Blank Tile Strategy: When to Use It and When to Save It
The blank tile is the most powerful tile in Scrabble and Words With Friends. It scores no points on its own, but it can stand for any letter, so it turns a good rack into a great one. Knowing when to use it, and when to save it, is one of the biggest differences between casual and strong players.
What a blank does
A blank can represent any letter you choose. Once it is on the board it keeps that letter for the rest of the game. In WordJumbler you add a blank by typing * or ? in the rack, and the solver tries every letter for you.
A real example
Take the six letters R A E T S N. On their own they make just 3 six-letter words: ASTERN, ANTRES and STERNA. Add a blank and the picture changes: the same rack can make 54 different seven-letter words, every one of which earns the 50-point bonus for using all seven tiles.
The blank is not equally useful as every letter. These are the letters it most often becomes in the seven-letter words for this rack:
| Blank becomes | Seven-letter words |
|---|---|
| I | 9 |
| C | 7 |
| P | 5 |
| L | 4 |
| G | 3 |
| O | 3 |
The point is that the blank gives you choices. You can pick whichever letter fits the premium squares and hooks that are open on the board.
When to use a blank
- For a seven-letter word. This is the classic use, because the 50-point bonus is usually bigger than anything else you can score.
- For a big score on a premium square. A blank that lets you reach a triple word score, or play two heavy tiles together, can be worth the sacrifice.
- To avoid losing a turn. If you have no good play at all, a blank is a reasonable emergency tool, but this should be rare.
When to save it
- For a small play. Using a blank to score 12 or 15 points is usually a waste. Strong players often value a blank at 25 points or more, so spending it for less loses ground.
- While the board is wide open. The more space there is, the more chances you will have later to use the blank well.
Playing with the blank when you can only guess
If you are not sure a word is valid, remember that the blank does not make an invalid word valid. In a casual game you can check it first. In WordJumbler, type your tiles with a ? and the results list only valid words from the ENABLE dictionary.
Tip: Add two blanks by typing two ? characters. The solver then shows every word you could make with both.