Beginner’s Guide to Words With Friends

New to Words With Friends? No problem! You’ve come to the right place. Words With Friends is a lot like Scrabble but way better, because you can play with your friends online, meaning you could even play from the comfort of your toilet seat, how’s that for a selling point, baazing!

But before you can play any game you need to know the rules, so let’s get to it.

Tile Placement

The first word of every game has to have at least one tile placed on the star square. Each new word formed must share at least one tile of a pre-existing word. Words can be formed horizontally (left to right) and vertically (top to bottom).

Scoring

Each letter has a set value, so for example D is worth two points, O is one point and G is three points. If you were to spell the word DOG you would earn a total of six points. There are also blank tiles, although they carry no point value they can become any letter you wish, making them very useful for completing words that wouldn’t have been possible otherwise.

There are also premium squares spread across the board — DL=Double Letter, TL=Triple Letter, DW=Double Word and TW=Triple Word.

Premium squares are highly sought after, they have the potential to multiply your score greatly. For example if you were to play the word AX, A is worth one point and X is 8 points, you’d only score a total of 9 points. But if the X was placed on the TL square, that would increase the value of X from 8 to 24 points, bringing you to the new total of 25 points.

If you use all 7 tiles in one turn you earn an extra 35 bonus points, this is called a bingo. Scoring bingos can adversely affect your opponent causing them to yell multiple CW=Cuss Words (not a premium square).

The game ends once a player has used up all their tiles, whatever tiles a player still possesses when the game ends will count against them and be awarded to the opposing player. For example, if your opponent beat you to the punch and played their last tiles before you could play your remaining tiles C, A and T — C being worth four points, A one point and T one point — you would subtract six points from your total score and add six points to your opponent’s score.

The game can also end if three turns have passed with no points scored.

Now that we have the basic rules out of the way, let’s dive into some basic strategies and tactics.

Strategy

There are many ways to play Words With Friends from a strategy stand point. Some players prefer a more aggressive approach, forming long words on each turn, to get rid of tiles as fast as possible. Keep in mind that 90 tiles are shared between both players, so the more tiles you use, the less there are for the opponent. Although it can be risky at times, branching out with long words gives your opponent ample opportunities to place tiles on premium squares.

The second approach I’d like to talk about is a more conservative style of play. It’s more defensive I’d say. With this approach you’ll form both short and long words, which of the two you’ll form on a given turn depends on a few factors, the biggest one being premium square proximity.

If you can form a long word to reach a premium square then go for it, otherwise, focus on forming short words. Make sure any word you form doesn’t extend so far that it allows your opponent to branch off your word to reach a premium square. Keep forming short words (especially parallel words, more on this later) until your opponent is forced to branch out putting you within striking distance of a premium square.

Obviously not all premium squares are of equal value, so you’ll have to use your best judgement on whether you want to avoid branching out to a certain premium square or if you’re willing to take the risk.

Tactics

Use Consonants to Minimize Risk – There are ways to minimize risk when forming long words. You’ll want to avoid placing vowels next to premium squares such as DL and TL. Placing vowels next to premium squares creates an easy setup for the opponent, since power tiles such as X naturally come before or after a vowel in many words. So just remember if possible form words with consonants next to the premium squares to minimize risk.

Avoid placing vowels next to premium squares.

Rack Management – Keeping a good balance of vowels and consonants on your rack is important. Having all vowels or consonants can make it difficult to form long words. If you do find yourself with too many of either kind, try using your opponent’s tiles to your advantage. Say for example you have all consonants, just look around the board for any vowels you can place two or more consonants next to. Or you could use the swap option to get rid of some consonants, this option forfeits your turn, use this option sparingly.

Be a Hooker – Hooking is when you add letters to the beginning or end of a word to form a new word. Hooks can be very potent, a well placed hook can really boost your score. Check out the screenshot below for example. I used the S to hook onto the word SINE to form the new word SINES, so far I’m at 6 points, then the new word I formed horizontally SLOGS is worth 36 points, since the L (2 points) was on the TL square and the S landed on the TW square, bringing me to the total of 42 points. In that example the word I hooked onto didn’t give that many extra points, but if you do see your opponent form a word containing lots of power tiles — such as K, J, Q, Z, and X — that would be the ideal time to become a hooker.

Counting Cards errr… Tiles – Now it may seem a bit extreme to keep track of what tiles have been played, but it’s actually very useful, I’ll give an example to illustrate why. If you were trying to reach the premium square TW by first spelling the word DOG vertically and then spelling the word SEA horizontally, where the S connects with DOG to form DOGS. In order for this tactic to work, you need to be sure that the opponent has no blank or S tiles to connect with the word DOG, making it impossible for them to use the TW tile against you. Letter distribution can be found at the end of the guide.

Bingo Stems – As the author of this guide, you may think I score bingos quite frequently, I assure you I do not. That actually makes me unqualified to write this next tip. But if you’re a big believer in the blind leading the blind, please by all means continue reading.

Bingo Stems are a group of six letters that give you the highest probability of forming a seven letter word. Try memorizing these bingo stems to improve your odds of scoring a bingo — TISANE, SATIRE and RETINA.

