Scrabble Rules — Complete Official Guide
Whether you are a first-time player or looking to brush up on the official rules, this complete Scrabble rules guide covers everything you need to know. From setting up the board to advanced scoring, challenges, and tournament rules — this is your definitive reference for how Scrabble is played.
The Scrabble Board
A standard Scrabble board is a 15×15 grid containing 225 squares. The board contains premium squares that multiply the value of individual letters or entire words:
• Double Letter Score (DLS) — light blue squares that double the point value of the letter placed on them
• Triple Letter Score (TLS) — dark blue squares that triple the point value of the letter placed on them
• Double Word Score (DWS) — pink/red squares that double the value of the entire word
• Triple Word Score (TWS) — dark red squares in the corners and edges that triple the value of the entire word
• The center square is a Double Word Score square and is where the first word must be played
Scrabble Tiles
A standard Scrabble set contains 100 tiles: 98 letter tiles with point values based on frequency in English, and 2 blank tiles that can represent any letter but score 0 points.
High value tiles: Q and Z (10 points each), J and X (8 points each), K (5 points). Common tiles: A, E, I, O, U, L, N, S, T, R (1 point each).
How to Set Up Scrabble
1. Place the board in the center of the table
2. Each player draws 7 tiles from the bag without looking
3. Determine who goes first — traditionally the player who draws the letter closest to A goes first (blank beats A)
4. The first player must place a word covering the center star square
5. Play proceeds clockwise
How to Play Scrabble
On your turn you may do one of three things:
1. Place a word on the board — all letters in a single turn must be placed in one row or one column. The word must connect to an existing word (except the first play). All new letter combinations formed must be valid words. Calculate your score including all new words formed. Draw tiles to refill your rack to 7 tiles.
2. Exchange tiles — forfeit your turn to swap any number of tiles.
3. Pass — forfeit your turn without exchanging.
Scrabble Scoring
Your score for a turn equals the sum of the tile values in every new word formed, with premium square multiplications applied. Letter multipliers apply only on the turn the square is first covered. Word multipliers apply after letter multipliers are calculated. If a play covers multiple double/triple word squares, multiply them together.
BINGO BONUS: Using all 7 tiles in one play earns a 50-point bonus.
Challenging a Word
If you believe an opponent has played an invalid word, you may challenge it before the next player takes their turn. If the challenged word is invalid, the player must take back their tiles and lose their turn. If the word is valid, the challenging player loses their turn. In tournament play, a neutral judge or word checking device resolves challenges.
Ending the Game
The game ends when all tiles have been drawn and one player uses all their remaining tiles, or all players pass consecutively. Each player subtracts the sum of their unplayed tiles. If a player used all their tiles, they add the sum of all other players' unplayed tiles to their score. Highest score wins.