Scrabble/Playing the X

Triple-letter Squares The letter X goes best on a triple letter score, especially if you can count that square twice. To maximize your chances of doing this, make sure you know all the two-letter words containing X: AX, EX, OX, XI, XU When you get an X, look for a triple-letter square that will allow you to play the X in two words simultaneously. They do not have to both be two-letter words, but the chances that one of them will have to be a two-letter word are pretty good. The X alone in this play is worth 48 points, so it's almost as good as a bingo. R E A P A X N H A T I N G E R In the example above, the X was played alongside RANGER and REAP (making the words AX and EX) for 50 points. It is more common to find a suitable triple-letter square for this than it is to find a suitable triple-word square, partly because the triple-word squares are in the corners or at the edge of the board, and partly because they do not usually remain open for very long (as triple-letter squares do).