Parallel Words – I recommend memorizing as many two and three letter words as possible (word list at end of guide), this will allow you to form multiple words in a single turn. In the screenshot below we see the player form three words by placing them parallel to each other — PEE, PE and EL.

Have Fun

At the end of the day playing Words With Friends should be a fun experience, so don’t take the game too seriously. If you’re new, you’ll lose a lot, but don’t let it get to you, just hit the re-match button, form a word, then type in the chat box BRING IT! That’s usually how most of my games go, especially with my arch-rival Jenn K. Lee of Pocketables.net *Shakes Fist*. I hope you found this guide to be helpful, thank you for reading, and if you have any questions feel free to leave a comment.

Word List

Words With Friends uses the Enhanced North American Benchmark Lexicon (ENABLE) word list, containing over 173,000 words, Newtoy has made a few additions to the word list such as ZEN and QI, more will be added in the future.

To download a text file containing all the words, click here.

Letter Distribution

There are 104 tiles in Words With Friends, below is the distribution of letters.

A=9D=5G=3J=1M=2P=2S=5V=2Y=2
B=2E=13H=4K=1N=5Q=1T=7W=2Z=1
C=2F=2I=8L=4O=8R=6U=4X=1*=2

Letter Point Values

Regardless of what Thomas Jefferson may have said, not all letters are created equal.

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

3 Letter Words

I want to give a quick shout out to my Caps Lock and Tab keys, if it wasn’t for them this table wouldn’t be possible. And thanks to Newtoy for compiling the list!
AAHAALAASABAABOABSABYACEACTADDADOADSADZ
AFFAFTAGAAGEAGOAHAAHIAIDAILAIMAINAIRAIS
AITALAALBALEALLALPALSALTAMAAMIAMPAMUANA
ANDANEANIANTANYAPEAPTARBARCAREARFARKARM
ARSARTASHASKASPASSATEATTAUKAVAAVEAVOAWA
AWEAWLAWNAXEAYEAYSAZO
BAABADBAGBAHBALBAMBANBAPBARBASBATBAYBED
BEEBEGBELBENBETBEYBIBBIDBIGBINBIOBISBIT
BIZBOABOBBODBOGBOOBOPBOSBOTBOWBOXBOYBRA
BROBRRBUBBUDBUGBUMBUNBURBUSBUTBUYBYEBYS
CABCADCAMCANCAPCARCATCAWCAYCEECELCEPCHI
CISCOBCODCOGCOLCONCOOCOPCORCOSCOTCOWCOX
COYCOZCRYCUBCUDCUECUMCUPCURCUTCWM
DABDADDAGDAHDAKDALDAMDAPDAWDAYDEBDEEDEL
DENDEVDEWDEXDEYDIBDIDDIEDIGDIMDINDIPDIS
DITDOCDOEDOGDOLDOMDONDORDOSDOTDOWDRYDUB
DUDDUEDUGDUIDUNDUODUPDYE
EAREATEAUEBBECUEDHEELEFFEFSEFTEGGEGOEKE
ELDELFELKELLELMELSEMEEMFEMSEMUENDENGENS
EONERAEREERGERNERRERSESSETAETHEVEEWEEYE
FADFANFARFASFATFAXFAYFEDFEEFEHFEMFENFER
FETFEUFEWFEYFEZFIBFIDFIEFIGFILFINFIRFIT
FIXFIZFLUFLYFOBFOEFOGFOHFONFOPFORFOUFOX
FOYFROFRYFUBFUDFUGFUNFUR
GABGADGAEGAGGALGAMGANGAPGARGASGATGAYGED
GEEGELGEMGENGETGEYGHIGIBGIDGIEGIGGINGIP
GITGNUGOAGOBGODGOOGORGOTGOXGOYGULGUMGUN
GUTGUVGUYGYMGYP
HADHAEHAGHAHHAJHAMHAOHAPHASHATHAWHAYHEH
HEMHENHEPHERHESHETHEWHEXHEYHICHIDHIEHIM
HINHIPHISHITHMMHOBHODHOEHOGHONHOPHOTHOW
HOYHUBHUEHUGHUHHUMHUNHUPHUTHYP
ICEICHICKICYIDSIFFIFSILKILLIMPINKINNINS
IONIREIRKISMITSIVY
JABJAGJAMJARJAWJAYJEEJETJEUJIBJIGJINJOB
JOEJOGJOTJOWJOYJUGJUNJUSJUT
KABKAEKAFKASKATKAYKEAKEFKEGKENKEPKEXKEY
KHIKIDKIFKINKIPKIRKITKOAKOBKOIKOPKORKOS
KUE
LABLACLADLAGLAMLAPLARLASLATLAVLAWLAXLAY
LEALEDLEELEGLEILEKLETLEULEVLEXLEYLEZLIB
LIDLIELINLIPLISLITLOBLOGLOOLOPLOTLOWLOX
LUGLUMLUVLUXLYE
MACMADMAEMAGMANMAPMARMASMATMAWMAXMAYMED
MELMEMMENMETMEWMHOMIBMIDMIGMILMIMMIRMIS
MIXMOAMOBMOCMODMOGMOLMOMMONMOOMOPMORMOS
MOTMOWMUDMUGMUMMUNMUSMUT
NABNAENAGNAHNAMNANNAPNAWNAYNEBNEENETNEW
NIBNILNIMNIPNITNIXNOBNODNOGNOHNOMNOONOR
NOSNOTNOWNTHNUBNUNNUSNUT
OAFOAKOAROATOBEOBIOCAODDODEODSOESOFFOFT
OHMOHOOHSOILOKAOKEOLDOLEOMSONEONSOOHOOT
OPEOPSOPTORAORBORCOREORSORTOSEOUDOUROUT
OVAOWEOWLOWNOXOOXY
PACPADPAHPALPAMPANPAPPARPASPATPAWPAXPAY
PEAPECPEDPEEPEGPEHPENPEPPERPESPETPEWPHI
PHTPIAPICPIEPIGPINPIPPISPITPIUPIXPLYPOD
POHPOIPOLPOMPOPPOTPOWPOXPROPRYPSIPUBPUD
PUGPULPUNPUPPURPUSPUTPYAPYEPYX
QATQISQUA
RADRAGRAHRAIRAJRAMRANRAPRASRATRAWRAXRAY
REBRECREDREEREGREIREMREPRESRETREVREXRHO
RIARIBRIDRIFRIGRIMRINRIPROBROCRODROEROM
ROTROWRUBRUERUGRUMRUNRUTRYARYE
SABSACSADSAESAGSALSAPSATSAUSAWSAXSAYSEA
SECSEESEGSEISELSENSERSETSEWSEXSHASHESHH
SHYSIBSICSIMSINSIPSIRSISSITSIXSKASKISKY
SLYSOBSODSOLSONSOPSOSSOTSOUSOWSOXSOYSPA
SPYSRISTYSUBSUESUMSUNSUPSUQSYN
TABTADTAETAGTAJTAMTANTAOTAPTARTASTATTAU
TAVTAWTAXTEATEDTEETEGTELTENTETTEWTHETHO
THYTICTIETILTINTIPTISTITTODTOETOGTOMTON
TOOTOPTORTOTTOWTOYTRYTSKTUBTUGTUITUNTUP
TUTTUXTWATWOTYE
UDOUGHUKEULUUMMUMPUNSUPOUPSURBURDURNUSE
UTAUTS
VACVANVARVASVATVAUVAVVAWVEEVEGVETVEXVIA
VIEVIGVIMVISVOEVOWVOXVUG
WABWADWAEWAGWANWAPWARWASWATWAWWAXWAYWEB
WEDWEEWENWETWHAWHOWHYWIGWINWISWITWIZWOE
WOKWONWOOWOPWOSWOTWOWWRYWUDWYEWYN
XIS
YAHYAKYAMYAPYARYAWYAYYEAYEHYENYEPYESYET
YEWYIDYINYIPYOBYODYOKYOMYONYOUYOWYUKYUM
YUP
ZAGZAPZASZAXZEDZEEZEKZIGZINZIPZITZOAZOO

