by Susan Quilty

Created on: June 30, 2009   Last Updated: July 03, 2009

Scrabble is a game that crosses the generational gaps. Young kids can begin to practice spelling, older kids build their vocabularies, and adults further hone their word skills. And all while having fun.

Those who are new to Scrabble may be surprised to see how their skills improve over time. The more you play, the better you become. New players become more adept at picking out word options and they pick up tricks from more experienced players.

Having a large vocabulary and good spelling skills will certainly help you do well in Scrabble. However, there are some Scrabble strategies and tips that will greatly improve your chances of winning.

1. Don't be in a hurry to play a word.

Creating a word is only half of the game. Finding the best place to play that word can make the difference between winning and losing. Many common words can be rearranged to form new words. Playing the word on an open bonus square can make a huge difference in its total points. By using bonus squares, you may be able to earn more points with a smaller word than with a longer one in a different location.

2. Watch the letter distribution.

Scrabble is a game of probability. You may know how to spell many esoteric words, but that will not help you if you never get the letters you need to spell them. The letter distribution chart, printed on the side of the game board, shows how many tiles there are of each letter. Keep an eye on what tiles have already been played so you do not waste time waiting for a tile that is no longer in the bag.

3. Don't be afraid to trade in tiles.

On any turn you have the chance to trade in any or all of your letter tiles for new ones. You will not be able to play a word on that turn, but it might be worth it to set yourself up with better letter tiles. If all of the U tiles and the BLANK tiles have been played, you should probably turn in the Q tile (unless you know several words that use Q without U).

4. Learn some words that use Q without U.

Faqir, qanat, qi, and qwerty are all Scrabble-legal words that use the letter Q without a U. You can learn more words online at Scrabble.com's Q Without U word list. Remember that you will lose points for any tiles left on your rack at the end of the game.

5. Learn many two letter words.

Successful Scrabble strategies let you play words even when the board is somewhat crowded. One such strategy is to find a spot where one word may have letters that run parallel to the letters in another word. To be able to play a word in this way, new words must be formed by the letters that are side-by-side. Often these side-by-side letters can make a new two letter word.

Practice will help you become a better Scrabble player, but if you want to really have an edge, visit Scrabble.com for some more Scrabble strategies and tips.

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