How to Dominate the Scrabble Game and Impress Your Opponent(s)

Although Scrabble is a fun and simple game, it requires focus, attention to detail, and strategy. It’s not about forming just any words with the tiles you get; it is about seizing every opportunity to come up with the highest-scoring words. Scrabble players don’t see it as a mere board game; it is more of a mathematical challenge with statistical probabilities.

To master this game, you must have a thorough understanding of the whole board along with your tiles. Your goal is not only forming winning words, but it is also fixated on blocking your opponent’s moves. If your ambition is to dominate this game, take a closer look at the awesome strategies below.

Add Prefixes and Suffixes

You can easily earn points by adding a prefix or a suffix to an already existing word without forming a new one. Familiarize yourself with words that can have prefixes and suffixes to piggyback your opponent’s score and boost yours. For example, if the other player formed the word “jump,” adding “er” transforms it to “jumper.” You will rack up the points in your favor using this strategy. When you don’t have other moves, add endings like “ly, and ed” or beginnings like “un, dis, and re.”

Use Two-Letter Words

You want to seize every opportunity to form as many words as you can with only seven tiles, so the best thing to do is to go for two-letter words to increase your score. When used correctly, small words will earn you a lot of points. You can create words from letters you never expect to be put together. Did you know that “ax, ex, ef, and fa” are actual words that can maximize your score? Memorize a few two-letter words to help you in your game using a Scrabble dictionary or an online word finder.

Don’t Underestimate the “S”

Letter “s” is so powerful. That’s why there are only four “s” tiles in the game, so you want to be careful when to use them. Make sure you use the “s” tile wisely to earn the highest score. The best way to play the “s” is to build it off another word in the same turn and gain points from both words. Add the “s” to your opponent’s word and form a hook. It will gain you points from not only your new word but also the other player’s word as well. [There are a number of tools available, like Unscrambled Words, that can help you unscramble letters from words. If you enter the letters you have, it will provide you with the words you can make from those letters. These tools also provide a list of strategic words you can use to help advance a Scrabble game. Over time, using these unscrambling tools will improve your vocabulary and confidence to be a better scrabble player.]

Search for Hooks

It is not necessary to have the “s” tile to create a hook. It can be formed by adding a letter to an existing word to transform its meaning entirely. When your opponent forms the word “host,” add the letter “g” to make it “ghost.” You can also turn “deal” into “ideal” by adding the letter “i.” Keeping an eye on words like these, will easily boost your score and win the game. A pro tip that will make you earn lots of points is using letters like “q, z, and j” sooner than later as each letter gets you 10 points.

Find a Bingo

Form a seven-letter word using all your tiles to get a bingo and earn 50 points. Even if you never won spelling-bee competitions at school, you can still be a Scrabble champ. Pay close attention to the tiles you have and familiarize yourself with the Scrabble dictionary to use all your seven tiles in one turn.

Bingos are considered a shortcut to winning a Scrabble match, yet they cannot be relied upon as it depends on having the right combination of letters. With a couple of bingos, you can easily slaughter your opponent’s score and quickly win the match.

Focus on The Hot Spots

Playing on the bonus squares is one of the most guaranteed ways to dominate the game. You need to have a thorough look at the board before laying a single tile to identify the bonus areas. Make a few defensive moves and ensure that you don’t expose triple-letter or double-word squares to your opponent. When you have a word that hits on two double-word tiles, you get four times the score instead of just double. How cool is that?!

Scrabble will remain a classic favorite that requires knowledge, vocabulary, and strategy to master. When you work on improving your skills, the game becomes more enjoyable and fun. Keep all these tips in mind and remember to learn new words every day from the Scrabble dictionary to expand your vocabulary and up your game. Make sure you nail the tricks above and your opponents won’t know what hit them on your next Scrabble game!