scrabble

Scrabble is a word board game in which players use lettered tiles to form words on a 15x15 grid, scoring points based on tile values and premium squares.

The game was devised by Alfred Mosher Butts in 1938, originally under the names Lexiko and Criss-Cross Words. Parker Brothers began marketing Scrabble in 1948, and its popularity spread worldwide. In North America, Scrabble is published by Hasbro; in many other markets, Mattel holds the publishing rights under license.

Gameplay typically supports two to four players. Each player starts with seven tiles and refills to seven after each turn. Words must be connected to existing words on the board, and tiles are placed on premium squares that can multiply letter or word scores. Each tile has a point value; common letters are worth one or two points, while rarer letters carry higher values. Using all seven tiles in a single turn earns a bingo bonus, adding extra points to the turn’s score.

The game ends when a player uses all of their tiles or when no legal moves remain. At that point, players subtract the value of any remaining tiles on their racks from their final scores, and the player with the highest total wins. Official word lists are used to judge validity, with North America typically using the Official Scrabble Players Dictionary and most other regions using Collins Scrabble Words or related lists.

Scrabble has spawned competitive play, local clubs, and numerous electronic and online versions, making it one of the most enduring word games worldwide.