The Scrabble Game Letter Frequency
The scrabble game's research is about the overall letter distribution
statistics, rather than the first letter (the initial letter) distribution,
still it can be a good reference to how good a certain letter is. The following
is divided into different region, different culture/language background. Of
course those languages who have scrabble name (such as Arabic) but can not be
represented by the English letters are omitted.
English
The board of the deciding game in the World Scrabble Championship
2005.English-language editions of Scrabble contain 100 letter tiles, in the
following distribution:
2 blank tiles (scoring 0 points)
1 point: E ×12, A ×9, I ×9, O ×8, N ×6, R ×6, T ×6, L ×4, S ×4, U ×4
2 points: D ×4, G ×3
3 points: B ×2, C ×2, M ×2, P ×2
4 points: F ×2, H ×2, V ×2, W ×2, Y ×2
5 points: K ×1
8 points: J ×1, X ×1
10 points: Q ×1, Z ×1
This distribution of letters has not changed since Alfred Mosher Butts invented
the game in 1938.
A full English-language set.A new Mattel-licensed product, Super Scrabble, was
launched in 2004. This set comprises 200 tiles, in this distribution:
4 "blank" tiles (scoring 0 points)
1 point: E ×24, A ×16, O ×15, T ×15, I ×13, N ×13, R ×13, S ×10, L ×7, U ×7
2 points: D ×8, G ×5
3 points: C ×6, M ×6, B ×4, P ×4
4 points: H ×5, F ×4, W ×4, Y ×4, V ×3
5 points: K ×2
8 points: J ×2, X ×2
10 points: Q ×2, Z ×2
Afrikaans
Afrikaans editions use these 102 tiles:
2 blank tiles (scoring 0 points)
1 point: E ×16, A ×9, I ×8, D ×6, N ×8, O ×6, R ×6, S ×6, T ×6
2 points: G ×4, H ×3, L ×3
3 points: K ×3, W ×3
4 points: M ×2, U ×2, Y ×2
5 points: P ×2, V ×2
8 points: B ×1, F ×1
10 points: J ×1
Afrikaans uses the letter Z but so infrequently that there is no tile for it in
the standard set. A blank can still be used as a Z.
Catalan
Catalan-language editions use these 100 tiles.
2 blank tiles (scoring 0 points)
1 point: E ×13, A ×12, I ×8, R ×8, S ×8, N ×6, O ×5, T ×5, L ×4, U ×4
2 points: C ×3, D ×3, M ×3
3 points: B ×2, G ×2, P ×2
4 points: F ×1, V ×1
8 points: H ×1, J ×1, Q ×1, Z ×1
10 points: Ç ×1, L·L ×1, NY ×1, X ×1
Tildes and diaereses are ignored; for example, À is played as A. Nevertheless,
there are special tiles for Catalan letters Ç (ce trencada) and L·L (ela
geminada), as well as the digraph NY.
Croatian
Croatian-language Scrabble sets use the following 103 tiles:
2 blank tiles (scoring 0 points)
1 point: A ×11, I ×10, E ×9, O ×9, N ×6, R ×5, S ×5, T ×5, J ×4, U ×4
2 points: K ×3, M ×3, P ×3, V ×3
3 points: D ×3, G ×2, L ×2, Z ×2, B ×1, Č ×1
4 points: C ×1, H ×1, LJ ×1, NJ ×1, Š ×1, Ž ×1
5 points: Ć ×1
8 points: F ×1
10 points: DŽ ×1, Ð ×1
Czech
Czech-language sets use the following 100 tiles:
2 blank tiles (scoring 0 points)
1 point: O ×6, A ×5, E ×5, N ×5, I ×4, S ×4, T ×4, V ×4, D ×3, K ×3, L ×3, P ×3,
R ×3,
2 points: C ×3, H ×3, Í ×3, M ×3, U ×3, Á ×2, J ×2, Y ×2, Z ×2
3 points: B ×2, É ×2, Ě ×2
4 points: Ř ×2, Š ×2, Ý ×2, Č ×1, Ů ×1, Ž ×1
5 points: F ×1, G ×1, Ú ×1
6 points: Ň ×1
7 points: Ó ×1, Ť ×1
8 points: Ď ×1
10 points: X ×1
Danish
Danish-language Scrabble sets use these 100 tiles.
