Which Scrabble Letter is Worth the Most

In this article, we will detail exactly how many points each Scrabble letter is worth, from the highest-scoring to lowest-scoring tiles. As well as some easy ways to score words.

In this article

• Scrabble letter tiles
• Highest-scoring letter tiles
• Lowest-scoring letter tiles
• Each Scrabble letter points
• Blank tile points
• Scoring Scrabble words
• Summary

Scrabble letter tiles

Scrabble letter tiles are small square tiles, each with an associated letter. Depending on the letter, the points value of the tile will differ. Each tile has its point value printed on it in the bottom right corner.

These point values range from 10 points for high-scoring letters to 1 for lower-scoring letters. As the aim of Scrabble is to score the most points to beat opponents, players need to have a good understanding of each tile’s value.

Highest-scoring letter tiles

The two Scrabble letters which are worth the most points are the “Q” and “Z” letter tiles. Each of these tiles is worth a total of 10 points.

The Q and Z tiles are often tricky to use, but can be very rewarding at the same time. It is recommended that players memorize some easy-to-play words for each of these letters. We have written an article to help you get started for each: Scrabble words with a Q and Scrabble words with a Z.

Lowest-scoring letter tiles

The lowest-scoring letters in Scrabble are only worth 1 point each. There are a total of ten letters in this score bracket, being: A, E, I, O, U, L, N, S, T, and R.

Lower-scoring letters include all vowels and some common letters found in English words. Generally speaking, the value of a tile aligns with how frequently the letter appears in words from the dictionary. Hence, more frequent letters are worth less points than more frequent ones.

Each Scrabble letter points

A full breakdown of the points value of all letters in Scrabble is detailed below. In total, this sums up to 187 points across all 100 tiles available at the start of a game.

• 10 points – Q and Z are the two highest-scoring tiles worth 10 points each
• 8 points – J and X are the two second-highest scoring tiles worth 8 points each
• 5 points – K is the only tile worth 5 points
• 4 points – F, H, V, W, and Y are all worth 4 points each
• 3 points – B, C, M, and P are all worth 3 points each
• 2 points – D and G are the only two tiles worth 2 points each
• 1 point – A, E, I, O, U, L, N, S, T, and R are all the lowest-scoring tiles worth 1 point each

Blank tile points

One tile that we have not discussed so far is the blank tile, as the blank tile has a special set of rules. The point value of the blank tile is 0 points regardless of what tile it is used as.

One common misunderstanding that Scrabble players regularly have with the blank tile is whether it inherits points or not. Players sometimes score the blank tile as the tile they substitute it for. For example, if the blank is played as a Q, players score the blank as 10 points. Unfortunately, this is not correct as the blank always remains 0 points regardless of the letter it is played as.

This may leave you wondering, what is the benefit of the blank? The biggest advantage the blank tiles brings is flexibility. As it can be substituted for any other letter, it is great for getting out of difficult situations and crafting 7-letter bingo words for an additional 50 bonus points.

Scoring Scrabble words

The method for scoring Scrabble words is relatively straightforward. You simply add up the point value of each letter to get a total score for the word. Additionally, any board multipliers you’ve scored will need to be added on, such as double or triple squares.

If you are not a fan of maths, using a dictionary word checker can be advantageous here. In addition to checking a word’s validity, it can give you a breakdown of a word’s score by letter.

Summary

Now you know exactly how many points each letter tile in Scrabble is worth, you’ll be an expert at scoring in your next game! Happy playing everybody.