffle the letters on your rack. By juggling the letters around, you may find new words that you did not see before.

Seize Opportunities

• Look for opportunities. Try to create a new word by adding one letter to a word that is already on the grid. By doing so, you receive credit for both the word you put down and the additional word you made by adding on to the existing one. Seize opportunities to earn points for multiple words.

Exchanging Letters

• Do not be afraid to trade in letters. If you have all vowels or all consonants in your rack, it will be hard to make words. Do not be stubborn. It is better to lose a turn by trading in letters than to be stuck with letters that will do you no good.

Leave Yourself an Out

• Near the end of the game when the tiles are almost gone, make sure you use up your highest-point letters. You do not want to be stuck with large amount of points that will be deducted from your score at the end of the contest.