How do blank tiles work in Scrabble?
A blank can stand for any letter, but it's worth 0 points. You must say which letter it is when you play it, and it stays that letter while it's on the board. On a double or triple word square it still multiplies the word; on a letter square it adds nothing.
The rule:
In Scrabble, a blank tile can be any letter you name when you play it, it scores 0, and it keeps that letter while it stays on the board.
Blank tile rules:
- Any letter: say which letter it is as you play it.
- No changing later: once played, it stays that letter (unless your group uses the optional Exchange Blanks variant below).
- Worth 0: a blank on a double or triple letter square still adds nothing.
- Still counts for word squares: a blank on a double or triple word square multiplies the word as normal.
- Only two: the set has 2 blanks.
Optional variant, Exchange Blanks: if your group agrees, at the start of your turn you may swap a blank on the board for the matching real tile from your rack. You can swap both blanks in one turn. The swap scores nothing, and you then take your turn as usual; you can play the blank straight away or keep it.
Example:
Omar uses a blank as an E on a triple word square. The other letters in his word add up to 8, so the blank adds nothing, but the whole word still triples to 24.
Why players argue about it:
Players argue over whether a blank can change letters later, whether it scores anything, and whether you can swap it for a real tile.