2 blank tiles (scoring 0 points)
1 point: E ×9, A ×7, N ×6, R ×6
2 points: D ×5, L ×5, O ×5, S ×5, T ×5
3 points: B ×4, K ×4, I ×4, F ×3, G ×3, M ×3, U ×3, V ×3
4 points: H ×2, J ×2, P ×2, Y ×2, Æ ×2, Ø ×2, Å ×2
8 points: C ×2, X ×1, Z ×1
This distribution lacks Q and W, which are rare in the Danish language.
Dutch
Dutch-language editions consist of the following 102 tiles:
2 blank tiles (scoring 0 points)
1 point: E ×18, N ×10, A ×6, O ×6, I ×4
2 points: D ×5, R ×5, S ×5, T ×5
3 points: G ×3, K ×3, L ×3, M ×3, B ×2, P ×2
4 points: U ×3, H ×2, J ×2, V ×2, Z ×2, F ×2
5 points: C ×2, W ×2
8 points: X ×1, Y ×1
10 points: Q ×1
Prior to March 1998, there was a difference between the Dutch and the Flemish
version: the Dutch version had 2 IJ tiles with a value of 4 points. Furthermore,
it had only 1 F and only 4 S tiles; and the face value of the G was only 2
points. The Flemish version never had IJ tiles, it was as described above. The
Dutch version is now in line with the Flemish one.
Finnish
Finnish-language sets use these 100 tiles:
2 blank tiles (scoring 0 points)
1 point: A ×10, I ×10, N ×9, S ×7, T ×9, E ×8
2 points: K ×5, L ×5, O ×5, Ä ×5
3 points: U ×4, M ×3
4 points: H ×2, J ×2, P ×2, R ×2, V ×2, Y ×2
7 points: D ×1, Ö ×1
8 points: B ×1, F ×1, G ×1
10 points: C ×1
French
A complete French Scrabble setFrench-language editions of Scrabble contain these
102 tiles:
2 blank tiles (scoring 0 points)
1 point: E ×15, A ×9, I ×8, N ×6, O ×6, R ×6, S ×6, T ×6, U ×6, L ×5
2 points: D ×3, G ×2, M ×3
3 points: B ×2, C ×2, P ×2
4 points: F ×2, H ×2, V ×2
8 points: J ×1, Q ×1
10 points: K ×1, W ×1, X ×1, Y ×1, Z ×1
Diacritical marks are ignored.
German
German-language editions of Scrabble contain 102 letter tiles, in the following
distribution:
2 blank tiles (scoring 0 points)
1 point: E ×15, N ×9, S ×7, I ×6, R ×6, T ×6, U ×6, A ×5, D ×4
2 points: H ×4, G ×3, L ×3, O ×3
3 points: M ×4, B ×2, W ×1, Z ×1
4 points: C ×2, F ×2, K ×2, P ×1
6 points: Ä ×1, J ×1, Ü ×1, V ×1
8 points: Ö ×1, X ×1
10 points: Q ×1, Y ×1
Before 1989–1990, German sets had 119 tiles. Eight tiles were played at a time,
as opposed to the standard seven today. The old letter distribution was:
2 blank tiles (scoring 0 points)
1 point: E ×16, N ×10, I ×9, S ×8, R ×7, A ×6, U ×6, D ×6
2 points: H ×5, T ×5, C ×4, L ×4, O ×4, G ×3, W ×2
3 points: M ×4, F ×3, B ×2, Z ×2, K ×2
4 points: P ×1, V ×1
5 points: Ü ×1
6 points: Ä ×1, J ×1
8 points: Ö ×1, X ×1
10 points: Q ×1, Y ×1
Hungarian
Hungarian-language uses these 100 tiles:
2 blank tiles (scoring 0 points).
1 points: A ×6, E ×6, K ×6, T ×5, Á ×4, L ×4, N ×4, R ×4, I ×3, M ×3, O ×3, S ×3
2 points: B ×3, D ×3, G ×3, Ó ×3
3 points: É ×3, H ×2, SZ ×2, V ×2
4 points: F ×2, GY ×2, J ×2, Ö ×2, P ×2, U ×2, Ü ×2, Z ×2
5 points: C ×1, Í ×1, NY ×1
7 points: CS ×1, Ő ×1, Ú ×1, Ű ×1
8 points: LY ×1, ZS ×1
10 points: TY ×1
DZ and DZS, which are fairly rare in Hungarian, have no tiles, as do Q, W, X and
Y, which are only used in loanwords, as part of the extended Hungarian alphabet.
