Scrabble is a classic game that just about everyone has played at some point in their life, and that’s because it’s fun! Not only do you get the chance to challenge your vocabulary, but you also get to sharpen your critical thinking skills as you try to find the best ways to use your letters to score points. Of course, if you really want to have fun and win, then you need to know how to get the most out of your board game time. Here are 7 ways to help you ace your next game of Scrabble.
1. – Don’t Rush
One of the most common mistakes people make when playing Scrabble is spending all of their tiles at once. However, there are plenty of ways to keep track of tiles and strategies to maximize them, this one is a simple example. There’s an upper limit to how many times you should use the same letter; after all, with too many vowels left and too few consonants, you could get a bad result by just pressing the corresponding key and hoping for the best. For example, you could form SARAN or CARAT. Though it won’t be useful to get points, you might block the columns that other players need in order to win. Other strategies to keep in mind include noting what letter each player has used so far and then using those letters in new words to spell.
2. – Learn Letter Frequency
When you’re trying to improve your game, you can use the frequency of letters in English to your advantage. Some letters are more common than others, so knowing this will give you a competitive advantage. English has 26 letters, but ‘E’ is the most frequently used letter, with 13% of all words ending in ‘E’. ‘T’ has a frequency of 9%. In fact, two of them (I and O) only appear 5% of the time, while one letter (Q) is used 2%.
3. – Learn Q words
Scrabble’s success depends heavily on learning how to play Q words, especially if they don’t contain the letter U (as they are rare). For instance, the letter Q is the least used letter in English, so it’s difficult to find words that contain it. By learning to play scrabble with the least used letter, you will be able to improve your skills.
A great way to learn Q words is to use a tool that unscrambles words. Enter the letters you have, including Q, and it will give words that contain the letter Q. You can also find lists of words that start with Q as well.
4. – Find a Digraph
A digraph in the English language is a group of two successive letters that represents a single sound or phoneme. English has many digraphs to work with. DI, EA, OI, SH, and TH are the most commonly used digraphs.
Some examples:
AI – gain, drain, vain, lair, rain
EA – dream, cheat, stream, fear, break
OI – adroit, joint, lion, moist, disjoin
SH – shed, shock, shelf, shop, shoulder
TH – thin, thumb, throw, third,
5. – Use Your S’s Wisely
The letter S is really versatile and really handy, many people might say it is the most important letter in the game. By adding an S after any word it automatically turns it into its plural form. If you do this, you will be able to earn points off your opponents’ high-scoring letters, as well as your own high-scoring letters. Reserve your S tiles and use them when you have the perfect opportunity.
6. – Look for Triple Word Scores
Some words are worth more than one point, and these are called triple-word scores. Here’s how they work: two words in a row add up to 10 or more points if they form a word. For example, the word ambulance is worth 12 points because it’s made up of two words that total 10 points each. It’s important to remember that all words must be at least four letters long for this rule to apply. If you’re not feeling confident about your vocabulary skills, we recommend checking out Merriam-Webster or Dictionary.com to level up! Take advantage of this scoring opportunity by looking for any combo words you know will meet the criteria.
7. – Play Against Better Players
One way you can improve your game is by playing against experts. There are many ways that you can find an expert to play against, but one of the easiest ways is by visiting Words With Friends. Not only will this give you an opportunity to play against some tough competition, but it will also give you the opportunity to learn new words and strategies that professional players use in competitions. It may be difficult to find other people who share your level of expertise when it comes to playing Scrabble, so if you don’t have any friends or family members who would be willing to play against you on a regular basis then consider finding someone on the Internet who shares your skill level. In fact, there are even chat rooms dedicated specifically to competitive scrabblers!
Don’t Forget to Have Fun
Although it might sound simple, this is really the best advice. Playing scrabble should be fun, not taken too seriously. The point of the game is that if you are enjoying it, your opponent is likely enjoying it too, and the game will be more enjoyable for both players. It’s ok to go ahead, and take risks! Sometimes you gotta Go Big or No Word!