How to Challenge a Word in Scrabble

Last Updated: October 21, 2021

Scrabble is a fun and challenging game, but it can turn sour when you disagree over the existence of a word. The simplest way to resolve a dispute over a word’s validity is to challenge the word. When you challenge a word, you will use your pre-chosen dictionary to see if the word is valid or not. Then, the challenged player will either lose his or her turn or you will lose your turn as a result of the challenge outcome.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Challenging A Word

1
Look for potentially invalid plays. If one of your fellow players puts down a strange word or one that you think is not spelled correctly, then you may want to challenge the word. Pay close attention to the plays that your fellow players make during their turns, including small words that are created in conjunction with larger ones.
2
Announce your challenge before your opponent has drawn their tiles. If you decide that you want to challenge a word, you need to announce your intent to challenge the word before the next player has drawn their tiles. Make sure that you state the specific word or words when you issue your challenge.^{[1]
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- Right after the suspect word has been played, say something like, “I challenge the word:____."
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3
Look up the word. To verify whether or not the word that has been played is a valid word, you or another player (not the player being challenged) will need to look it up in the dictionary. If the word is not in the dictionary, then announce that the play was invalid. If it was correct, then announce that the play was valid.^{[2]
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4
Deal with the consequences. Either you or the player you challenged will lose a turn. If you challenged the player and the word was valid, then you lose your next turn. If the word was invalid, then the person you challenged must remove the tiles from the board, does not gain any points for the tiles, and loses that turn. The player may not put down a different word until his or her next turn.^{[3]
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- If you think that losing a turn for challenging another player is too harsh, you may choose to play by a different rule for challenges. Some players choose to have no penalty for challenging or to only lose 5 points for challenging if the word turns out to be valid. These rules must be agreed upon before the start of the game.^{[4]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Understanding How Challenges Work

1
Understand the purpose of a challenge. Challenging a word in Scrabble is a way to ensure that all of the plays are actual words and no one is making up words just to score points. It is important to challenge words that seem invalid so that another player cannot gain an advantage.^{[5]
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- You may also learn new words in the process of challenging another player because some of your opponents may know obscure words that you have never encountered before.
2
Know when you can challenge words. You can only challenge a word right after a player has placed that word. You may not wait until a few other players have taken their turns and then make the challenge. ^{[6]
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3
Be aware of the penalty for an incorrect challenge. Keep in mind that challenging a word will result in a lost turn for either you or your opponent. Therefore, you should be fairly sure that your opponent has played an invalid word before making a challenge. Otherwise, you might lose an opportunity to score points, which may result in you losing the game.^{[7]
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4
Select a dictionary to use for challenges before you start the game. It is essential to have a dictionary out when you play Scrabble so that you can use it if a word is challenged. You may not use the dictionary to look up words before they are placed. The dictionary should only be used to look up words that have been challenged. Make sure that you and your fellow players all agree on a dictionary to use for challenges.^{[8]
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Community Q&A

Question

How do I increase the final score in Scrabble?

Community Answer

Make sure you're taking advantage of the extra scoring tiles whenever you can.
Question

If a player puts down a word and states its meaning but when looked up in the dictionary, it has a completely different meaning, is he allowed that word?

Community Answer

It's allowed. Knowing the meaning is nice, but merely optional. Also note that Scrabble dictionaries tend not to include all definitions of an uncapitalized word.
Question

Can I challenge before a player finishes playing their turn?

Community Answer

As soon as the player has finished placing their letters down, you may challenge the word, therefore it is technically at the end of their turn.