Scrabble FAQ
Rules, dictionaries, scoring, and using a word finder responsibly.
Most Scrabble disputes come down to which dictionary you're playing under. North American games use TWL (the NASPA Word List); most of the rest of the world uses SOWPODS/Collins, which is roughly 80,000 words larger and accepts plenty of words TWL rejects. A word finder that doesn't tell you which list a word belongs to will lose you challenges.
The answers below cover the rules that decide games: the 50-point bingo bonus, the two-letter words that make parallel plays possible, and the handful of Q-without-U words worth memorising.
Is QI a real Scrabble word?
Yes. QI (the Chinese concept of life force or vital energy) is valid in both major Scrabble dictionaries — TWL (North America) and SOWPODS / Collins (international). Along with QAT, QADI, and QOPH, it's one of the few legal Q-without-U words.
Memorising the Q-without-U list is one of the highest-ROI moves in serious Scrabble play.
How many points is a bingo in Scrabble?
A bingo — playing all seven tiles from your rack on a single turn — earns a 50-point bonus on top of the word's regular score. The bonus applies after any letter and word multipliers, so a bingo on a Triple Word can swing a single turn by 100+ points.
What are the best 7-letter Scrabble words?
The best 7-letter words are bingos — playing all 7 tiles for a 50-point bonus. High-scoring bingos with common letters include: STARING, RETAINS, SAINTED, ANTIRED, RAINIEST. Use our Scrabble word finder to discover bingos from your specific rack.
What is a bingo in Scrabble?
A bingo is playing all 7 tiles from your rack on a single turn, earning a 50-point bonus on top of the word's regular score. Bingos are how serious players score 400+ in a game. Set up bingos by holding common letters (R, S, T, N, A, E, I) and avoiding tile-pile imbalance.