Scrabble Rules and Board Basics
A clear, practical summary of how a game of Scrabble works, for Australian players.
Scrabble is simple to learn and hard to master. This guide covers the essentials: what is in the box, how a turn works, how scoring and the 50-point bonus operate, and how challenges are handled. It is written for players in Australia, where tournament play uses Collins Scrabble Words.
The equipment
- The board: a 15×15 grid of 225 squares. It has 61 premium squares: 8 triple word, 17 double word, 12 triple letter and 24 double letter.
- The tiles: 100 in total, made up of 98 letter tiles worth between 1 and 10 points, and 2 blank tiles worth nothing. See our tile values and distribution guide.
- The racks: each player holds up to seven tiles at a time.
- The dictionary: in Australian tournaments, Collins Scrabble Words. Scrabble Australia currently uses CSW24.
How a game starts
Each player draws seven tiles. The first player forms a word of two or more letters across or down so that one tile covers the centre star square. The centre square counts as a double word square, so the first word is worth double.
What you can do on a turn
- Play a word. Place tiles in a single row or column so they form one complete word. After the first move, every new word must connect to tiles already on the board. Any new word formed by the tiles you place, including those at right angles to your main word, must be valid.
- Exchange tiles. Put back some or all of your tiles and draw new ones, giving up your turn. In most rule sets this is allowed only while enough tiles remain in the bag.
- Pass. Skip your turn and score nothing.
After playing, you draw new tiles from the bag to return to seven.
How scoring works
- Add up the tile values of every word you form, including the words that cross your main word.
- A double or triple letter square multiplies only the tile placed on it. A double or triple word square multiplies the whole word. If a word covers two word squares, the multipliers combine.
- Premium squares count only on the turn when a tile is first placed on them.
- A blank tile scores zero even when it lands on a letter or word square, although a word square still multiplies the word.
- Using all seven tiles in one turn earns a 50-point bonus. Our bingo guide explains how to find these plays.
Example: playing ZA with Z on a double letter square scores (10 × 2) + 1 = 21 points, and playing it as a parallel play alongside another word can add more.
How the game ends
The game ends when one player uses all their tiles after the bag is empty, or when every player passes several turns in a row without scoring. When a player goes out, they add the total value of the tiles left on their opponents' racks to their score, and each opponent subtracts the value of their own unplayed tiles.
Challenges
If you think an opponent has played an invalid word, you may challenge it. If the word is invalid, it comes off the board and the opponent loses their turn. What happens when a challenge fails depends on the rules in use. The Scrabble challenge rules vary between events: the 5-point challenge, where a challenger whose challenge fails loses 5 points, is the most common method in international events including the World Championship, while a double challenge (a wrong challenger loses their turn) is most common in North America. Always check the rules of the event or club before you play.
Which words are allowed?
Proper nouns, abbreviations, and words that need an apostrophe or hyphen are not allowed. The word must appear in the agreed dictionary. In Australia that is Collins Scrabble Words; a list built on a different dictionary can give different answers, as we explain in our Collins vs NWL comparison. Short words are worth learning first: our two-letter word guide is the best place to start.
Playing at home versus in a club
At home, families often agree on a set of house rules, such as allowing a dictionary lookup or skipping the challenge system. Clubs and tournaments use fixed rules and a timer. If you are curious about club play, Scrabble Australia lists its clubs and events on its website.