Word Score Optimizer

What the Scabblesque optimizer does

Scabblesque takes the letters on your rack and the layout of the squares you are aiming for, then searches a word list to rank every playable word by the exact number of points it would score. Instead of scanning your tiles by hand, you see the highest-scoring options first, each with a full breakdown of how its score was reached. It is built to be a practice partner and analysis aid for word games such as Scrabble and similar crossword-style tile games.

The tool runs entirely in your browser. Your rack and board entries are not sent to a server to be scored, and nothing you type is required to create an account.

How to use it, step by step

1. Enter your rack. Type the letters you are holding. Use a question mark (?) for each blank tile.
2. Lay out the board squares. Click a square to cycle it through normal, double-letter, triple-letter, double-word, and triple-word, matching the spot you want to play into.
3. Add any fixed letters. If a tile is already on the board and your word will pass through it, set that square to the letter so it counts correctly.
4. Refine with filters (optional). Restrict by length, a required prefix or suffix, or letters that must appear.
5. Read the ranked results. Words are ordered by score, and each result expands to show its per-tile calculation.

For a fuller walkthrough, see the How to Use the Optimizer guide.

How scoring works, in short

Every letter has a fixed point value. To score a word, you add up the value of each letter, applying any letter multipliers first, then apply any word multipliers to that running total. Playing all seven tiles in a single turn earns a 50-point bonus, often called a bingo. Here are the base letter values the optimizer uses:

The full order of operations, including multiple word multipliers and existing board tiles, is covered in How Word Scoring Works.

Letter and word multipliers

Premium squares change a word's value in two different ways. Letter multipliers (double-letter and triple-letter) multiply the value of the single tile placed on them. Word multipliers (double-word and triple-word) multiply the value of the entire word after all letter multipliers have been applied. A premium square only rewards the turn in which a tile is first placed on it; playing across the same square later scores it at face value. The Board Multipliers Guide explains each square and the mistakes players most often make.

How blank tiles are scored

A blank tile can stand in for any letter, which makes it one of the most flexible tiles in the bag. For scoring, though, a blank is worth zero points, no matter which letter it represents. Because of that, the optimizer places blanks where they help you complete a word rather than where they would earn points, and it shows which letter each blank is standing in for. The Blank Tile Guide works through practical examples.

A complete scoring example

Guides and answers

The following guides go deeper into scoring, strategy, and how the word list is built:

• HHow to Use the Optimizer
• HHow Word Scoring Works
• BBoard Multipliers Guide
• BBlank Tile Guide
• WWord-Game Strategy Guide
• DDictionary & Methodology
• FFrequently Asked Questions