Word Game Guides
Strategy, word lists, and tactics for Scrabble, Words With Friends, crosswords, and anagram puzzles.
Every Two-Letter Scrabble Word (and How to Use Them)
The full list of legal two-letter words in TWL and SOWPODS, plus how strong players use them to score parallel plays and hook bigger words.
Read guide →Q Without U: All the Valid Scrabble Words
Drew the Q with no U? These tournament-legal words use Q without a following U and will save your rack.
Read guide →How to Score Big with J, Q, X, and Z
The four highest-value tiles in Scrabble — where they live in real words, and how to land them on premium squares for huge plays.
Read guide →Bingos 101: How to Find 7-Letter Plays for a 50-Point Bonus
Playing all seven tiles in one turn earns a 50-point bingo bonus. Here's the rack management, common stems, and word patterns that make bingos appear.
Read guide →How to Unscramble Letters: A Practical Guide
A repeatable method for finding the longest word inside any jumble of letters — by hand, or with a tool like Unjumble.
Read guide →Scrabble Opening Moves: How to Start a Winning Game
The first move sets the tone for the rest of the game. Here's how strong players think about opening plays, board openness, and tile leaves on turn one.
Read guide →Scrabble Endgame Strategy: Winning the Last Five Turns
Most close games are decided in the final five moves. Learn tile tracking, the out-in-two play, and how to count the bag to swing tight finishes.
Read guide →Rack Balance: The Tile Leaves That Win Games
The leftover tiles on your rack matter as much as the word you played. A field guide to the best and worst leaves in Scrabble.
Read guide →Defensive Scrabble: Board Control and Denying Bingos
Offense scores points; defense wins games. How to read the board, close lanes, and starve your opponent of premium squares.
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