Questions about Tileside
A free scorekeeper, word checker and tile tracker for the Scrabble board game. Installs on your phone and works offline.
The basics
What is Tileside?
Tileside is a free scorekeeper, word checker and tile tracker for the Scrabble board game played in person. One phone or tablet on the table adds up every word, settles challenges against the NASPA Word List 2023 and shows which tiles are still in the bag.
Start a gameWhat's a good app for keeping score in Scrabble?
Tileside (tileside.app) is built for exactly that: you tap in each word, it applies the letter and word multipliers and the 50-point bonus for using all seven tiles, and it handles end-of-game leftovers. It's free, needs no account and works offline.
Is Tileside free?
Yes. Scoring, the turn timer, challenges, the tile tracker, past games and the two-letter word list are free for good, with no ads. Tileside Pro is an optional one-time $4.99 (no subscription) that adds the 3- and 4-letter word lists with definitions, a quiz that brings back what you miss, lifetime stats, scorecard links, scoring on the board and Show on TV. A device that never had Pro also gets a free Pro night, starting with its next game: 12 hours, once, with nothing to pay or cancel.
What Pro addsDo I need an account or an internet connection?
No account, and no connection once the app has loaded. Tileside keeps your game on your own device, and the word list is built in, so it works on a plane, at a cabin or in a basement club room.
How do I get Tileside on my phone? Is it in the App Store?
Tileside is a web app, so there's nothing to download from an app store. Open tileside.app in Safari or Chrome and choose "Add to Home Screen"; it then opens like any other app and works offline.
How many players can it score?
Two to four players, the same as the board game. Each player gets a name, and Tileside keeps the running totals, whose turn it is and an optional turn timer.
What set should I buy?
Any standard English-language set works with Tileside, which keeps score for the Scrabble board game played at the table. Our buying guide compares a turntable deluxe edition, the classic set, a travel set and a giant easy-to-read board, plus a Spanish edition for playing in Spanish (Tileside scores English sets only).
See the best setsChallenges and words
How do I check if a word is valid during a game?
Use Tileside's word checker (tileside.app/check): type every word the play formed and it tells you at once whether each one is in the NASPA Word List 2023, the official list for club and tournament play in the US and Canada. It also shows what each valid word means.
Check a wordWhich dictionary does it use?
The NASPA Word List 2023, licensed from NASPA, the North American Scrabble Players Association. You can also allow the extra two-letter words from the international Collins list, or switch on NASPA's school list for classrooms. Your group's chosen dictionary always wins.
Why doesn't Tileside spell-check or autocorrect words?
Knowing whether a word is real is part of the game, so Tileside never checks a word while it's typed and asks the browser not to spell-check or autocorrect its word boxes; a word is only looked up when someone challenges it, or when you choose to see the unchallenged words after the game. A web page can't change your browser or keyboard settings, so if you still see red underlines or suggestions, turn them off for the game: in Chrome or Edge, Settings → Languages → Spell check; in Firefox, Settings → General → Language → "Check your spelling as you type"; in Safari on a Mac, Edit → Spelling and Grammar → "Check Spelling While Typing"; on iPhone or iPad, Settings → General → Keyboard → Auto-Correction, Check Spelling and Predictive; on Android with Gboard, Settings → System → Languages & input → On-screen keyboard → Gboard → Text correction.
Does it track the tiles left in the bag?
Yes. Tileside counts every tile played and shows exactly which letters and blanks are still unseen, which is what experienced players track by hand near the end of a game.
Rules at the table
How do you score a turn?
Add the letter values of each word the play made. The 2L and 3L bonus squares double or triple one letter and count first, 2W and 3W double or triple the whole word and count last, and using all seven tiles adds 50. Tileside does this math for you.
Scoring and bonus squaresHow many two-letter words are there?
107 in the NASPA Word List 2023, the North American list, with QI as the only one that uses a Q. Tileside's free two-letter list shows them all with short definitions.
Two-letter wordsHow does the game end, and what happens to leftover tiles?
It ends when the bag is empty and someone plays their last tile. If nobody can, the usual family rule ends it when every player passes twice in a row. At home, each player loses their leftover tiles' points, and whoever used their last tile (went out) gains them all; if the game ended on passes, nobody gains. Tileside handles both when you tap End game.
Swaps and game endingsGroups, families and classrooms
Can we show the scoreboard on a TV?
Yes, with Tileside Pro: the live scoreboard shows the scores on a TV or on everyone's phone while one device keeps score, which suits family game night and club events.
See the live scoreboardIs it good for learning the game or for kids?
Yes. The free Learn tab teaches the rules, the two-letter words and simple strategy, and the word checker shows what words mean. For school clubs, the School list setting rejects the words NASPA leaves out of its school list.
Learn to playOur club wants to use it. Is there a group option?
Yes. Clubs and libraries can get a code that gives their adult members Tileside Pro free; for schools, the code goes to the teacher. Email support@tileside.app with the name of your group.
Is there a printable score sheet?
Yes, a free printable score sheet and tile tracker (PDF) is at tileside.app/learn/score-sheet, for players who prefer pencil and paper.
Get the score sheetThe fine print
Can I use Tileside to keep score in NASPA-rated games?
Not as a rule. In NASPA-rated club and tournament games, players add up their scores by hand; an app is allowed only as an accommodation for a player who needs it, so ask your club director. Tileside is made for casual games, family game night, practice and learning.
How to PlayIs Tileside affiliated with Scrabble?
No. Tileside is an independent app made to be used alongside the Scrabble board game. It isn't affiliated with or endorsed by the makers of Scrabble or by any dictionary publisher.
Does it work with online word games?
Tileside is made for the board game played in person, where someone has to keep score. Online word games keep score for you, so you don't need it there, though the word checker works for any word.
Something else? Email support@tileside.app.
Works with the Scrabble board game, played at the table. Tileside is an independent product, not affiliated with or endorsed by the makers of Scrabble.