Scrabble vs Words With Friends: How the Scoring Differs

Updated October 22, 2026 · 4 min read

Scrabble and Words With Friends look almost identical: a square board, seven tiles on your rack and points for each letter. But the scoring rules are different enough that a great move in one game can be an average move in the other.

Letter values side by side

Here is every letter's value in standard English Scrabble and in Words With Friends. The arrow shows whether a letter is worth more (↑) or less (↓) in Words With Friends. 12 of the 26 letters differ.

The biggest changes:

• J jumps from 8 to 10 points, matching Q and Z.
• B, C and P are worth 4 in Words With Friends instead of 3, and V is 5 instead of 4.
• L, N and U are worth 2 instead of 1, so common tiles score a little more.
• H drops from 4 to 3 and Y from 4 to 3.

Same word, different score

Because of these differences, the same word can be worth noticeably more in one game. Here are a few examples, counting only the letters (no premium squares):

The all-tiles bonus

Both games reward you for using all seven tiles in one turn, but not equally:

• Scrabble: a 50-point bonus (called a bingo).
• Words With Friends: a 35-point bonus.

This is one of the most important differences for strategy. In Scrabble, a bingo is often the single biggest play of the game, so experienced players keep good letters on their rack and work towards one. In Words With Friends, high-value letters on premium squares matter relatively more, and the bonus is less dominant.

The board and the tiles

• Premium squares are in different places. Both boards are 15 × 15 with double and triple letter and word squares, but the layouts differ. In Words With Friends, triple-word squares are not in the corners, so don't rely on Scrabble habits for where the big squares are.
• Tile counts differ. An English Scrabble set has 100 tiles, including 2 blanks. Words With Friends uses a slightly larger bag with a different letter distribution.
• Dictionaries differ. Scrabble tournaments use official word lists (NWL in North America, Collins elsewhere). Words With Friends uses its own list, which has historically been based on the ENABLE list that WordJumbler uses, with additions and removals over time. A word can therefore be valid in one game and not the other.

How many of each tile in Scrabble?

Scoring also depends on how often each letter turns up. Here is the standard English Scrabble distribution of 100 tiles:

Only four S tiles and two blanks exist in the whole bag, which is why both are so precious: each one can turn a good play into a bingo. Words With Friends uses a different, slightly larger set, so letters are not quite as scarce there.

Rules that work differently

• Invalid words. In Scrabble you can play any word you like, and your opponent decides whether to challenge it. If a challenged word is not in the dictionary, you take your tiles back and lose your turn. In Words With Friends, the app simply refuses to accept a word it doesn't know, so there is no bluffing.
• Looking things up. In over-the-board Scrabble, checking a word list during the game is not allowed. Casual app games are more relaxed, but tournament rules are strict about this.
• Time. Tournament Scrabble is played against a clock, usually 25 minutes per player for the whole game. Words With Friends games often last days, with each player moving when they have time.

What this means for your strategy

1. In Scrabble, protect your rack. Play off awkward letters, keep a balanced leave and look for bingos. Learn bingo stems.
2. In Words With Friends, chase premium squares with heavy letters. A J on a triple-letter square is worth 30 points by itself.
3. In both, two-letter words are your best friends. See all 96 two-letter words.

Try it in WordJumbler →