2 Letter Words

AAABADAEAGAHAIALAMANARASAT
AWAXAYBABEBIBOBYDADEDIDOED
EFEHELEMENERESETEXFAFEFIGO
GIHAHEHIHMHOIDIFINISITJOKA
KILALILOMAMEMIMMMOMUMYNANE
NONUODOEOFOHOIOMONOPOROSOW
OXOYPAPEPIQIRESHSISOTATITO
UHUMUNUPUSUTWEWOXIXUYAYEYO
ZA

Board Reference

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About the Author

enjoys playing games in Mac OS X and on his iPhone, surprise surprise!

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2,100 Comments

  1. Brian says:
    January 10, 2012 at 2:19 pm

    How do you delete a “Game Over” game on Facebook?

    Reply
  2. ray g says:
    January 10, 2012 at 2:11 am

    How do you delete a game if its not over.and not your turn, Ive had a few people that haven’t played for a while an it won’t let me resign unless its my turn.

    Reply
    • RockLoobster says:
      January 11, 2012 at 11:55 pm

      You can’t delete or stop a game in progress when it isn’t your turn. Eventually, 12 days or so, it will time out and assign the loss to the one who didn’t move. It is a waiting game, however, with no other good options, sorry.

      Reply
  3. Henry says:
    January 9, 2012 at 4:28 pm

    Has anyone had the pleasure (?) of playing with someone who uses either the app “MESSWITHWORDS” or who has hacked the ENABLE WWF word list?
    If so how can we get back at them?

    Reply
  4. Lauren says:
    January 8, 2012 at 9:48 pm

    If you go to the blue “MORE” spot, it then gives you the option to “Swap boards you are playing on” what does this actually do???

    Reply
  5. Deborah says:
    January 8, 2012 at 8:28 pm

    I do not see the point in letting an app play for you – what a waste of time. Games have been invented to exercise your mind, not for your to use as a prop to make yourself look more intelligent!
    Good reply Henry.

    Reply
    • Rockloobster says:
      January 8, 2012 at 8:41 pm

      The discussion was not about using an app to play, although it was brought up, for some reason. It was about if it’s fair or not to swap high point tiles at the end, like a Z, Q, X, etc., knowing that your opponent would get stuck with them, in order to increase your chance of winning.

