Scrabble facts for kids
_-_2016.png){kind=logo} Scrabble logo used by Hasbro within U.S. and Canada from 2014 |
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| Manufacturer(s) | Mattel (outside U.S. and Canada) Hasbro (within U.S. and Canada) |
|---|---|
| Designer(s) | Alfred Mosher Butts |
| Publisher(s) | James Brunot |
| Publication date | 1938 |
| Genre(s) | Word game Board game |
| Players | 2–4 |
| Setup time | 2–6 minutes |
| Playing time | NASPA tournament game: ~50 minutes |
| Random chance | Medium (letters drawn) |
| Skill(s) required | Vocabulary, spelling, anagramming, strategy, counting, bluffing, probability |
Scrabble is a popular board game where 2 to 4 players create words using letter tiles. The game uses a special board with a 15x15 grid of squares. Players get seven letter tiles at a time. On their turn, they must place a word on the board. This new word must connect to words already played.
Contents
How to Play Scrabble
Starting the Game
Players first decide who goes first. Each player picks one letter tile from the bag. The player with the letter closest to the beginning of the alphabet starts the game.
Getting Your Tiles
Next, each player takes seven tiles from the bag without looking. Players place these tiles on a rack so only they can see their letters. After each turn, a player draws new letters. This way, they always have seven letters for their next turn.
Making Words on the Board
The first player places a word on the board. This word must use some or all of their seven letters. It must also cover the center square of the board. Then, it is the next player's turn. Their word must connect to a word already on the board.
Sometimes, you can make two or more words in one turn. This happens by touching other letters already on the board. Every word on the board must be a real word. Words can be read horizontally (left to right) or vertically (top to bottom). Proper names are not allowed, but abbreviations (short forms) can be used.
Scoring Points
Each letter tile has a point value. Common letters like A, B, and T are usually worth one point. Rare letters like Q and Z are worth 10 points. There are also two blank tiles. These can be used as any letter you choose. If you use a blank tile, you must say what letter it represents. For example, if you use a blank for 'T' in "CAT", it stays 'T' for the rest of the game.
The board also has special squares that give extra points. Some squares double (light blue) or triple (dark blue) the points for a single letter. Other squares double (light red) or triple (dark red) the points for the whole word.
Winning the Game
The main goal of Scrabble is to get as many points as possible. A long word does not always mean more points. It depends on the letters you use and the special squares you land on. It is also smart to avoid setting up the next player for a high score.
Using a Dictionary
There are special Scrabble dictionaries that list all allowed words. When playing by official rules, you cannot use a dictionary to find a word. However, if a player thinks another player's word is not real, they can "challenge" it. If challenged, players can check the word in the dictionary. If the word is not allowed, the player must take their letters back and loses their turn.
Ending the Game
The game ends when there are no more letters in the bag. It also ends when one player has used all their letters. Any letters left on other players' racks count against their score. These points are subtracted from their total.
Scrabble Around the World
Scrabble is played in many different languages. The letter values and counts change for each language. This is because some letters are more common in one language than another. For example, a common English letter might be rare in another language. Scrabble versions even exist for languages with different alphabets, like Russian.
History of Scrabble
Scrabble was created in 1938 by Alfred Mosher Butts. He was an architect. Before Scrabble, he made a similar game called Lexiko. Butts figured out the point values for each letter by counting how often letters appeared in books and newspapers. He first called his game "Criss-Crosswords." But he had trouble selling it.
In 1948, a lawyer named James Brunot bought the rights to the game. Brunot made some of the rules simpler. He also changed the name to "Scrabble." This word means "to scratch around frantically." Soon, companies worldwide bought rights to make the game. Scrabble became so popular that it even became a daytime TV show on NBC television in 1984.
Today, the name Scrabble is a trademark of Hasbro, Inc. in the US and Canada. In other countries, it is a trademark of J. W. Spear & Sons PLC.
People play Scrabble in clubs and tournaments all over the world. In serious tournaments, players have a time limit for their turns. They can lose points if they take too long to make a move. You can also play Scrabble online on various websites. There is even a version called Scrabulous on Facebook.
Images for kids
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Scrabble logo used by Hasbro since 2014
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An example of a Scrabble game in progress using Quackle, an open-source program.
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A game of Scrabble in French
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A game of magnetic Pocket Scrabble approaching its end, where players have fewer than seven tiles remaining
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A duplicate Scrabble tournament in La Bresse, France
See also
In Spanish: Scrabble para niños
