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The letter R

The R is one of the one-point tiles, meaning it is a common letter and may be useful for making bonus words. The most obvious prefix and suffix using R are RE- and -ER. This does rather point to the main weakness of the R – it tends to need… Read More

The letter Q

Ah, we’ve reached it at last. The most difficult, frustrating letter of them all – but sometimes, if it falls right, a passport to a lovely high score. You know the only two-letter Q word – QI, with its appropriate meaning of vital energy. The only three- letter Qs are:… Read More

The letter P

A good tile to get, on a par with the M. In fact, M and P go particularly well together (except perhaps in politics), like in words containing IMP and EMP: BLIMP, WIMP, HEMP, TEMPT, etc. Two-letter words with the P are: PA father… Read More

The letter O

The O is not just the fourth vowel alphabetically, it is also the fourth-best in Scrabble, not quite as good as A or I, certainly nowhere near as good as the E, but better than the U. Having said that, it has the advantage that if you get too many… Read More

Challenge!

In this country (certainly until you get to the more high-level tournaments) you can challenge any word your opponent plays “free of charge”; if it does turn out to be a valid word, you don’t lose anything. Many players don’t make full use of this rule; they will look doubtfully… Read More

The letter N

The N, being one of the one-point tiles, clearly figures in a lot of bonus words. You can think of dozens of words beginning with EN-, IN-, CON-, UN- and other prefixes. It comes up in endings like -MAN, -MENT, -TION and -ING. But just a few words of warning… Read More

Keep on the right track

Experienced players develop the habit of tile-tracking; that is, they start the game with a grid of the hundred tiles in a corner of their scoresheet, and cross them off as they are played. Doing this, you can quickly see if there are a lot of a particular letter to… Read More

You don’t get two goes in a row

We’ve mentioned in a few of these tips that it is not a good idea to place a vowel next to a premium square, or to open up a space where your opponent can get a high-scoring bonus. But why does it matter so much? Surely, you may wonder, I… Read More

The letter M

In contrast to the L, an M is nearly always worth having. It is hugely versatile for two-letter words, including the all-consonant HM and MM (you might also put MY in this category), meaning it is often easy to slip onto a triple-letter square for twenty points or more. Read More