      Reply
    • Rockloobster says:
      January 8, 2012 at 8:55 pm

      As a side note, with this new feature that they introduced to WWF “Word Meter”, I feel the game is getting closer to playing against an app, anyway. If someone uses this feature, you’re not really playing them. The “Tile Pile” is something you can work out yourself without much trouble, but the “Word Meter” is letting the program tell you if your word is the highest scorer or not. If I found one of my opponents was secretly playing with an app, I likely wouldn’t play with them any more. I personally would be embarrassed if I had to have an app to find words for me to play.

      Reply
    • jackie1659 says:
      January 10, 2012 at 3:13 pm

      you are so right – what is the sense in playing if you are using help.

      Reply
  6. via87 says:
    January 8, 2012 at 9:38 am

    i was playing with an opponent and when it was his turn to play he disappeared off my ipad with no notifications that he resigned or nothing.Is there a way that you can leave a game and remove yourself completely from your opponets screen?

    Reply
  7. Miick says:
    January 7, 2012 at 6:51 pm

    Not fair to swap letters at the end?
    What a question! Of course it is. “Fair” means within the rules.

    It’s as fair as bouncing an in-bounds pass off an opponents back in basketball.
    As fair as an intentional walk in baseball.
    As fair as pulling a player’s jersey over his head so you can punch his face in hockey.
    As fair as bumping the car in front in NASCAR.
    As fair as icing a place-kicker with a time out in football. (Actually, it’s more fair than that last example.)

    Off hand, the only unfair one can do in this game is use “help” whilst claiming not to.

    Reply
    • Henry says:
      January 8, 2012 at 5:25 pm

      Miick

      What a poor reply.

      Firstly I will not comment on your “It’s as fair as…” because I am English and do not understand the rules of Basketball or Baseball or Ice hockey (although punching anyone in the face anywhere at anytime is a criminal assault).

      What I will say is that in (English) football if the team that is just ahead – keeps possesion of the ball and prevents any play in the dying moments of the game, they are booed by the spectators. Now that tells me that the spectators are saying “Not fair”, “Not fair” and I agree. The rules say they can do that but… and yes the rules in WWF say you can swap tiles if enough tiles remain to be swapped but to do so at the end with the certainty that your opponent will recover those tiles is “not in the spirit of the game”. Indeed punching someone in the face may be OK with you but if that is permitted then the rules are crap. Imagine that the guy who got punched had his nose pushed into his brain and dies. I’d sue the player, the team and the sports association! Rules or not.

      Bad reasoning my friend.

      No there are limits to what is sportmanship and what is being unsportsmanike.

      Last example: In English football a player is injured following a play. The ball is given to the opposition according to the rules but the team feel that they have possesion through the bad luck of the other player. Here in the UK that team may deliberately (and often, even in the Premier league, to their cost) put the ball into touch, returning the play to the other team. That my friend is sportmanship to be applauded. NOT dumping a Z and a Q on a player, as I have at the moment ,and could do but wouldn’t, is sportmanship.

      You can use word lists in WWF and use an app that plays for you but that’s not really the game to play. Don’t seek a game with me because I might just get kicked in the face.

      Reply
      • diragdoll says:
        January 8, 2012 at 5:37 pm

        Of course it’s fair play to swap tiles ANYTIME in the game including at the end as long as there are tiles left. haven’t you ever played scrabble before – you can swap at the end in that too!!! And hey! It’s nothing like football.

        Reply
        • Henry says:
          January 9, 2012 at 4:54 am

          I think it is bad gamesmanship and I would not rematch anyone who did that to me. End of story.

          Gamesmanship is the use of dubious (although not technically illegal) methods to win or gain a serious advantage in a game. It has been described as “Pushing the rules to the limit without getting caught, using whatever dubious methods possible to achieve the desired end”

          Dumping 10 point letters when your opponent has no chance of using them falls in this catergory.

        • diragdoll says:
          January 9, 2012 at 2:56 pm

          henry, who do you KNOW your opponent has no chance of using them. What if you swapped a U and they have a Q without a U. What if you swap an e and it gives them a word they would otherwise not have been able to make? I can’t believe this issue is even being debated. It’s fair and that’s that!

        • Henry says:
          January 10, 2012 at 4:30 am

          Diragdoll

          Swapping during the game when there are lots of letters left can be a mix of various reasons. Some like:
          1. You cannot make a move that makes more than a few points and your next move may well have the same problem.
          2. You have all vowels or all constants (add 1 above)
          3. The next player to play may well have to open the game and you dont want to.
          4. You are near a great score and need any of several letters to do it.

          As the board gets filled up you can calculate what letters are still in the bag and by studying the board you can see if any of the high value letters you put back can be used to their advantage or not. I’ll swap Vs and Cs but not a J or a Q. I keep word endings or beginings like RE DE ED ER IER ING etc. Of course there is a risk but by looking at the board, knowing what letters are left the risk is reduced. I think that is a skill that can be fined tuned. In Scrabble competition, as has been said, players will write down what letters have been played so thatt hey can “see” what is left to draw. You could do the same here with WWF.

          Your last sentence comes under the subject of GAMESMANSHIP and I have given already given my opinion on that in this post.

