Scrabble is one of those games that seem easy at first glance. It’s only when you sit down to play that the challenges become clear. Nonetheless, the game truly sharpens your mind and vocabulary. The basic premise of the game is forming words with the letter tiles provided on the Scrabble board.
This may sound very simple. But even the biggest bookworms with a huge vocabulary often find themselves disappointed with their scores. If you’re a newbie trying hard to improve at the game, this article is just what you need. Keep reading to learn about 6 intelligent Scrabble tips for beginners that’ll help you get ahead of others.
1. Learn the Most Popular 5-Letter, 6-Letter, and 7-Letter Words
The most popular words in the English language have the letters L, A, R, S, E, I, and T. So, to win at Scrabble as a beginner, you can memorize words 5, 6, and 7-letter words with these letters. It is a good idea to have a few of these alphabets on your deck to create words easily. 7-letter words are critical to getting a good score in Scrabble. It’s because if you can play one, you can grab the coveted 50-point bonus.
An easy way to form 7-letter words is by changing the tense of a word in your rack. For additional help, check out all words on this page made by converting 3, 4, and 5-letter words into 7-letter words. These words have been formed by either doubling the last consonant or adding ‘-ING’ besides altering the existing tense of the word. You’ll also find several 7-letter words starting with popular words, such as S, A, and E here.
2. Focus on Learning the 2-letter Word
Scrabble has 107 2-letter words. Out of them, 67 contain letters like E, I, or O. If you learn them, you dramatically boost your chances of winning the game. This is one of the most effective Scrabble tips for beginners because of a simple reason.
In daily life, you use 35 2-letter words. So, if you just focus on memorizing the remaining 72 2-letter words, the task of winning will become easy. Start with 2-letter words with letters like xu, za, ax, jo, ex, and qi. Keep practicing by listing these letters to anyone in your home, like your mother or sibling.
3. Get Rid of Q Right Away
The letter Q is quite tricky. To use it, you need to discover an available U. Q is also a very rarely used letter, which makes using it tough. One of the basic Scrabble tips for beginners on getting Q is to get rid of it right away.
Although there are exceptions to this tip, those are very specific. If you don’t play the letter off right away, you will suffer a loss of points or potential for that turn. This will prevent you from optimizing your score for three turns. If you play off Q immediately, your score will go down only for one turn. But in all other turns, you’ll have the ability to pick better plays.
BONUS TIP – If you are saving Q letter because you don’t have U, learn words that have Q but not U. It will prevent you from the difficult task of saving Q until the end. The Scrabble dictionary contains over 33 words that have Q but not U. Moreover, Q will award you with a 10-point letter jackpot. So, learning words with Q and not U will benefit you.
4. Use the Tiles Wisely
When beginning Scrabble, your aim should be to reach high-value tiles with a good word. Aim for a four or five-letter word. Such words can accommodate your center tile. This is essential because the better you cover the center tile, the quicker you will reach the bonus squares.
Also, don’t make the mistake of beginning with a vertical word. Start off horizontally and then expand as much as possible. This lets you acquire several bonus tiles. At the same time, you will also minimize the bonus tiles that your opponent can access.
5. Play Bingos
If you want to achieve a good score in Scrabble, play Bingos. Bingo is a term used for play. When you play bingo, you put seven on the board in a single go. If you do this, you will get a 50-point bonus. Experts usually regard playing bingo as one of the most effective Scrabble tips for beginners.
MUZJIKS is the highest-scoring 7-letter bingo. QUIZZIFY is the highest-scoring 8-letter bingo. In Collins Scrabble Words, this word is kept on two 3-word squares with the Z on a double-letter square. In the Naspa Word List, QUINZHEE is the highest-scoring 8-letter bingo. It does not have any blanks.
6. Know That Longer Words Will Help Only at the Beginning
Scrabble is a test of your vocabulary. So, players assume that if they know highly complex and longer words, it will increase their winning chances. Learning complex words is a good thing. But don’t consider it as your ticket to win the game.
You need more short words at the end of the game if you have less space left. Only short 2 or 3-letter words will help you win the game. Longer words will only come to your aid at the beginning of the match. This is because during this time, you have more space. As the game proceeds, you will require shorter words. Also, knowing several words that can be created from the same tiles will increase your winning chances.
Final Thoughts
These were some of the best Scrabble tips for beginners. If you are learning to play this wonderful word game, implementing it will help you raise your score. Scrabble can turn challenging quickly. But when you know the right game strategies, beating your opponents becomes a lot easier.
