How to Play Scrabble

By eHow Hobbies, Games & Toys Editor

Rate: (57 Ratings)

Think you're clever? Grab up to three friends and see just how smart you really are. The idea is to form interlocking words on the board using lettered tiles.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

  • Dictionaries
  • Deluxe Scrabble
  • Hasbro Interactive Scrabble
  • Scrabble
  • Scrabble 50th Anniversary Editions
  • Scrabble Deluxe: Travel Editions
  • Scrabble Junior
  • Scrabble Junior: Curious George Editions
  • Spanish Scrabble
Step1
Agree on a dictionary to use in case of a challenge.
Step2
Put all of the lettered tiles face down in the lid of the box and shuffle them.
Step3
Draw seven tiles and place them on your rack.
Step4
Combine two or more letters to form a word on the board. Begin the word on the red star square.
Step5
Remember that diagonal words are not permitted.
Step6
Add up the total score for the word.
Step7
Draw the same number of tiles that you just played and put them on your rack.
Step8
Alternate turns making words.
Step9
Keep in mind that new words must use one of the letters already on the board.
Step10
Don't use words that are always capitalized, abbreviations, or words requiring a hyphen or apostrophe.
Step11
Win the game by achieving the highest total score after all of the tiles are used. If you have tiles left that you couldn't put on the board, you have to subtract the value of each one from your score.

Tips & Warnings

  • Each lettered tile has a number value; some squares on the board will increase the value of the letter or the entire word.
  • A blank tile can be used as any letter.

Comments

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valmarky

valmarky said

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on 7/19/2007 A Crown Royal bag works well. Step one should definitely be to buy an official Scrabble dictionary.If your friends do not have one, buy one for them.

Anonymous

Anonymous said

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on 11/22/2005 Rather than placing the tiles face down in the lid, it is much quicker and easier if you just put them all in a paper bag and everyone dips in for the required number. The bag can be passed to the next player after each turn.

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