          As an aside and to illustrate “Fair”, here in France as of 4th Jan it is illegal to have a SatNav that tells you where a speed trap is. It doesn’t have to even be switched on. Even devices that other drivers add speed trap sites to are illegal now. 1500€ or 2000$ fine! It’s the rule but it sure aint fair!!!!

          Have a great day everyone.

      • Gary says:
        January 9, 2012 at 11:39 am

        Henry,

        “Poor reply” is getting awfully close to an ad hominem attack. To your credit you go on to give counter-arguments.

        Now let’s look at your statement “… punching someone in the face may be OK with you but if that is permitted then the rules are crap.” I agree completely! So let’s look at how that principle might apply here. There is no rule against the subject practice/tactic, but there IS a rule that tiles left in a loser’s rack count against them. Maybe that’s the problem: WwF is a game combining skill and chance – chance in any given game may give my oponent a high-value letter that they have absolutely no opportunity to play. Is it fair that they are penalized at the end of the game for that chance occurence?

        I used the term “questionable” in an earlier post on this practice. By that I meant that I’m not entirely convinced on this question, and I’m still not. So I have a practical question: At what remaining-tile count does this practice become unfair? Where would you begin to feel unlike a sportsman by discarding a ten-point letter?

        Reply
        • Miick says:
          January 9, 2012 at 3:27 pm

          Gary,

          Thanks. My hominem did feel a tad bruised.

          Kinda funny since such tactics are one of the lowest forms of “gamesmanship”. Makes life easier for me since, like Henry, I don’t play. End of story.

          When is swapping not “gamesmanship”? Good question. And is it “gamesmanship” when I keep the Q and swap everything else when there is only six tiles left in the bag?

          One more question… is “gamesmanship” bad by definition? Or is it sometimes good?

          Interesting discussion. I’d like to see more input from fans of the NHL.

        • Henry says:
          January 9, 2012 at 4:21 pm

          Forget the ad hominem bit. it was a poor reply because you stated that anything goes providing the rules say so. I have said from the start that when a play can be classed as bad gamesmanship then it should not be played.

          If it’s wrong to smash someone in the face, slow down play, dump tiles that cannot be used, even if the rules allow it, in order to win, then that is bad gamesmanship. I do not condone bad gamesmanship. Period.

          You said QUOTE “Not fair to swap letters at the end?
          What a question! Of course it is. “Fair” means within the rules. ”

          Wrong. Rules are one thing. Fair = gamesmanship and is something else that might be hard for some people to understand so see my earlier posts. The two are NOT at all the same at all.

          Swapping tiles becomes unfair when there is no possibility of your opponent swapping them back. In other words it is bad gamesmanship when you have 2 letters to “dump” and there are only 2 letters left.

          If the rule should change it could be swapping is permitted when there are seven letters or more left in the bag.But it wont be changed so paly in a sporting way. I have been playing Scrabble for about 50 years now and the rules are the same and I still feel strongly about playing in a gentlemanly way.

          Gary. Gamesmanship is good if a player plays in a sporting like way. Bad if not: Example: Take an English football match. Real story. Team A player is injured so a team B player puts the ball into touch to halt the game ‘cos the ref hasn’t seen the problem. Injured player is treated and play resumes. Team A now has posession but puts the ball back into touch to give the paly back to team B. That is GOOD gamesmanship.

          Come on guys it is a game not a war! Play to win with skill, not by using the rules that are not perfect.

          If anyone plays “Dump” with me I will resign even if I am ahead. End of…

          My comments on this end here.

        • Diragdoll says:
          January 10, 2012 at 4:39 am

          Henry, you have completely lost it. It is NOT poor gamesmanship at all. Please reread my comment regarding the fact that you may even be helping the other player if it’s a letter they can use. Anyway it’s in the rules unlike some words that aren’t in the dictionary but are allowed

        • Henry says:
          January 10, 2012 at 5:36 am

          Diragdoll,

          I have not lost it. Please accept that there is a difference between being fair and playing the rules in order to get an unfair (sic) advantage.

          As to helping the opponent by putting back letters that may help him, then you have not calculated what letters are left well enough or the risk involved.

          Finally “it’s in the rules so it’s OK”. I do not agree and I’ve explained why several times now.

          Fact: There are no words that are allowed in WWF that are not in the application’s wordlist (it is not a dictionary, it is the ENBALE wordlist as ammended by WWF). If that statement is wrong then please give me ONE example and I will give up drinking wine forever. It’s a safe bet for me as the rule is “Any word in the ENBALE wordlist as ammended by WWF is legal and playable” What you may be saying is that certain words should not be in the list! They are, ergo they are OK.

        • Henry says:
          January 10, 2012 at 5:39 am

          Should have added “If the word is not in that list it is rejected.

  8. jackie1659 says:
    January 7, 2012 at 4:42 pm

    It says on my facebook page that i have accomplished 22 of 39 expectations. What the expectationsand is there some place I can go to find out and see what I have accomplished?

    Reply
  9. Gary says:
    January 6, 2012 at 11:05 am

    In response to Henry regarding the un-sportsmanship of defensively swapping an unusable high-value letter near the end of a game:

    I’d agree that it’s questionable. It’s not entirely without risk, though. If an opponent has a U or a blank tile, you could be handing them a win along with a Q; there a lot of two-letter words that involve X or Z as well.

