Words With Friends: Rules, Scoring, Tips

Words With Friends is a popular multiplayer word game, similar to Scrabble, where players take turns forming words on a digital 15 x 15 board to score points. Launched in 2009 by Newtoy (later acquired by Zynga), it quickly became a mobile gaming hit, allowing friends and strangers to compete across iOS, Android, and Facebook.
With a unique board layout, custom tile values, and 173,000+ playable words, Words With Friends offers a fresh twist on classic wordplay. Features like power-ups, word strength indicators, and up to 40 simultaneous games make it both casual and competitive.
This article covers the essential rules, setup, and tips to help you get started.

How the Game Works: Players, Board, and Tile Basics

Before you start playing, it’s helpful to understand how to play Words With Friends and the differences compared to Scrabble rules. While the two games share similarities, Words With Friends has a unique board layout, slight differences in tile distribution, and, since it’s digital, allows you to play multiple games simultaneously without a formal challenge system.

Players

Words With Friends is designed for two players per game, but you’re not limited to just one match at a time. You can have up to 40 simultaneous games, making it easy to play at your own pace against friends, family, or random opponents. Matches can be set up through usernames, Facebook connections, or the Smart Match system, which pairs you with a player of similar skill.

Words with Friends Board

The Words With Friends board is a 15 x 15 grid, designed with a mix of normal and premium squares influencing your score. In total, there are 60 premium squares scattered across the board, adding a strategic layer to the game. These include:

• 24 Double Letter (DL) squares
• 16 Triple Letter (TL) squares
• 12 Double Word (DW) squares
• 8 Triple Word (TW) squares

Unlike Scrabble, the arrangement of premium squares in Words With Friends is different, offering unique scoring opportunities. For example, it’s possible to place a word that covers both a Triple Letter (TL) and a Triple Word (TW) square in one move, something that would be nearly impossible in a traditional Scrabble game.
Understanding the placement and strategic use of these premium squares is key to maximizing your score in Words With Friends.

📄 Download a printable version of the Words With Friends board for a handy reference.

Words With Friends Tiles: Distribution and Values

Words With Friends uses a set of 104 letter tiles, each assigned a point value based on its frequency and difficulty of use. Common vowels and consonants, such as E, A, and R, are plentiful and have low point values, making them easy to play but less rewarding in terms of scoring. On the other hand, high-value letters like J, Q, X, and Z are much rarer and can significantly boost scores when used strategically, especially on premium board spaces.

The game also includes two blank tiles, which can be used as any letter but do not contribute to a word’s score. Understanding tile distribution and point values helps players make better choices, whether aiming for high-scoring plays or keeping a balanced rack for future turns.

Here’s the complete breakdown of all tiles in Words With Friends:

📄 Download the complete list of Words With Friends tiles, including their distribution and point values.

Words With Friends Dictionary

Words With Friends uses a dictionary based on the Enhanced North American Benchmark Lexicon (ENABLE), with around 173,000 playable words. Unlike Scrabble, whose official word lists are updated periodically and are restricted due to copyright, ENABLE is open-source but may not be as rigorously maintained.

The game has specific rules for word inclusion:

• Proper Nouns (names of people, places, or brands) are excluded unless they have a secondary meaning (e.g., "japan" as a verb). Days and Months are also not accepted (e.g., "Monday" or "July") as they are proper nouns.
• Abbreviations, Acronyms, Prefixes, and Suffixes are not allowed unless they have dual meanings (e.g., "promo").
• Foreign Words must be widely adopted into English (e.g., "zen").

Some slang terms and controversial words, such as “Satan,” are excluded, while others remain playable, creating some inconsistencies when compared to Scrabble.

How to Play: Words with Friends Rules and Gameplay

1. Starting the Game

• Each player begins with 7 letter tiles.
• The first player is chosen randomly and must place a word that covers the center square.
• After playing a word, new tiles are drawn to maintain 7 tiles on the rack.

