Play Scrabble and Words With Friends Online

There are several ways to play Scrabble and Words With Friends online, including some officially sanctioned sites and some unofficial sites where you can play Scrabble-like crossword games. There are fewer options than in the past since some options are no longer available. Scrabble play can be done instead on mobile apps, including SCRABBLE Free from EA and Words With Friends from Zynga.

Facebook Scrabble

Two official versions of Scrabble are available on Facebook, one for residents of the U.S. and Canada and the other for residents of other countries. A third Scrabble-like game, Lexulous, is also available. (Lexulous was known as Scrabulous until lawsuits were filed against the creators by both Hasbro and Mattel.) Free registration is required to join Facebook. To play without ads, you must pay a fee. An ad loads after every turn if you don't pay for the ad-free version. You are able to compete against your friends, track your Scrabble ELO rating, customize your board and tiles, and pick up gameplay where you left off on your smartphone or tablet. You can also play against a random opponent or turn on speed play.

Facebook Words with Friends

You can also play Words with Friends on Facebook, powered by Zynga. You can start a game and notify a Facebook friend, or let the game match you up with someone.

Lexulous.com

In addition to being available at Facebook, Lexulous can be played at Lexulous.com. You can join a room to play with other players or elect to play a robot. There is also an option where you can watch other players play and learn their strategies. Free registration is required to join Lexulous.com. You can join using your Facebook profile if you prefer.

Pogo.com

Pogo.com, run by Electronic Arts, is an official place to play Scrabble. Two versions are available: classic Scrabble (for two to four players) and Scrabble Blast (a solo game fairly described as Scrabble meets Boggle). Free registration is required to join Pogo.com. You can join using your Facebook profile if you prefer. You can play with friends online. To play ad-free, you must upgrade to Club Pogo.

You earn tokens from playing and have a chance to win prizes and drawings. Pogo has options for playing alone, challenging up to three opponents, choosing from five skill levels, opponent matching by skill level, and using traditional rules, house rules, or selecting rules a la carte.

Merriam-Webster Scrabble Sprint

Play the free Scrabble Sprint online game without registration on the Merriam-Webster site. You make words one at a time against the clock to fill up all of the spaces on the board. You click or type a word with two or more letters, with bonus points for more time left on the timer.

Scrabble Apps

Scrabble apps are available for your mobile device and allow you to play on the go:

• SCRABBLE Free is available from Electronic Arts, both on iTunes and Google Play. It allows playing with friends, single player, random opponent, and speed play. Cross-platform play is also allowed.
• Words with Friends: This Zynga app is available on iTunes, Google Play, and the Windows Store.