Icelandic
Icelandic-language sets use these 104 tiles:
2 blank tiles (scoring 0 points)
1 point: A ×10, I ×8, N ×8, R ×7, E ×6, S ×6, T ×5, U ×6
2 points: Ð ×5, G ×4, K ×3, L ×3, M ×3
3 points: F ×3, O ×3, H ×2, V ×2
4 points: D ×2, Á ×2, Í ×2, Þ ×1
5 points: J ×1, Æ ×1
6 points: B ×1, É ×1, Ó ×1
7 points: Y ×1, Ö ×1
8 points: P ×1, Ú ×1
9 points: Ý ×1
10 points: X ×1
Italian
Italian-language sets use these 120 tiles:
2 blank tiles (scoring 0 points)
1 point: O ×15, A ×14, I ×12, E ×11
2 points: C ×6, R ×6, S ×6, T ×6
3 points: L ×5, M ×5, N ×5, U ×5
5 points: B ×3, D ×3, F ×3, P ×3, V ×3
8 points: G ×2, H ×2, Z ×2
10 points: Q ×1
Malaysian
Malaysian-language sets use these 100 tiles:
2 blank tiles (scoring 0 points)
1 point: A ×19, N ×8, E ×7, I ×7, K ×6, U ×6, M ×5, R ×5, T ×5
2 points: L ×4, S ×4
3 points: G ×4, B ×3, D ×3
4 points: H ×2, O ×2, P ×2
5 points: J ×1, Y ×1
8 points: C ×1, W ×1
10 points: F ×1, Z ×1
Norwegian
Norwegian-language editions of Scrabble use these 100 tiles.
2 blank tiles (scoring 0 points)
1 point: E ×9, A ×7, N ×6, R ×6, S ×6, T ×6, D ×5, I ×5, L ×5
2 points: F ×4, G ×4, K ×4, M ×3, O ×4
3 points: H ×3
4 points: B ×3, U ×3, V ×3, J ×2, P ×2, Å ×2
5 points: Ø ×2
6 points: Y ×1, Æ ×1
8 points: W ×1
10 points: C ×1
The letters Q, X and Z are absent since these letters are rarely used in
Norwegian.
Polish
Polish-language editions of Scrabble use these 100 tiles.
2 blank tiles (scoring 0 points)
1 point: A ×9, I ×8, E ×7, O ×6, N ×5, Z ×5, R ×4, S ×4, W ×4
2 points: Y ×4, C ×3, D ×3, K ×3, L ×3, M ×3, P ×3, T ×3
3 points: B ×2, G ×2, H ×2, J ×2, Ł ×2, U ×2
5 points: Ą ×1, Ę ×1, F ×1, Ó ×1, Ś ×1, Ż ×1
6 points: Ć ×1
7 points: Ń ×1
9 points: Ź ×1
Portuguese
Portuguese-language editions of Scrabble contain 120 tiles.
3 blank tiles (scoring 0 points)
1 point: A ×14, E ×11, I ×10, O ×10, S ×8, U ×7, M ×6, R ×6, T ×5,
2 points: D ×5, L ×5, C ×4, P ×4
3 points: N ×4, B ×3, Ç ×2
4 points: F ×2, G ×2, H ×2, V ×2
5 points: J ×2
6 points: Q ×1
8 points: X ×1, Z ×1
Diacritical marks are ignored, but Ç is a separate tile.
Romanian
Romanian-language editions of Scrabble use these 100 tiles.
2 blank tiles (scoring 0 points)
1 point: A ×11, I ×10, E ×9, R ×7, T ×7, N ×6, U ×6, C ×5, O ×5, S ×5, L ×4
2 points: D ×4, P ×4
4 points: M ×3
8 points: F ×2, V ×2
9 points: B ×2, G ×2
10 points: H ×1, J ×1, X ×1, Z ×1
Diacritical marks are ignored, so for example à and  are played as A.
