Learn to play

Table words

The words players use at the table, in plain English. Each one links to the lesson that explains it.

2L (double letter): A bonus square that doubles the letter placed on it.; Scoring and bonus squares
2W (double word): A bonus square that doubles the whole word. The ★ counts as one.; Scoring and bonus squares
3L (triple letter): A bonus square that triples the letter placed on it.; Scoring and bonus squares
3W (triple word): A bonus square that triples the whole word.; Scoring and bonus squares
Bag: Where the tiles you haven't drawn yet are kept. After every turn you draw back up to seven.; The tiles and the board
Bingo: Using all seven of your tiles in one turn, worth 50 extra points, added after every other bonus.; Scoring and bonus squares
Blank: One of the two tiles with no letter. It can be any letter you like, stays that letter for the rest of the game, and scores 0. In Tileside, type the letter it stands for and mark it Blank (or type ? and name the letter).; The tiles and the board
Bonus squares: The colored squares on the board: 2L, 3L, 2W, 3W and the ★. They only count on the turn a new tile is placed on them.; Scoring and bonus squares
Challenge: Questioning a word someone just played, before the next turn starts. If it isn't valid, the whole play comes off the board and scores nothing. If it is valid, the challenger loses their next turn: the North American club rule, and the one Tileside uses. Many families play with no penalty, so agree before you start.; Challenges
Collins: The international tournament word list. It accepts some extra words, such as ZO, that the North American list doesn't.; Challenges
Going out: Playing your last tile once the bag is empty. It ends the game, and you gain the value of everyone else's leftover tiles.; Ending the game
Hook: One letter that turns a word already on the board into a longer word, so one tile scores two words. A front hook goes in front, like B in BRAIN; a back hook goes on the end, like S in RAINS.; Hooks
Parallel play: Laying a word right alongside another one, so each new tile also makes a small word with the tile it touches, usually a two-letter one. Every one of those words scores.; Two-letter words
Pass: Skipping your turn and scoring nothing.; Building on the board
Rack: The stand that holds your seven tiles, hidden from the other players.; The tiles and the board
Star (★): The center square. The first word must cover it, and it doubles that word.; Your first turn
Swap: Putting some of your tiles back in the bag and drawing the same number instead of playing. It scores nothing, and you can only do it while at least seven tiles are left in the bag.; Building on the board
Vowel dump: A word made mostly of vowels, like AA or EAU, for clearing a rack with too many of them.; Managing your rack
Word list: The dictionary that decides what counts. Tileside uses the NASPA Word List 2023, the official list for club and tournament play in North America; if your group plays from a printed dictionary, that one wins.; Challenges

Word list: NASPA Word List 2023, used under license. NASPA Word List 2023 Edition © NASPA 2023. The copy included in this app is licensed for personal use. You may not use it for any commercial purposes.