Scrabble/Playing the X
Triple-letter Squares
[edit | edit source]The letter X goes best on a triple letter score, especially if you can count that square twice. To maximize your chances of doing this, make sure you know all the two-letter words containing X:
AX, EX, OX, XI, XU
When you get an X, look for a triple-letter square that will allow you to play the X in two words simulataneously. They do not have to both be two-letter words, but the chances that one of them will have to be a two-letter word are pretty good. The X alone in this play is worth 48 points, so it's almost as good as a bingo.
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | |
| 1 | 3× WS |
2× LS |
3× WS |
2× LS |
3× WS | ||||||||||
| 2 | 2× WS |
3× LS |
3× LS |
2× WS |
|||||||||||
| 3 | 2× WS |
2× LS |
2× LS |
2× WS |
|||||||||||
| 4 | 2× LS |
2× WS |
2× LS |
2× WS |
2× LS | ||||||||||
| 5 | 2× WS |
R1
|
E1
|
A1
|
P3
|
||||||||||
| 6 | 3× LS |
3× LS |
A1
|
X8
|
3× LS |
||||||||||
| 7 | 2× LS |
2× LS |
N1
|
2× LS |
|||||||||||
| 8 | 3× WS |
H4
|
A1
|
T1
|
I1
|
N1
|
G2
|
2× LS |
3× WS | ||||||
| 9 | 2× LS |
2× LS |
E1
|
2× LS |
|||||||||||
| 10 | 3× LS |
3× LS |
R1
|
3× LS |
3× LS |
||||||||||
| 11 | 2× WS |
2× WS |
|||||||||||||
| 12 | 2× LS |
2× WS |
2× LS |
2× WS |
2× LS | ||||||||||
| 13 | 2× WS |
2× LS |
2× LS |
2× WS |
|||||||||||
| 14 | 2× WS |
3× LS |
3× LS |
2× WS |
|||||||||||
| 15 | 3× WS |
2× LS |
3× WS |
2× LS |
3× WS |
In the example above, the X was played alongside RANGER and REAP (making the words AX and EX) for 50 points.
It is more common to find a suitable triple-letter square for this than it is to find a suitable triple-word square, partly because the triple-word squares are in the corners or at the edge of the board, and partly because they do not usually remain open for very long (as triple-letter squares do).