Scrabble Letter Values

Every letter, what it is worth

The two columns matter equally. A letter's value tells you what it scores; how many of them are in the bag tells you how likely you are to see another one, which is what decides whether to hold a tile or spend it. There is one Q and one Z. If you are holding either, no one else is.

The same thing, grouped by value

Worth learning in this shape rather than alphabetically, because it is how a rack reads at a glance. Ten one-point letters do most of the work in most games; the five expensive ones are the difference between a good turn and a great one.

1 point

aeilnorstuA, E, I, L, N, O, R, S, T, U

2 points

dgD, G

3 points

bcmpB, C, M, P

4 points

fhvwyF, H, V, W, Y

5 points

kK

8 points

jxJ, X

10 points

qzQ, Z

What the numbers mean in play

Twelve of the hundred tiles are E, and nine each are A and I. That is why a rack fills with vowels and why knowing the short vowel dumps matters more than knowing long words. There are four S tiles and two blanks, six tiles in the whole bag that can extend an existing word or complete a seven-tile play, and they are worth holding for a turn or two rather than spending on nine points.

At the other end, the Q, Z, J, X and K make up thirty-six of the 187 points in the bag across five tiles. A blank is worth nothing on its own and can be worth thirty, since it is what turns six useful letters into a seven-tile play and the fifty-point bonus that comes with it.