2. Forming Words

• Words must connect to existing words on the board, either horizontally or vertically.
• You can play by:
• Overlapping: Using at least one letter from an existing word.
• Parallel Placement: Placing a word alongside another, ensuring all touching letters form valid words.

3. Scoring

• Each letter has a point value, with rarer letters being worth more.
• Special bonus spaces on the board multiply scores:
• Double Letter (DL) and Triple Letter (TL) boost individual letter values.
• Double Word (DW) and Triple Word (TW) multiply the full word’s score.

4. Replacing and Passing

• If stuck, you can swap tiles instead of playing a word.
• You can also pass your turn, but three consecutive passes end the game.

5. Ending the Game

• The game ends when one player uses all their tiles or when no more moves are possible.
• The player with the highest score wins!

Special Features

Words With Friends offers several unique features to enhance gameplay:

• Bingo – Playing all seven tiles from your rack in a single turn earns a 35-point bonus.
• Power-Ups – Tools like Swap+, Word Radar, and Hindsight help players find better moves or rethink past plays.
• Chat – Players can communicate with opponents via in-game messaging.
• Resign – If a match isn’t going your way, you can choose to forfeit the game.
• Hindsight – After a turn, this feature shows the highest-scoring word you could have played.

These features make the game more interactive and strategic, catering to both casual and competitive players.

📄 Download the Words with Friends rules to get started!

Words with Friends Tips and Strategy

Mastering Words With Friends requires a mix of vocabulary skills, strategic placement, and board awareness. Here are some essential tips to improve your gameplay:

• Expand Your Vocabulary – Learning valuable two-letter words two-letter words, three-letter words, and short words with high-scoring letters (J, Q, X, Z) can lead to big points.
• Use the Board to Your Advantage – Place your highest-scoring letters on Double and Triple Letter or Word squares for maximum impact.
• Play Defensively – Avoid leaving premium squares open for your opponent. Blocking access can sometimes be more beneficial than a high-scoring move.
• Leverage Prefixes and Suffixes – Recognizing common word extensions (e.g., UN-, RE-, -ING, -ED) helps you form longer words and increase your score.
• Play Longer Words Early – At the start of the game, longer words help open up the board and create more opportunities.
• Use Parallel Plays – Especially toward the end of the game, placing words alongside existing ones can score multiple words at once. Playable 2-letter words come in handy here, helping you maximize points in tight spaces.
• Balance Your Rack – Maintaining a good vowel-consonant mix prevents you from getting stuck with difficult letter combinations.
• Use a Word Finder: Stuck with a tough rack? Our Words With Friends word finder can help you discover playable words and get back in the game.

These strategies will help you improve your gameplay over time, and we’ll explore them in more depth in a dedicated strategy guide.

Words With Friends 2, Physical Board, and Multilingual Options

Words With Friends 2 is the enhanced version of the original game, offering faster-paced gameplay, new challenges, and improved social features. It also includes special game modes and more ways to engage with friends and opponents.

For those who enjoy the traditional experience, in 2012, Zynga partnered with Hasbro to release physical board game versions under the "Hasbro Gaming" imprint.

Additionally, Words With Friends is available in multiple languages, including Spanish, French, German, and others. This makes the game more accessible and enjoyable for a global audience, offering opportunities to expand your vocabulary while playing with people from around the world.

Time to Make Your Move!

Words With Friends is more than just a word game—it’s a blend of skill, strategy, and a little bit of luck. Whether you're playing casually with friends or aiming to climb the leaderboards, every move counts. Expanding your vocabulary, mastering the board layout, and thinking both offensively and defensively will give you a serious edge.

Most importantly, keep playing. The best way to improve is through experience—each game teaches you something new. And who knows? That tricky letter combination might just lead to your highest-scoring word yet.

Ready to test your skills? Open the app, start a match, and put these tips into action!

Need help finding the best plays? Try our Word Finder tools:

• Words With Friends Cheat
• Scrabble Cheat
• Anagram Solver