Slovak
Slovak-language sets use these 100 tiles:
2 blank tiles (scoring 0 points)
1 point: A ×9, O ×9, E ×8, I ×5, N ×5, T ×4, R ×4, S ×4, V ×4
2 points: M ×4, K ×3, L ×3, D ×3, P ×3
3 points: J ×2, U ×2
4 points: B ×2, H ×1, Y ×1, Z ×1, Á ×1, C ×1
5 points: Č ×1, Ž ×1, Š ×1, Í ×1, Ý ×1
7 points: Ľ ×1, Ť ×1, É ×1, Ú ×1
8 points: Ď ×1, F ×1, G ×1, Ň ×1, Ô ×1
10 points: Ĺ ×1, Ŕ ×1, X ×1, Ä ×1, Ó ×1
Slovenian
Slovenian-language sets use these 100 tiles:
2 blank tiles (scoring 0 points)
1 point: E ×11, A ×10, I ×9, O ×8, N ×7, R ×6, S ×6, J ×4, L ×4,T ×4
2 points: D ×4, V ×4
3 points: K ×3, M ×2, P ×2, U ×2
4 points: B ×2, G ×2, Z ×2
5 points: Č ×1, H ×1
6 points: Š ×1
8 points: C ×1
10 points: F ×1, Ž ×1
Spanish
A Spanish Scrabble game completed.Spanish-language versions use these 100 tiles:
2 blank tiles (scoring 0 points)
1 point: A ×12, E ×12, O ×9, I ×6, S ×6, N ×5, L ×4, R ×5, U ×5, T ×4
2 points: D ×5, G ×2
3 points: C ×4, B ×2, M ×2, P ×2
4 points: H ×2, F ×1, V ×1, Y ×1
5 points: CH ×1, Q ×1
8 points: J ×1, LL ×1, Ñ ×1, RR ×1, X ×1
10 points: Z ×1
The distribution remains unchanged despite the spelling reforms in Spanish that
have split LL, CH, and RR into separate letters. Stress accents are disregarded.
The letters K and W are absent since these two letters are rarely used in
Spanish words. According to FISE (Federación Internacional de Scrabble en
Español) rules, a blank cannot be used to represent K or W. However,
Spanish-language sets sold in North America (known as Scrabble - Edición en
Español) include one K tile and one W tile per set, each worth 8 points.
Using one C and one H tile in place of the CH tile, two L tiles for the LL tile,
or two R tiles for the RR tile is also not allowed in Spanish Scrabble (see
rules in Spanish provided by the FISE).
Swedish
A full Swedish Scrabble set.Swedish-language Scrabble sets (also known in Sweden
as Alfapet) use these 100 tiles:
2 blank tiles (scoring 0 points)
1 point: A ×8, R ×8, S ×8, T ×8, E ×7, N ×6, D ×5, I ×5, L ×5
2 points: O ×5, G ×3, K ×3, M ×3, H ×2
3 points: Ä ×2, F ×2, V ×2
4 points: U ×3, B ×2, Ö ×2, P ×2, Å ×2
7 points: J ×1, Y ×1
8 points: C ×1, X ×1
10 points: Z ×1
Note that the letters Ä, Ö, and Å have separate tiles. Diacritical marks are
ignored, such as for É. Also, the letters Q, W, Ü and Æ, rare in Swedish, are
absent, but can be played with a blank.
Turkish
Turkish-language sets use these tiles (note distinct dotted and dotless I
tiles):
2 blank tiles (scoring 0 points)
1 point: A ×12, E ×8, İ ×7, K ×7, L ×7, R ×6, N ×5, T ×5
2 points: I ×4, M ×4, O ×3, S ×3, U ×3
3 points: B ×2, D ×2, Y ×2, Ü ×2
4 points: C ×2, Ş ×2, Z ×2, Ç ×2
5 points: H ×1, P ×1, G ×1
7 points: F ×1, V ×1, Ö ×1
8 points: Ğ ×1
10 points: J ×1
(see a completed Turkish Scrabble board).
Welsh
The box for Welsh-language Scrabble sets.Welsh-language Scrabble sets use these
103 tiles:
2 blank tiles (scoring 0 points)
1 point: A ×10, E ×8, N ×8, I ×7, R ×7, Y ×7, D ×6, O ×6, W ×5, DD ×4
2 points: F ×3, G ×3, L ×3, U ×3
3 points: S ×3, B ×2, M ×2, T ×2
4 points: C ×2, FF ×2, H ×2, TH ×2
5 points: CH ×1, LL ×1, P ×1
8 points: J ×1
10 points: NG ×1, RH ×1
Since there are specific tiles for several of the common digraphs (such as DD),
it is not permissible to use the individual letters to spell these out.
Omissions: the digraph PH exists in Welsh, but is used almost exclusively in
mutated words, which the rules disallow; K, Q, X and Z do not exist in Welsh.
Arguably J does not exist in Welsh either, but it is included as it is sometimes
used for borrowed words.
