Scrabble Tile Values and Letter Distribution Explained

Every Scrabble decision rests on two numbers for each letter: how many points it's worth, and how many copies are in the bag. Knowing both helps you score more, plan your rack and track what your opponent might be holding. This is the complete reference for the standard English-language set, plus the story of where the numbers came from.

Points and counts for every tile

A standard English Scrabble set has 100 tiles: 98 letters and 2 blanks.

Letter	Points	Tiles in set
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

The same table, grouped by value

It's easier to memorise the values in groups:

Points	Letters
0	Blank
1	A, E, I, O, U, L, N, S, T, R
2	D, G
3	B, C, M, P
4	F, H, V, W, Y
5	K
8	J, X
10	Q, Z

A memory aid some players use for the 1-point letters: the five vowels plus L, N, S, T, R (the same consonants that are given away free on a certain TV word-puzzle show).

Some useful totals

Total face value of all tiles: 187 points.
Vowels: 42 tiles (A 9, E 12, I 9, O 8, U 4), not counting Y or blanks.
Consonants: 56 tiles, including the 2 Ys.
Power tiles: just four tiles (J, Q, X, Z) are worth 8 or 10 points, and there's only one of each.

The 42-to-56 vowel-to-consonant ratio explains why a balanced rack usually has two or three vowels.

Why the values are what they are

Scrabble was invented by an American architect, Alfred Mosher Butts, in the 1930s. He's widely reported to have worked out the letter distribution by counting how often each letter appeared in newspaper text, then adjusting the numbers for gameplay. Common letters got more tiles and fewer points; rare letters got fewer tiles and more points.

He made a few deliberate changes from pure frequency. For example, he reduced the number of S tiles to four, because S is so useful for pluralising words that more of them would make the game too easy. That's why the S is so valuable today, despite being worth only 1 point.

How to use these numbers in play

Tile tracking

Because the counts are fixed, you can work out what's still unseen. If eight Es have been played and you hold two, there are only two Es left among your opponent's rack and the bag. Near the end of the game, this lets you work out your opponent's exact rack. Our endgame strategy guide explains how.

Knowing what's "due"

Early in the game, you're likely to draw common tiles. If the J, Q, X and Z haven't appeared by the midgame, someone is going to draw them. Leaving a big scoring spot open when the Z is still unseen is a risk.

Valuing your rack

When choosing between two moves, compare not just the score but the tiles you keep. Keeping two blanks and an S is worth much more than keeping V, W and U, even though all score low points on their own.

Scrabble in other languages

The distribution above is for English. Scrabble sets in other languages use different letter counts and values to match each language. For example, sets in other languages typically have more tiles for the letters that language uses most and add accented or special letters where needed. If you play in another language, always check that edition's tile list.

Scrabble vs Words With Friends

Words With Friends uses a similar idea but different numbers: 104 tiles, different point values (for example, J is worth 10 instead of 8) and a 35-point bonus for using all seven tiles instead of 50. See Words With Friends vs Scrabble for a side-by-side comparison.

Find the best-scoring words

Our Scrabble word finder uses these exact tile values to rank every word your rack can make. For Words With Friends scoring, use the Words With Friends tool.