You can enhance your word game or Scrabble score if you include a few simple strategies in your game play. Although every player has their unique style, there are some basic principles most word game enthusiasts consider key to maximizing your score. In this post, we provide simple tips to improve your word games score.
Use Small Words to Your Advantage
Bigger is not always better. You can earn a big score by using two-letter words. Aa, oe, ut, jo, ka, ki, xi, xu, and za are a few examples of simple words that boost your score substantially if you use them to make multiple words in one turn. Once you’ve mastered using two-letter words to your advantage, work on memorizing three-letter words such as bez, coz, pez, pyx, and zek.
Interestingly, you can also create new words using a short prefix like “anti” at the beginning of the word, or a suffix, such as “ing” at the word’s end.
Use High-Value Titles
Use your unique letters like Q, X, K, and Z whenever possible during the game to earn points and avoid penalties if you lose. If you found it challenging to use a Q, then try these official Q-without-U words: qabala, qabalah, qadi, qat, qaid, qi, qoph, faqir, mbaqanga, qanat, tranq, qindar, qintar, qwerty, sheqel, qindarka, and sheqalm.
It would also be great if you use hook letters to add to an existing word to make a completely new one. For instance, you can turn “host” into “ghost” or “layer” into “players.” The Y, E, R, and D tiles can also create several different hook words.
Don’t Waste the S
There are only four S tiles in Scrabble, and the chance to make a word plural is also highly coveted. Hasbro, the game creator, recommends keeping the S until you increase your score by at least eight points. Ideally, it would help if you held your S until you have a bingo, which gives you a 50-point bonus for using all seven tiles in your position in a single word.