When is National Scrabble Day?

The next occurence will be on April 13th, 2025. The last occurence was on April 13th, 2024.

National Scrabble Day (April 13th)

Quick facts
When is it?	Every April 13th
Tagged as:	Hobbies & Activities Toys & Games
What's the hashtag?	#NationalScrabbleDay
We first published this page on:	Dec 23rd, 2017
We last updated this page:	Dec 10th, 2024

Scrabble, the iconic board game that has reached people all over the world, is one of the most popular games that people still play today. But who started this wordy game and how did it become so popular?

National Scrabble Day celebrates the history of Scrabble, how it came to be one of the most beloved games, and gives people just the right amount of excuse to play it.

How to Celebrate National Scrabble Day

There are plenty of ways that you can celebrate scrabble on this day, including some of these fun ideas:

Host a Scrabble Party

Celebrate National Scrabble Day by hosting a Scrabble party with your friends. See who knows the most words and whoever wins gets a free thesaurus or dictionary. Play scrabble with your parents, coworkers, and whoever you know.

Another option is to host a Scrabble tournament or to take part in one! We are sure that there will be a lot of tournaments that are taking place on this day, so all you need to do is a quick search online.

Get Creative with Scrabble

Bake Scrabble-themed cookies, practice your word-play skills and play Scrabble on a mobile app.Have some extra scrabble pieces? Use them to in some DIY crafts and create unique items with the Scrabble words.

Include more people in the fun of this day by sharing with your friends and family. Make a post online to invite people and play Scrabble with everyone!

Play Scrabble Online

As mentioned, it is possible to play Scrabble online today. So, if you do not have anyone who wants to join in at home, you don’t have to worry. You can play against the computer or other people all around the world.

Learn Scrabble Tips and Tricks

You can also use National Scrabble Day as an opportunity to become a better Scrabble player. There are a lot of different tricks and tips you can use to master this game.

Firstly, we would recommend learning three- and two-letter words. These words can increase your score by as much as 50 points per game when they are used correctly. Therefore, although these words are small in size, they can certainly pack a massive punch, so we would recommend starting off by brushing up on your skills in this department!

Organizing your rack efficiently makes a difference as well. Place tiles that create common beginnings or endings at the appropriate sides of your rack.

For example, there are a lot of words that end in “-ing” or “-ed.” This will help you to see any potential words more effectively. Don’t forget that you can also add these endings to words that are already on the board to make a new word that’s worth more points!

Another trick that we love to use when playing Scrabble is creating two words at once by simply using the letter “s.” You can pluralize a word on the board by adding an “s” to the end of it.

We would always recommend that you make sure this move guarantees you a minimum of ten points. This is because there are only four “s” tiles in Scrabble and so it is important to use them wisely.

The final tip is that you should be heading toward the “hot spots” while you are playing Scrabble. By the hot spots, we mean the parts of the board that have bonus squares. You can really take the lead if you land on a triple word square with a good word! This can take your score to the triple digits, helping to ensure that the Scrabble crown is yours!

Learn About National Scrabble Day

If you have never played Scrabble before, where have you been all of this time? National Scrabble Day was created to coincide with the birthday of Alfred Mosher Butts; the man who invented this iconic board game. Scrabble is played all over the world.

In fact, Scrabble has moved through many generations, and while the board game version is still very popular, we can also play the game on our smartphones as well.

As this is one of the world’s most iconic board games, it is only right that we have a day to celebrate it!

History of National Scrabble Day

Scrabble, one of the most popular board games to exist today, has a long-standing history behind it. It began with the Great Depression of 1929, which left many people out work and starving for food.

One of those people decided to try and not make life so depressing by inventing a game. Alfred Mosher Butts, an out of work architect, decided to create a game that people could enjoy during their free time.

As an avid fan of games himself, he combined the elements of anagrams and the classic crossword puzzle to create a score wording game. This game was called LEXIKO, it would later change its name to Criss Cross Words.

However, many game manufacturers didn’t agree with the idea he had and rejected his game. It wasn’t until he met James Brunot that the concept was reshaped in rules and design that Scrabble was born.

The game gained trademark in 1948, and then after, the game went down in history as America’s most popular board game. At one point, the game event became a TV show. In 1984, the show Scrabble aired on NBC national television with host Chuck Woolery.

Today, the Scrabble dictionary continues to add words to its definition each year. People continue to play it in their own homes as a fun way to pass the time. Celebrated yearly on Butts birthday, National Scrabble Day celebrates the history of this game by encouraging everyone to play it.

National Scrabble Day FAQs

What unusual Scrabble word holds the record for highest-scoring play?

The word “OXYPHENBUTAZONE,” an obsolete drug name, can theoretically score over 1,700 points in a single play under perfect conditions.

This record showcases how creative strategy can stretch the limits of the game

Did Scrabble tiles ever serve a purpose outside the game?

During World War II, special sets with hidden maps and tools were sent to prisoners of war, helping them escape

What is the longest word ever played in a Scrabble game?

In tournament play, the word “SESQUIOXIDIZING” has been used, which spans 15 letters, perfectly fitting the board’s length

Are there regional quirks in Scrabble tournaments?

In Nigeria, players compete in “Speed Scrabble,” where they must complete moves in less than a minute. This fast-paced version adds intensity and excitement.

Can Scrabble be played without words?

A variant called “Tile Lock” involves players creating shapes or patterns rather than words, offering a visually artistic twist.

Is there a Guinness World Record related to Scrabble?

The largest Scrabble game ever played featured a board the size of a tennis court, with players using ladders to position tiles.

What was Scrabble’s oddest marketing campaign?

In the 1970s, a Scrabble-themed perfume called “Eau de Word” was briefly sold. It claimed to enhance vocabulary skills but flopped.

Which country holds the largest Scrabble tournament?

Thailand hosts the King’s Cup Scrabble Tournament, with over 7,000 participants annually, making it a national sensation.

What is the most disputed Scrabble rule?

Some players debate the validity of words created during challenges. For instance, “za” (slang for pizza) caused uproar when it entered official dictionaries.

What is a unique Scrabble-inspired art project?

An artist once created a mosaic of a cityscape using over 10,000 Scrabble tiles, merging the game’s aesthetic with urban art.

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National Scrabble Day