Word games are great for pros and amateurs alike. They’re good for our mental health, keep us sharp and witty, and most notably, they’re a lot of fun. While many gamers are content with their amateur status, becoming more ambitious with your skills will level up the playing field, creating a little friendly competition, which, let’s face it, makes playing the game way more exciting. So, if you want to become a scrabble pro, here are 6 tips on how to improve your skills. 

1. Start with High-Value Tiles 

Starting with all the easy letters and words will only put you in a pickle as the game progresses. Therefore, getting your high-value tiles, such as the Q tile, out the way while you have plenty of vowels and options to choose from will give you an advantage. These tiles have the highest points, which helps you boost your score ahead of everyone else. It is wise to revise and research online some words with the high-value letter tiles before playing. 

2. Master the Two-Letter Words 

Bigger is not always better. In fact, the two-letter words provide you with more options as the game progresses since more add-ons will be possible. Words like No, Of, Is, and Hi will form multiple longer words as the game continues, thus opening up more opportunities. This is a vital trick to remember since many amateurs go big at the beginning of the game, limiting their options down the line. By learning two-letter words, you can score up to 50 points with only two tiles, which is what the pros do. 

3. Improve Your Vocabulary 

Sometimes the hand we get dealt in scrabble makes victory rather difficult. A limited vocabulary is among the main reasons why people lose the game. However, there are ways to improve your vocabulary and win, even if the tiles aren’t in your favor. You can educate yourself in various ways to up your game, and it doesn’t have to be as mundane as reading a dictionary. There are many fun ways to improve your vocabulary, such as getting word-of-the-day items or playing a Word Search puzzle.

In addition, just going out of your way to look up words you don’t know can be a big help. For example, if you’re an avid reader, take the time to stop and find the definition of new words. Even if you’re someone that just wants a tool to unscramble words for you – by looking up the unknown words you might actually learn something that will be useful for future games, such as synonyms and antonyms (even more Scrabble-ready words).

Moreover, you’ll be better at finding words with the tiles you’re given using an online scrabble word finder. It will ensure that your vocabulary grows as a person learns through repetition. With these handy tools, you’ll find ways to make words out of even the worst tile line-up and get all the points you need to advance in the game. 

4. Use Prefixes and Suffixes 

One of the main things that separate the experts from the amateurs is focusing on add-ons rather than trying to form words from their tile line-up. Using a prefix such as “Un” before “Natural” will give you major points without using up too many of your tiles. In the same vein, adding a suffix like “ing” after verbs offers the same advantage. 

5. Look for Potential Hooks 

Identifying potential hooks is a very valuable skill to have when playing scrabble. Hooks are letters that can be added to existing words on the board to create an entirely new word. This isn’t easy for amateurs to spot, which is why the experts take pride in this skill. It’s quite easy to do once you get the hang of it. For instance, if a word like “This” is on the board, adding hooks will change the word and gain you more points. You can add hooks like “T,” “L,” and “E,” letters to create the word “Thistle,” or simply adding a “G” to “Host” to form “Ghost.” 

6. Save the S Tiles 

Last but definitely not least, understand the power of the S tile. The letter S is the most versatile letter in scrabble because it opens up so many new word opportunities. Therefore, you must avoid wasting your S tiles too early in the game and avoid the risk of getting stuck. Try your best to save your S letters for add-ons, rather than using them when you first place your words down. 

Scrabble already has numerous benefits that improve your brain power and memory. Enhancing your skills and learning to think on your feet will help you up your Scrabble game and enjoy the numerous benefits it provides. As you can see, improving your skills doesn’t require much time or effort. Simply allow yourself to train your brain to spot the hidden gems in the game. Hooks, prefixes, suffixes, two-Letter words, S tiles, and a better vocabulary will improve your scrabble game immensely. So, what are you waiting for? Grab that board and remember, practice makes perfect!