5 Tips From a Scrabble GO Pro

Ever munched on some “za” with your “jo” while channeling your “qi”? With those wee words, you’re sure to light up the scoreboard in Scrabble GO.

Vie for vocabulary supremacy in this playful twist on the beloved board game. Awesome power-ups help you quickly find words or scope out the board for available spaces, while fast-paced modes toy with the tiles in clever new ways.

But even the best spellers could use a leg up. Try these tantalizing tips from Will Anderson—winner of the 2017 North American Scrabble Championship.

Unlike in traditional Scrabble, Scrabble GO opponents can’t challenge the words you put down. If you play a word that’s not in the Scrabble dictionary, the app simply rejects it. “Don’t be scared to guess!” says Anderson—the app is an easy way to level up your lexicon.

Memorize two-letter words with high-scoring consonants, like “za” (short for pizza), “jo” (Scottish slang for a sweetheart), and “qi” (the Chinese concept of life force). “Those words—as well as ‘xi,’ ‘ex,’ and ‘xu’—are absolute musts,” says Anderson.

To rack up points fast, try to “hook” a complete word that’s in your rack to the beginning or end of a word that’s already on the board. (You’ll get points for both words.) Try using an S, for example, to make a singular word plural, says Anderson. And keep on the lookout for opportunities. “In a couple of games early in my career, I missed that you can put the letter O to the end of ‘vet’ and get ‘veto.’”

If the low-scoring A, E, I, O, and U tiles are taking over your rack, rebalance by playing vowel-heavy words. “You want to nip that in the bud before it gets critical,” he says. Anderson’s favorite words to shed vowels: “aioli” and “eerie.”

Stay on the defensive with bonus-score opportunities, like the double-letter and triple-word squares. “Try not to place vowels next to these,” says Anderson, since that’ll make them easier for opponents to snag.

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