How to Play Words with Friends

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: September 1, 2022

Accessing the Game

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Playing the Game

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Getting More Points in the Game

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Video

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Q&A

Words with Friends is an application that basically functions as an online version of Scrabble. If you know how to play the classic word search game, you will probably pick up Words with Friends very quickly. However, whether you’re a Scrabble veteran or completely new to this type of game, there are a variety of tips and strategies you can use to maximize the number of points you score each game.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Accessing the Game

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Download the smartphone app if you want to play on your phone. Go to the App Store if your phone uses iOS or to the Google Play store if it’s an Android phone. Then, search “Words with Friends” and click the “Get” button to download the app to your phone.^{[1]
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- Once you’ve downloaded the app to your phone, simply click on the Words with Friends icon to open the app and play it.
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Use Facebook if you want to play Words with Friends on the computer. Log into your Facebook account and go to the App Center, which you can find in the menu to the left of your feed. On the left sidebar, search for “Words with Friends” and install the app.^{[2]
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- Click “Play Game” to start a new game once you’ve downloaded the app.
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Tap the “+” icon in the top right corner to start a new game. Once you’ve started a new game, you can choose to play either with a Facebook friend, a random user, or the person sitting next to you. To go with this last option, you’ll have to physically pass your smartphone to the other player after each turn, so the game is only accessible from your phone.^{[3]
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- If you download Words with Friends 2, you will also have the option of playing against a computer opponent.
- Words with Friends will suggest friends for you to play with, but you can start a game with anyone if you’d rather play a random opponent.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Playing the Game

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Click and drag letter tiles to the board to play them and make words. You can create a word by placing your letters either vertically or horizontally on the board. However, you are not allowed to play the following types of words: proper nouns, abbreviations, prefixes and suffixes standing alone, or words that require a hyphen or an apostrophe.^{[4]
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- With the exception of the first word, every word that you play must be placed so that at least 1 letter tile is shared with a word that has already been placed on the board.
- Note that you can’t play a word if it will create an illegal word using neighboring letters. For instance, you can’t play the word “CAT” if the “T” tile is placed next to another “T” tile, since “TT” is not a legal word.
- When you play a letter, you earn a number of points equal to the number in the top right corner of the letter tile. Thus, when you play a word, you earn the sum total of all the letters you played to make that word.
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Play a word with at least 1 letter on the middle tile to start the game. Whoever plays the first word in a round of Words with Friends has to place at least 1 of the letters in that word on the star tile in the middle of the board. Note that it can be any letter in the word; in other words, your word doesn’t necessarily have to begin from the star tile.^{[5]
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- For example, if your first word is “CAT,” you can place either the “C,” “A,” or “T” tile on the star.
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Build new words off of the letters on the board when it’s your turn. If you played the first word, then your opponent will place a word on the board that connects to your word. When it’s your turn, place a word down that connects to either the first word you played or to the new word that your opponent played.^{[6]
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- Note that before you begin your turn, you will be given new letter tiles so that you have 7 on your rack.
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Go back and forth between the 2 of you until the game is over. A game of Words with Friends ends when 1 player has played all of their letter tiles and there are no more new letter tiles to be given. At that point, each player’s score is tallied and the player with the highest score wins.^{[7]
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- Note that if either player has leftover tiles at the end of the game, that player will lose points equal to the sum of the value of those leftover tiles.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Getting More Points in the Game

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Place your letters in ways that limit your opponent’s ability to score. Winning at Words with Friends is not only about scoring points for yourself, but also playing defense and preventing your opponent from scoring. When you play your letters, try to position the tiles so that your opponent doesn’t have access to the lucrative colored tiles on the board.
- To do this, avoid playing words next to double- or triple-word tiles. Although this may mean you have to play a word for a lower score somewhere else, it also keeps your opponent from being able to play these high-value tiles.
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Memorize different 2-letter words you can play across other words. Playing 2-letter words, especially with valuable letters, enables you to essentially rack up points by only playing in 2- or 4-tile squares. This is not only more efficient for you, but also makes it harder for your opponent to play off of your words.^{[8]
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- Some examples of 2-letter words you might be able to play include “XI,” “EX,” and “PI.”
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Look for opportunities to play your letters on the colored squares. You earn extra points by placing your letters strategically on the colored tiles of the board. These tiles will earn you double or triple points, either for the letter that is played on that tile, or for the entire word that you played.^{[9]
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- Double- and triple-word squares are usually the most valuable colored tiles on the board.
- If you have a high-value letter tile, like “X” or “Z,” playing this tile on a double- or triple-letter tile is also a good way to rack up extra points.
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Try to play all 7 of your letters at once whenever possible. This is called a “Bingo” and it allows you get all the points in your 7 letters, plus a 35-point bonus. Memorize some common 7-letter words or simply play a lot of Words with Friends until you get better at spotting Bingo opportunities.
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Play your letters along words that are on the board to get more points. For example, if you have the letters to spell “POWER” and the word “AROSE” is already on the board, don’t play your letters vertically to use the “R” in “AROSE.” Instead, play your letters along the top of “AROSE,” so that you also spell “PA,” “OR,” “WO,” “ES,” and “RE.”
- When you play words along other words, you tend to get a lot more points. Note, however, that this only works if you’re able to spell legal 2-letter words with the letters that you play.

Community Q&A

Question

Who plays first when a game has finished?

Community Answer

You have the option to re-challenge the person that you are playing against after a game has finished. Whichever one of you decides to click on "rematch" first will be the one to play first in the new game.
Question

What are the stars that fly from the board to your name when you complete a word?

Community Answer

Those are called points. Each letter has a certain amount of points, so when you complete a word, all those points become yours.
Question

Can I play it internationally?

Community Answer

Yes, you can play against anybody in the world. The time differences may frustrate you, though!