How Scrabble points are calculated — letter values, premium squares, bonuses, and strategy
By Scrabble Solva · May 9, 2026
Each letter tile in Scrabble has a point value. The value is based on how rare and difficult the letter is to use in English words. Common letters like E, A, I, and T are worth 1 point each, while rare letters like Q, Z, J, and X are worth 8-10 points. Blank tiles are worth 0 points but can represent any letter.
| Points | Letters |
|---|---|
| 0 | Blank (2 tiles) |
| 1 | A, E, I, L, N, O, R, S, T, U |
| 2 | D, G |
| 3 | B, C, M, P |
| 4 | F, H, V, W, Y |
| 5 | K |
| 8 | J, X |
| 10 | Q, Z |
A standard Scrabble set has 100 tiles. The number of tiles for each letter reflects how common it is in English. Here's the full distribution:
| Letter | Count | Value | Letter | Count | Value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 9 | 1 | N | 6 | 1 | |
| B | 2 | 3 | O | 8 | 1 | |
| C | 2 | 3 | P | 2 | 3 | |
| D | 4 | 2 | Q | 1 | 10 | |
| E | 12 | 1 | R | 6 | 1 | |
| F | 2 | 4 | S | 4 | 1 | |
| G | 3 | 2 | T | 6 | 1 | |
| H | 2 | 4 | U | 4 | 1 | |
| I | 9 | 1 | V | 2 | 4 | |
| J | 1 | 8 | W | 2 | 4 | |
| K | 1 | 5 | X | 1 | 8 | |
| L | 4 | 1 | Y | 2 | 4 | |
| M | 2 | 3 | Z | 1 | 10 | |
| Blank tiles: 2 (value: 0) | ||||||
The Scrabble board has four types of premium squares that multiply your score. These are colour-coded on a physical board:
Important rule: Premium squares only count for the first word that covers them. If a word covers multiple premium squares, calculate letter premiums first, then apply word multipliers in order (e.g., DW × TW = 6× multiplier).
Let's walk through a real scoring example. Suppose you play the word QUARTZ (worth 24 points for the letters: Q=10 + U=1 + A=1 + R=1 + T=1 + Z=10 = 24). If the Q is on a Double Letter square, the Q doubles to 20 points, making the raw word score 24 + 10 = 34. If the entire word also covers a Double Word square, the total doubles again to 68 points. And if you used all 7 tiles from your rack, you get a 50-point bingo bonus — making that play worth 118 points!
Using all seven tiles from your rack in a single turn awards a 50-point bonus. This is called a "bingo" and is one of the most powerful moves in Scrabble. Because the average Scrabble move is worth 20-30 points, a bingo effectively triples your score for that turn. Finding and playing bingos is the single biggest skill difference between intermediate and expert players. Common bingo stems to learn: SATINE, SATIRE, RETAIN, TISANE, and AILERS — each can form multiple 7-letter words with the right seventh letter.
When the game ends (when a player uses their last tile and the bag is empty), end-game scoring kicks in. The player who went out receives a bonus equal to the total value of all tiles remaining on other players' racks. Then each other player subtracts the value of their remaining tiles from their total score. This makes end-game strategy critical — as the bag empties, try to play high-value tiles early rather than getting caught with them when the game ends.
To maximise your Scrabble scoring: (1) Plan for premium squares — reaching Triple Word scores with high-value letters like Q, Z, J, or X can produce 80-100 point plays. (2) Learn parallel plays — placing a word parallel to existing words scores for every new cross-word created, often doubling your points. (3) Use the S-hook — adding S to an existing word on the board scores for both the new word and the cross-word it creates. (4) Don't waste premium squares — placing a 1-point letter like A or E on a Triple Letter square is usually a mistake. Save those squares for high-value tiles.