    Is kneeling with the football near the end of a game to run out the clock unsportsmanlike? The rules allow it, but I’m not entirely happy with it.

    In WwF, the rule that penalizes you for tiles held at the end incents this tactic. What IS the reason for the rule, anyway? If there’s no other arguable benefit, then the only reason I can see for it is to add a tactical opportunity.

    I’m anxious to hear others’ opinions.

    Reply
    • Henry says:
      January 6, 2012 at 12:32 pm

      “Questionable”. My feelings exactly. Swapping early in the game is usually swapping when you have all vowels and the same ones too or all constants etc. so you are not “dumping” a letter on your opponent.

      As to minimizing the risk as to what is left in the bag or with your opponent do what I do, count the I’s , U’s and possible AT’s (QAT) or A’s if it’s a Z so as not to take a chance.

      I don’t think the rule concerning letters you are left with is a problem. It gives an incentive to a player to be the first to finish. So it is a reward. I have played many games where I am just behind and I check what is left – mainly if they are letters of 3 points or more – and thus can work out what I need to score in order to win.

      Reply
    • Rockloobster says:
      January 8, 2012 at 8:47 pm

      Ok, I’ll put in my two cents worth, for whomever cares. I personally wouldn’t do it. Not because it’s unfair to the other player, but because I’m pretty adamant about finding places for high scoring letters myself, and not giving my opponent the opportunity to take advantage of them. That being said, I would not feel unfairly treated if an opponent swapped an unwanted letter to me at the end. I feel it’s as much of a strategy as blocking or putting a low scoring word a triple word just to scuttle it just so they can’t use it. This is one strategy, however, which may likely blow up in your face.

      Reply
      • Gary says:
        January 9, 2012 at 11:59 am

        Rockloobster -
        Thanks for your post. I agree; as I mentioned in the post that started this thread, the practice is not without risk.

        I’m curious, though. Where do you come down on the “fairness” of the tactic? Since it does entail some risk, can it really be unfair? To use a baseball analogy, the intentional walk may seem unfair if it deprives a high-average batter the opportunity to hit, but it also puts a runner on base who may eventually score.

        Henry –
        Tracking tiles eventually puts you in a position, eventually, to know exactly what’s on the opponent’s rack. That’s like looking at an opponent’s tiles when they take a bathroom break. Would you suspend your tile-tracking at some point? When what number of tiles are left?

        Reply
        • Miick says:
          January 9, 2012 at 2:15 pm

          Gary
          There’s nothing wrong with tile tracking. After all, we all do it without even trying. (I know you don’t have the Z ’cause I have it.) At Scrabble tournaments the players are often provided forms for keeping track.

          As for Word-O-Meter… I’d like the system to tell me what a play is worth before I hit “Send Move”. Telling me there’s a better play, now THAT is cheating.

        • Rockloobster says:
          January 9, 2012 at 2:22 pm

          Gary,
          I don’t think it is unfair at all. I do, however, think it is a foolish strategy and would not use it, personally.

          For those who feel it is poor sportsmanship, I presume they wouldn’t block a triple word from being used, through board strategy, either, and I do that quite often. They are very similar tactics, in my opinion.

          That being said, it is a difference in opinion, and I wouldn’t have a problem playing an opponent on either side of the argument. Neither should have a problem playing me, either, as I do no employ that tactic, simply because I cannot give that opportunity to my opponent.

        • Rockloobster says:
          January 9, 2012 at 2:26 pm

          I think tile tracking is perfectly fair and do it all the time. As far as the word o meter, it’s easy enough to figure out your potential score on your own, without the program adding it up for you. (people do it all the time on the actual game boards) I agree that the computer telling you there is a better word out there is paramount to cheating, and don’t like that they’ve introduced that feature to the game.

  10. 365andMe says:
    January 6, 2012 at 10:10 am

    A huge thanks for posting this. I just started and your guide helps me to look less foolish than I normally would.

    Reply
  11. Candy says:
    January 5, 2012 at 5:16 pm

    What do I do with a blank tile

    Reply
    • Gary says:
      January 6, 2012 at 10:52 am

      When you drag a blank tile into place on the board, a window pops up that allows you to assign any letter to it. That tile has no point value, i.e. if you call it “J”, you don’t get ten points for it.

      From a tactical point of view, blanks are most useful when they are used to create a word that can reach a bonus square (keeping in mind that placing a blank on a DW or TW is a waste of that tile in the sense that the bonus effect is nullified for the entire word.

      Early in a game if I get a blank I tend to hoard it. If the Q’s are not out yet, and you don’t have a U, keeping a blank to play as a U can be very valuable. Once the Q’s are played of course, or if you get a U along with your Q, that frees up the blank for other use.

      Another use is to allow completing a Bingo – playing all seven tiles. Even if the other letters are of small value, the move earns a 35-point bonus

      Reply
      • RockLoobster says:
        January 7, 2012 at 12:02 am

        Good advice, but it is not true that you don’t get Double Word or Triple Word credit when you cover the space with a blank. You will still get double or triple the word score. You don’t get a bonus with Double or Triple Letter spaces, as the blanks have no value, but you certainly do when you place the blanks on Double and Triple Word spaces.

