Scrabble Tile Values and How Many of Each Tile There Are
Knowing how many of each tile are in the bag, and what each is worth, changes how you play. If you know there is only one Q, one Z and one X in a whole game, you can judge what your opponent is likely holding, and you can decide when to hang on to a good tile or throw a bad one away.
Tile values and distribution (English Scrabble)
A standard English Scrabble set has 100 tiles: 98 letters and 2 blanks.
| Letter | Points | Tiles in the bag |
|---|---|---|
| A | 1 | 9 |
| B | 3 | 2 |
| C | 3 | 2 |
| D | 2 | 4 |
| E | 1 | 12 |
| F | 4 | 2 |
| G | 2 | 3 |
| H | 4 | 2 |
| I | 1 | 9 |
| J | 8 | 1 |
| K | 5 | 1 |
| L | 1 | 4 |
| M | 3 | 2 |
| N | 1 | 6 |
| O | 1 | 8 |
| P | 3 | 2 |
| Q | 10 | 1 |
| R | 1 | 6 |
| S | 1 | 4 |
| T | 1 | 6 |
| U | 1 | 4 |
| V | 4 | 2 |
| W | 4 | 2 |
| X | 8 | 1 |
| Y | 4 | 2 |
| Z | 10 | 1 |
| Blank | 0 | 2 |
What the numbers tell you
- 42 of the 98 letter tiles are vowels (A, E, I, O, U), about 43%. A rack with five or more vowels, or with only one, is unbalanced.
- E is the most common tile (12 in the bag) and worth just 1 point. Common letters are cheap, which is why high-value tiles feel so special.
- Q and Z are worth 10 points and there is only one of each. J and X are worth 8, also one each.
- You can work out what is left. Subtract the tiles on the board and on your rack from the table, and you know what your opponent might hold. Tracking the Q, Z, X and J is the simplest form of tile counting.
- The blanks are worth 0 points on their own, but they can stand for any letter, which makes them the most powerful tiles in the game. See our blank tile guide.
- All the tiles added together are worth 187 points, not counting the blanks.
Choosing which tiles to keep
Experienced players describe a good rack as one with a balance of vowels and consonants and a few flexible letters such as S, R, T, N and E. A common beginner mistake is to dump the S on a small play. An S is worth only 1 point but can extend many words, so it is worth more to a good player than its face value.
On the other hand, tiles worth 8 or 10 points (J, X, Q, Z) are useful only if you can place them on a premium square or in two words at once. The short words in our guide to J, Q, X and Z words give you ways to do that.
Good to know: Other games differ. Words With Friends uses different tile values and a different number of each tile, so a rack that is strong in one game can be weaker in the other. Our Scrabble vs Words With Friends guide compares them.
Want to see what a word scores? Try our Scrabble word score calculator.