How to Score in Scrabble

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By WesleyJ
eHow Community Member

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Sometimes it's hard to keep score in Scrabble. Here are the official rules on scoring. May the best player win!

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Paper (or any way to record the score)
Pen
Pencil
Your scrabble game

Step 1

Keep a list of each player's score. Make sure to update after each turn. The score value of the letter is at the bottom of the tile. A blank tile has a zero value.
Step 2

The score for every turn is the sum of the letter values in the word(s) formed. Modified words are also counted on your tally. Make sure to count the points you get from premium letter squares.
Step 3

PREMIUM LETTER SQUARES are the light blue squares on the board. These squares will double the score of JUST that letter. Dark blue squares will triple the score of the letter you place on it.
Step 4

PREMIUM WORD SQUARES are pink or red. The entire word is considered into the scoring. Pink squares gives you the word score value x2. Red squares give you the word score value x3.

Remember if your word fills both a premium letter and word square letter, tally up your word score with premium letter squares first...THEN take THAT score and double it (if you've landed on pink) or triple it (if you've landed red).
Step 5

For advanced play:
If a word is formed over two premium word squares, the score is doubled and then doubled again. A simple tip is that the value should be 4 times the letter count.
If your word has landed on both a pink and a red square, the value should be 6 times the letter count.
If your word has landed on both red squares, the value should be 9 times the letter count.

NOTE: the "star" center is a pink square, which means the first word gets a double score.
Step 6

Letters and words premium squares can only be used once during the game. Other players linking words to a premium word can't get the same bonus given to the other player. Use the face value of the letter that's been placed on the special square.
Step 7

When a blank letter is placed on the premium word square, the word still gets the bonus, even though the blank letter itself has zero point value.
Step 8

Ever used all of your 7 letters in one turn?
If you have then you get an extra 50 points. So add up the word score for the turn, then tack on the extra 50 points. You deserve it!
Step 9

For Unplayed letters:
The value of the letter you don't play (the ones left on your rack) are deducted from your score.

What if you don't have anymore extra letters? Well..CONGRATULATIONS! The sum of the other players unplayed letters will be added up and given to you as a bonus.