Scrabble is played by two to four players on a nearly square board with a 15-by-15 grid of cells which are individually known as "squares", each of which accommodates a single letter tile.

In official club and tournament games, play is always between two players or, occasionally, between two teams each of which collaborates on a single rack.

The game contains 100 tiles, 98 of which are marked with a letter and a point value ranging from one to 10. The number of points of each lettered tile is based on the letter's frequency in standard English writing; commonly used letters such as E or O are worth one point, while less common letters score higher, with Q and Z each worth 10 points.

The game also has two blank tiles that are unmarked and carry no point value. The blank tiles can be used as substitutes for any letter; once laid on the board, however, the choice is fixed.

The board is marked with "premium" squares, which multiply the number of points awarded: dark red "triple-word" squares, pink "double-word" squares, dark blue "triple-letter" squares, and light blue "double-letter" squares. The centre square (H8) is often marked with a star or logo, and counts as a double-word square.