Scrabble is one of those games that is a ton of fun, extremely competitive, but is also a great learning tool. However, because it is a word game, a great way to get ahead in the game is by being able to formulate big words using up as many tiles as possible to gain more points. But in order to do this, you need to increase your word knowledge as well as your vocabulary to be able to decode as many words as possible from the tiles to figure out the ones that will get you the highest score.
To help you get prepared, here’s a clever way to practice scrabble:
Practice Makes Perfect
Whether you choose to practice by playing regularly and being introduced to more tiles, making more words and seeing other words that your opponents are making, or choosing to practice on your own and trying to form as many words as possible, practice makes perfect. One helpful tool that will really aid your brain into thinking fast on its feet in the future is using an unscramble tool to show you all the possible variations that could be made from the tiles in your hand. This will help you practice not only forming words, but also introduce you to more words that you didn’t think of before.
Here’s how it could be done:
● Draw 7 tiles from your scrabble set
In order to get accustomed to different possible scenarios, it is best to pick random tiles that you could actually find yourself facing in a normal scrabble game. That way, you’ll be able to generate as many words as possible and be able to calculate the best score scenario using the score indicator on the letter tiles.
● Insert the tiles into an unscrambler
After trying to formulate as many words as possible on your own and having your brain try to generate the longest words with the most points, you could insert the letters on the tiles into an unscrambler to produce all of the possible outcomes available for those 7 tiles. Not only will it provide you with the longest word possible or the highest scoring word, but it will also tell you if there’s a possibility to form a word using all seven tiles and get the extra 50 bonus points for using all tiles in one round.
● Get familiar with the different words
The more you practice, the more words you’ll be able to store in your mind and be able to use to your advantage when playing with an opponent. Seeing all of the word combinations that were formed will not only increase your word knowledge but will also improve your vocabulary as you come across new words that you were previously unfamiliar with.
● Memorize words using difficult letters
Some of the highest-scoring letter tiles are usually quite difficult to use. Letters like Q, Z and X are very uncommon in words, and even J and K. That’s why you’ll find that these letters usually have a higher score count beside them. Using an unscrambler will show you the words that could be formed using these difficult letters and even introduce you to words starting with the letter Q without having to use the letter U. These rarest words are ones that you should get familiar with and memorize to be able to use them while playing with other opponents, ensuring that you get a high score. Don’t forget to have a dictionary nearby to also look up the meaning of the words to help them stick better in your memory.
● Learn as many two and three-letter words as possible
In some cases, you’ll find that the winning player managed to beat everyone else because of their knowledge of quite a lot of two and three-letter words. When playing Scrabble, it’s not always about making the longest, highest scoring word, but sometimes, it’s about utilizing the tiles in your hand in the best way possible to not only gain more points but to prevent your opponent from utilizing bonus tiles. That’s why two and three-letter words can come in really handy in blocking bonus tiles on the board as well as helping you out of a rut when you don’t know what to play. Using the unscrambler will help you get familiar with these words, too.
While scrabble requires intelligence and luck, it also depends on how strong your knowledge of words and vocabulary is to help you use your tiles in the best way possible and get the most points. Using the unscrambler is not only a great tool to practice scrabble, but also to help you while you’re playing against a worthy opponent.