What do you do when both players have one letter left but can't play it? (2024)

FAQs

What do you do when both players have one letter left but can't play it? ›

Hi - If neither player can make a move, the game is declared over and both players subtract the value of their remaining tile/s (in your case, that's four points each) from their score.

8. If you think you can't make a word, trade however many tiles you want with the bag, then skip your turn (try not to trade your tiles). 9. You may not trade tiles with other players.

If you don't want to make a move or exchange your tiles, you can always pass your turn. You get zero points for passing, and the next player takes their turn. However, per Scrabble rules, the game ends if there are six consecutive scores of zero, so make sure somebody makes a play on the board before the sixth pass!

So you can't win just by taking the lead and passing because your opponent will still be playing. In tournament play, the rule is a bit different: the game ends if both players score zero for three consecutive turns, either by passing, exchanging tiles, or losing a challenge.

The game could also end if three successive turns have occurred with no scoring and as long as the score is not zero-zero. An example of this is when you pass your turn then your opponent also passes. If you again pass then the game is over.

Unplayed Letters: When the game ends, each player's score is reduced by the sum of his or her unplayed letters. In addition, if a player has used all of his or her letters, the sum of the other players' unplayed letters is added to that player's score. The player with the highest final score wins the game.

The Important Answer About IQ

No. To make it clear right now, IQ is not a valid word in Scrabble. This is according to the official Scrabble dictionary, even though IQ is a legitimate word in the dictionary. That's because, generally speaking, you cannot use abbreviations in Scrabble.