        Reply
      • Debbie says:
        January 7, 2012 at 7:48 pm

        The word will still double or triple with a blank on th DW or TW spot. There are just no points for the blank.

        Reply
  12. Wanda says:
    January 4, 2012 at 7:52 pm

    How do you swap a letter?

    Reply
    • Gary says:
      January 5, 2012 at 11:03 am

      When it’s your turn to play, press the swap button. Tap the letter that you want to swap for another, it will move up to the “To be swapped” rack. (Don’t try to drag the letter up, it doesn’t work that way.) Then tap the button (whose name I don’t recall because it’s not my turn in a game right now, but it’s obvious) to complete the swap. Note that doing a swap completes your turn.

      Reply
      • Gary says:
        January 5, 2012 at 11:18 am

        I wouldn’t advise swapping a single letter unless you absolutely can’t find a place to play that letter. Of course, if the game is close at the end and you have a J in your rack, or a Q and all the U’s have been played, then go ahead and swap them so they don’t count against you. But swapping one letter is the same as playing one letter, and at least you get some points.

        Reply
        • Henry says:
          January 6, 2012 at 8:53 am

          Allthough I have rarely swapped a Q etc. at the end so I wont get stuck with it, I do feel that it is not very sportsman-like. True it gives you a 20 point advantage but is it really fair?

          True also about swapping one letter. The question I ask before doing a swap is what dont I want to keep and can I play those letters. If the answer is no then I go for a swap. Many times I have been agreeably rewarded even getting a bingo in my hand.

      • shane says:
        January 5, 2012 at 3:26 pm

        How do i get rid of old words with friend games on my iphone?

        Reply
        • Lisa says:
          January 7, 2012 at 8:29 pm

          Swipe your finger across the old game. The delete button will be on the right of the game. Touch it and the old game will disappear. I googled it to find out!

  13. Gary says:
    January 4, 2012 at 3:40 pm

    Lately I’ll get a pop-up notification that an opponent has made a move. I go to the game – nothing. Maybe hours later (I’m not kidding!) the move will show up. If I’m playing more than one person, sometimes all their moves will appear at once.

    Anyone else have this? Seems like a server problem, but why do I get the pop-up so soon?

    Reply
    • RockLoobster says:
      January 4, 2012 at 4:21 pm

      I think the issue is actually the reverse. I go to the ap and see a lot of people have played that I wasn’t notified about. I play, then much later it notifies me that they played, even though I’ve already taken the subsequent turn. I think it’s telling you way late, not early. Having similar problems with Hanging WF and Chess WF.

      Reply
      • Gary says:
        January 5, 2012 at 10:57 am

        I hadn’t thought of that possibility, but I don’t think that’s the case here: last evening I opened WwF and saw that my son had made a move “16 hours ago”. I had been in and out of the game a number of times during the day (no monkey on my back!) and had not seen this play. So there was easily a delay of hours, possibly as many as 14.

        Reply
    • Gary says:
      January 5, 2012 at 11:02 am

      When it’s your turn to play, press the swap button. Tap the letter that you want to swap for another, it will move up to the “To be swapped” rack. (Don’t try to drag the letter up, it doesn’t work that way.) Then tap the button (whose name I don’t recall because it’s not my turn in a game right now, but it’s obvious) to complete the swap. Note that doing a swap completes your turn.

      Reply
  14. LeeAnn says:
    January 4, 2012 at 2:09 pm

    If your word falls on DW twice do you score DW twice in that one play?

    Reply
    • Gary says:
      January 4, 2012 at 3:37 pm

      Yup – Total your letters and multiply by four.

      Reply
      • RockLoobster says:
        January 5, 2012 at 10:15 am

        A friend and I set up a board recently to make a 15 letter word which fell across two TWs and a DW at the same time, for a total of 18x the word value. Add to that the fact that we used all 7 tiles for a bingo, and we had a 590 point word! We did that twice on that game and broke 1000 points on a single player’s score. (I know, we have too much time on our hands)

        Reply
  15. siberart says:
    January 4, 2012 at 8:27 am

    How does one challenge a word? Or does the game itself recognize “non” words? This site and your help is awesome. I am a newbie.

    Also got “server busy” a lot yesterday. Is there any time better than another? Am in London at the moment but back in the US soon.

    Love this game and Thanks

    Reply
  16. Audrey Rogers says:
    January 4, 2012 at 7:09 am

    How do you challenge an opponent’s word

    Reply
    • RockLoobster says:
      January 4, 2012 at 4:16 pm

      See above comment: There is no word challenge. The site uses a word list and doesn’t allow non words to be placed.

      Reply
  17. jean says:
    January 3, 2012 at 2:32 am

    so how do I find a game to start playing

    Reply
    • Gary says:
      January 5, 2012 at 11:10 am

      Scroll aaaalll the way down and press “Create Game”. If you are just starting WwF because a friend invited you, get their WwF user name and enter it. If you don’t know anyone, you can press Random Opponent and you will either be paired with someone else who has done the same, or you will see a blank board and a full rack of letters. Make a word, and wait to be paired with someone.

