Scrabble Tile Values & Letter Distribution

This is the complete reference for Scrabble and Words With Friends tile distributions. Every letter, its point value in both games, how many tiles of that letter exist in a standard set, and practical notes on how to handle each one. Bookmark it — it comes up more than you expect.

The tile values were set by Alfred Butts in the 1930s based on letter frequency in English-language newspapers. Common letters are worth 1 point and appear in large numbers; rare letters are worth more and appear in small numbers. Words With Friends uses a slightly different distribution designed for mobile play — the differences are noted throughout.

Complete Tile Reference Table

All values are for standard North American Scrabble (TWL) and Words With Friends. Points marked with * differ between the two games.

Total tiles: 100 in Scrabble (98 letters + 2 blanks). Words With Friends uses 104 tiles.

The High-Value Tiles: Strategy Notes

Q — 10 points

The Q tile intimidates players who do not know the Q-without-U word list. In competitive play, QI (a variant spelling of chi, the life force in Chinese philosophy) is the most important word to know — it plays on almost any board. QOPH (a Hebrew letter), QANAT (an irrigation system), QIGONG, and QOPH are also valid in TWL. If you do have a U available, QUA, QUAY, QUELL, QUEEN, and QUIZ are reliable options. Never hold the Q hoping for a U that may not come — play it at the first reasonable opportunity.

Z — 10 points

ZA is the single most useful Z play to know. It is short for pizza, accepted in all major word game dictionaries, and plays almost anywhere there is an A. Beyond ZA, ZOEAE, ZOEAE, ZAX (a tool for cutting roofing slates), ZOEAE are worth knowing. ZIT, ZIP, ZAP, ZEN, and ZAG all play well in tight spots. The Z is more flexible than most players realise — do not sit on it.

X — 8 points

The X is arguably the most powerful high-value tile because it scores in two directions simultaneously. AX, EX, OX can all play horizontally while simultaneously making XI, XU, or another word vertically. This double-scoring potential makes the X worth more than its face value in practice. XI (the Greek letter), XU (a Vietnamese monetary unit), and OX are the key two-letter plays to know. Unlike Q and Z, the X rarely requires a specific board situation — it just fits.

J — 8 points (Scrabble) / 10 points (WWF)

The J is worth more in Words With Friends, which rewards it more generously. JO (a sweetheart, in Scottish) is the key two-letter play. JIN (a variant of djinn), JAB, JAG, JAM, JAR, JAW, JAY, JEE, JET, JEU, JEW, JIB, JIG are all solid options. JO playing off an existing O on the board is often worth 20+ points. In WWF specifically, the J's 10-point value makes it one of the best tiles to hold when a premium square is coming up.

K — 5 points

KI (the Japanese term for life energy) and KA (the spiritual double in ancient Egyptian belief) are the critical two-letter plays. KA is particularly useful because it puts a high-value tile next to any A on the board. KAPH, KHAN, and KHAT are solid longer plays. The K is generally less troublesome than Q, Z, or J because it pairs naturally with common letters.

The Blank Tile

The blank tile is worth 0 points but is the most strategically valuable tile in the set. It substitutes for any letter, which means it enables bingos (seven-tile plays worth 50 bonus points) that would otherwise be impossible. The conventional wisdom is to hold the blank until you can use it in a bingo or a play worth at least 30–40 points. Using a blank to score 12 points is almost always a waste — you are essentially giving up 50 potential bonus points for a marginal immediate gain.

In Words With Friends, the same logic applies. The blank's power is in enabling high-scoring plays that your rack would not otherwise support. Patience with the blank is one of the clearest differences between intermediate and advanced players.

Managing Vowel-Heavy Racks

A rack with four or more vowels is one of the most common problems in Scrabble and Words With Friends. The key is to dump vowels aggressively rather than waiting for consonants to appear. Words that use multiple vowels efficiently include: AUDIO (5 vowels in 5 letters), ADIEU (4 vowels), OURIE (4 vowels, a Scottish word meaning chilly), LOOIE (4 vowels), LOUIE, OAVES, AERIE, ALIVE, and OAKEN. Playing any of these uses multiple vowels and restores your rack to a more balanced state.

If no good play exists, exchanging tiles is almost always better than playing a weak word just to avoid passing. Passing is a legitimate option in Scrabble (and costs you a turn but no penalty) — using it more freely is something most casual players are too reluctant to do.

Managing Consonant-Heavy Racks

Too many consonants is less common than too many vowels but equally punishing. Key two-letter words that use consonants with minimal vowels include: MM (yes, valid in some dictionaries), BRR (without a vowel), CRWTH (a Welsh bowed instrument — all consonants except for the implicit W serving as a vowel), and PSST. More practically, words like GLYPH, CRYPT, TRYST, SHTICK, and MYTHS help clear consonant-heavy racks quickly.

The Two-Letter Word List: Why It Matters

There are 107 valid two-letter words in the Official Scrabble Players Dictionary (OSPD). Knowing them is not about memorising obscure vocabulary — it is about being able to play a tile almost anywhere on the board by hooking onto existing letters. Every additional two-letter word you know is an additional parallel play you can make, which directly translates to more points per turn.

The most useful two-letter words to learn first, grouped by what they enable:

• Vowel pairs: AA (type of lava), AI (a three-toed sloth), OE (a Faeroe Islands whirlwind)
• High-value tile plays: QI, ZA, XI, XU, JO, KA, KI
• Common short plays: EM, EN, ER, ET, EX, ED, EL, ES, ER
• Less obvious but valid: OD, OP, AW, OW, EW, UH, UM, UN

Scrabble vs Words With Friends: Tile Differences That Matter

The two games feel similar but the tile distributions create different strategic situations. Key differences:

• J is worth 10 in WWF vs 8 in Scrabble — hold it slightly longer in WWF when a premium square is accessible
• H is worth 3 in WWF vs 4 in Scrabble — slightly less valuable in WWF, play it faster
• Y is worth 3 in WWF vs 4 in Scrabble — again, play faster in WWF
• WWF has 104 tiles vs Scrabble's 100 — slightly more tiles means slightly longer games and a marginally higher chance of drawing the tiles you need
• WWF board layout differs — premium squares are in different positions, which changes which tiles are worth holding for specific setups

Using Scramblfix With This Reference

The tile reference and the unscrambler work best together. When you have a high-value tile like Q, Z, or X on your rack, use the Scramblfix unscrambler to find every valid word those tiles can make with your remaining letters — sorted by point value. The Scrabble scoring shown in results already accounts for each letter's individual tile value, so the highest-scoring word shown is always the one to look at first.

For blank tiles, enter ? in the input to represent the blank. The engine will find all valid words your rack can make treating ? as any letter, which often surfaces bingo opportunities you would not have spotted manually.