

At that point, they lose and the player with the lowest score wins bragging rights and Word Nerd glory until a new game begins. Rounds continue until someone reaches an agreed upon high score. For example, if a player has B, H and C remaining, it is a score of 10 ( 3+4+3.)

The sum of each player’s remaining tiles becomes their score for that round, low scores being best. Once all tiles have been scooped up from the center, the player to finish their crossword first wins! ( Pending a word check, of course.) The game can either end here or, for the very brave, score is taken. As long as a tile pile remains in the center of the table, the dreaded command forces everyone to reach in and pull out a new letter ( Please don’t be a Q! Oh no, a Z!) and rework their puzzles to accommodate the annoying additions. The game picks up speed and shouts of “Tile! Tile!” fill the air as players race against one another to finish their board first.
#Scrabble rules how to
Here’s the rub: Even if a player has not completed their crossword, upon hearing “Tile!” they must take a new tile and somehow incorporate it into their existing crossword. Puzzles are not set in stone and tiles can be moved however needed as the game progresses.įor example, in the picture on the right, this poor unfortunate soul must now figure out how to incorporate an “R” into their crossword. Once a player has successfully used all seven tiles in a complete crossword, they yell “Tile,” which means that they, and everyone else playing, must now reach back into the pile ( still no peeking!) and pull out one more letter.

Regular rules apply: horizontal or vertical only, different words cannot touch, no proper nouns, etc. On the starting command ( Go! Start! Scrabble!) players turn over their tiles and begin to build an individual crossword puzzle using only their seven starting tiles. Each player chooses seven tiles ( no peeking!) and leaves the remaining tile pile in the center of the table. Wan’t to give it a try? Speed Scrabble Rulesĭump all Scrabble tiles face down on the table and toss the board to the side. (Oh, well, opposites attract, and all that…) It has been a Henry favorite ever since…except for my husband, The Accountant, who hates it. She taught my family how to play one summer night around a table filled with salty snacks and melting ice cream. I was first introduced to this high-stakes vocabulary adventure by my college roommate Kathryn, who also happens to be one of the most talented writers I know. It has all the fun (yes, fun) of creating challenging crossword puzzles, but nixes the traditional game board approach in favor of a competitive race to the finish. Speed Scrabble is a fast paced twist on the original classic. At night, board games around the table are a must.
#Scrabble rules free
The welcomed batch of free time opens up worlds of possibilities in the literary department. I am able to spend the dog days indulgently making my way through the list of books I’ve had my eye on throughout the busy school year. Summer means visiting family and friends, traveling to familiar retreats and, of course, unleashing my inner Word Nerd.

Each June, no matter my age, I eagerly swap my sensible shoes for flip flops and silence my alarm clock for good. I’m the first to admit that one of the best perks of my career in education is the summer vacation I am lucky enough to enjoy year after year. Isn’t summer just glorious? Lazy, hazy days filled with sunshine, ice-cold Arnold Palmers and, if you’re lucky, some salty air and a good beach read.
