Words With Friends Finder
Rack in, best word out
Same engine as the Scrabble finder, but every result is ranked using Words With Friends tile values — where J and X behave very differently.
Why Words With Friends is not Scrabble
The two games look alike and score differently. Words With Friends uses its own dictionary, its own tile values and a different board layout, so a play that is strong in one can be mediocre or illegal in the other. It also allows words that tournament Scrabble rejects, which is why a dedicated finder returns different results.
Tile values differ too. Some letters are worth more or less than their Scrabble counterparts, which changes which short words are worth playing on a multiplier.
Where the points actually come from
The triple-word squares sit closer to the centre than they do in Scrabble, so the board opens up faster and high-value plays appear earlier. Getting a Q or Z onto a triple-letter square that also crosses a word is the routine way to score forty or fifty points without a long word.
Using all seven tiles pays a thirty-five point bonus. That is lower than Scrabble's fifty, which shifts the maths: hoarding tiles waiting for a bingo costs you more here than it does there.
Playing the swap
Swapping tiles costs a turn and nothing else. A rack of five consonants and no vowel will not improve on its own, and grinding out eight-point plays while waiting for it to fix itself loses more than the swap would. If your rack has no plausible play above about fifteen points, swapping is usually the better move.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Words With Friends dictionary the same as Scrabble's?
No. It is a separate list, more permissive in some places and stricter in others. Words rejected in tournament Scrabble regularly play fine here, and occasionally the reverse.
How much is a bingo worth?
Thirty-five points for using all seven tiles, against fifty in Scrabble. The lower bonus means holding tiles for a bingo is a worse bet in this game than in that one.
How do I enter a blank tile?
Type ? for each blank. It matches any letter and scores zero, so its value lies in what it lets you play rather than in points.
Should I always play the longest word?
No, and this is the most common way players lose points. A short word on a triple-letter square with an expensive tile frequently beats a long word on plain squares. Look at the board before the rack.
Does the finder see my board?
No. It works from your rack. Choosing where to place the word — and whether a shorter one scores better there — is the part that stays with you.