Official Scrabble rules, explained

The board is a 15×15 grid dotted with premium squares that boost scores. A standard set has 100 tiles: 98 printed with letters and 2 blanks. Each player keeps a rack of seven tiles hidden from opponents.

Place all tiles face-down and mix them. Each player draws one tile; the player closest to “A” goes first (blanks beat any letter). Return the tiles and each player draws seven to fill their rack.

On your turn you can do one of three things: play a word, exchange some or all of your tiles, or pass. To play a word, place tiles in a single straight line — across or down — so they form a valid word and connect to at least one word already on the board. Every new sequence of letters created in both directions must also be a valid word. The very first word of the game must cross the center square.

Add up the value of the tiles you played, apply any premium squares, and add 50 for a bingo if you used all seven tiles. The full method — and the order premiums apply in — is covered in how Scrabble scoring works, and you can total any play with the score calculator.

A blank can represent any letter. Once played, it stays that letter for the rest of the game. Blanks are worth 0 points, but they’re invaluable for completing high-scoring words or reaching premium squares.

Instead of playing, you may swap any number of tiles back into the bag (as long as at least seven tiles remain) and draw the same number, scoring nothing that turn. You can also pass. If all players pass twice in a row, the game ends.

If you think an opponent’s word isn’t real, you can challenge it before the next turn. The word is checked against the agreed dictionary. Invalid words are removed and that turn is forfeited; the penalty for an incorrect challenge depends on the format you’re playing.

The game ends when all tiles are drawn and one player empties their rack, or when no more plays are possible. Each player subtracts the total value of the tiles left on their rack from their score. If a player used all their tiles, the sum of everyone else’s leftover tiles is added to that player’s score. Highest total wins.

North American play generally uses the NASPA Word List (NWL); much of the rest of the world uses Collins Scrabble Words (CSW). This site validates words against the NWL. You can check any word on its word score page.