      You’ll see a couple of other options as well: Facebook Friends and Contact List.

      Reply
  18. peggy says:
    January 2, 2012 at 1:29 pm

    About to become a “newbie” with this game … your guide is fabulous. Very well written & comprehensive. Thank you so much for sharing your time & knowledge!

    Reply
  19. Ana says:
    January 2, 2012 at 10:08 am

    What if I no longer have any possible words to make and I have 1 tile left while my opponent has 4 or 5 left and more chances to play? If I pass more than 3 times I lose the game even though I’m ahead by 60 points? Is that right?

    Reply
    • RockLoobster says:
      January 2, 2012 at 1:36 pm

      No. Passing three times won’t make you lose, it just ends the game. Also, it’s not just you passing three times, it’s both of you. (one of you once, and the other twice, consecutively.)

      Reply
  20. Pam says:
    January 1, 2012 at 8:18 pm

    Can you tell me why my game keeps dinging like an egg timer when i am playing? It didn’t do this at first. I am new, so did I hit something that caused this? Iam playing on an iphone.

    Reply
  21. Henry says:
    January 1, 2012 at 6:47 am

    HOW TO PLAY WORDS WITH FRIENDS ON YOUR PC OR MAC

    Despite saying you can’t play WWF on your PC or Mac on this forum several times I have to say I am wrong!

    WWF is playable through FACEBOOK. My user name there is Aitchb65.
    or Henryb65 on your iMachine!

    Check out my tips at http://wordswithfriendsmytips.blogspot.com

    HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL and TO IRONCELL too for this great blog.

    Reply
  22. Michele A says:
    December 31, 2011 at 12:12 pm

    Just started playing – IIRC, Scrabble didn’t allow “parallel words.” Am I remembering correctly?

    Reply
  23. AJ says:
    December 30, 2011 at 4:35 pm

    How can you end a game when your opponent has not made a move in more than 2 days? I’m new to game, I have two such opponents (I’m winning both games by quite a lot) and I’d like to end them if they’re not going to finish… PS why don’t people just “resign” if they dont want to continue playing?

    Reply
    • Henry says:
      January 1, 2012 at 6:28 am

      The games will disappear after a while. Not sure how many days. BUT you cant end a game if it is not your move.

      You can have plenty of games running. I’ve got 24 games on my ‘Their move’ list so just play on and be patient.

      You could send them a chat message ‘Want to play? If not please resign’ and see what happens.

      Reply
  24. viv says:
    December 30, 2011 at 3:41 pm

    can i play this on my imac?

    Reply
  25. Deborah says:
    December 29, 2011 at 4:15 am

    i can’t remember now if I chose to play as a beginner. Is there an option where I can try to challenge more experienced opponents?

    Reply
  26. George says:
    December 28, 2011 at 1:36 pm

    Why can I place a tile over another tile that has already been placed? Is it a glitch?

    Reply
    • Dajake says:
      December 31, 2011 at 1:55 pm

      Why doesn’t wwf keep a win/loss record of your games and list the records (if one chooses) and average pts per game scored/allowed and other stats?

      Reply
    • Henry says:
      January 1, 2012 at 6:22 am

      sometimes the letters get left on the board even when they are pulled back to your rack. Either click games and reload the game you were currently playing (the letters will no longer be there on the board) or ignore them and play over them.

      They are in fact not really there! It’s a bug but doesn’t affect the play.

      Reply
  27. Hunter says:
    December 28, 2011 at 12:35 pm

    Hi there! I love this game! So much fun! Was just wondering why I couldn’t play the word Jewish? I thought this was a word.

    Reply
    • Mary says:
      December 30, 2011 at 7:53 am

      It is a proper noun.

      Reply
    • Henry says:
      December 30, 2011 at 7:14 pm

      This is a real problem with WWF. They have banned the word Jew and if you are correct the word jewish because they say they are derogatory to them! In fact jewish is also an adjective “He is a nice jewish boy”. Scrabble allows them both! BTW WWF also ban ‘ Nazi’ and similar words. Quite ridiculous.

      Reply
  28. Don Ellsworth says:
    December 28, 2011 at 12:56 am

    Question…..who starts the next game? The winner or loser of the previous game?

    Reply
    • Don Ellsworth says:
      December 28, 2011 at 11:59 am

      Question, who starts the next game? The winner or loser of the previous game?

      Reply
      • CigarDoug says:
        January 1, 2012 at 9:09 am

        Either. The game notifies both players when the game ends, just click ‘rematch’ to start a new game. Usually the winner should, because they see the prompt as soon as they play the last tile. If you both clicked ‘skip’, just click on an old game and it will prompt you to start a new one.

        Reply
  29. Anita w says:
    December 25, 2011 at 12:22 pm

    Thanks, I am new to the game.

    This website has been most helpful.

    Reply
  30. Patrica says:
    December 24, 2011 at 9:26 am

    How do you remove the old games?

    Reply
    • cienna says:
      December 28, 2011 at 1:23 am

      slide your finger over the listed finished game, starting from the center and moving towards the right. A red colored Delete button will appear. Press it to remove the game

      Reply
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