Observed each year on April 13, National Scrabble Day celebrates the classic word game that has tested vocabularies and sparked friendly rivalries for decades. The date honors the birthday of Alfred Mosher Butts, the American architect who invented Scrabble’s earliest version in 1931.
Butts combined elements of chance and strategy by studying how often each letter appeared on the front page of The New York Times. Based on this research, he assigned point values to letters and created a set of tiles. His original game, called Lexiko, evolved into Criss-Crosswords when he added a 15×15 board with crossword-style play. Though he had little luck pitching it to game companies, a friend named James Brunot helped produce and rename it Scrabble—a word meaning “to scratch frantically.”
The game gained traction in the 1950s after Macy’s placed a large order, leading to mass production. Over time, it passed through several hands—first Selchow and Righter, then Coleco, and finally Hasbro (U.S. and Canada) and Mattel (international markets). Since its commercial breakthrough, Scrabble has sold over 150 million sets, been translated into more than 30 languages, and is played in over 120 countries. It even earned a spot in the National Toy Hall of Fame in 2004.
Scrabble is also a competitive sport. Organizations like NASPA (North American Scrabble Players Association) oversee official tournaments, and rules can be surprisingly detailed. Players track tile frequency, master unusual two-letter words like “qi” and “za,” and even compete in international leagues with alternate dictionaries.
When Is National Scrabble Day Celebrated?
National Scrabble Day is celebrated on April 13 every year. Mark your calendar and gather your tiles for some word-building fun! Here’s when it will occur in the coming years:
| Year | Date & Day of the Week |
|---|---|
| 2025 | April 13, Sunday |
| 2026 | April 13, Monday |
| 2027 | April 13, Tuesday |
| 2028 | April 13, Thursday |
| 2029 | April 13, Friday |
| 2030 | April 13, Saturday |
Fun Facts About Scrabble
Scrabble is more than just a board game—it has an incredible history and unique quirks. Here are some fun facts to celebrate:
- The word “OXYPHENBUTAZONE” is theoretically the highest-scoring play in Scrabble, potentially earning up to 1,778 points. However, achieving this score in an actual game is highly improbable due to the specific board setup required.
- Scrabble has its own official dictionary, ensuring players have a standardized list of acceptable words. This makes games fair and eliminates disputes over word validity.
- Over 150 million Scrabble sets have been sold worldwide, and it is played in 29 languages. The game’s reach demonstrates its universal appeal across cultures.
- There are 100 tiles in a standard Scrabble set, with the letter “E” appearing the most frequently at 12 tiles. This distribution is based on letter usage in the English language to balance strategy and challenge.
- Studies show that playing Scrabble can improve cognitive skills, enhance memory, and increase vocabulary. It’s a fun way to stay mentally sharp.
Ways to Celebrate National Scrabble Day
National Scrabble Day is the perfect opportunity to enjoy the game and appreciate its impact. Here are some ideas to make the day special:
- Host a Scrabble Game Night: Invite friends or family for a friendly Scrabble competition. Include snacks and prizes for extra fun.
- Try Variations: Experiment with Scrabble variants like “Speed Scrabble” or “Super Scrabble,” which adds more tiles and spaces.
- Play Scrabble Online: Join an online Scrabble match or play against the computer to sharpen your strategy.
- Learn New Words: Spend time exploring Scrabble dictionaries or word lists to expand your vocabulary and improve your game.
- Share the Fun: Post photos or stories of your Scrabble matches on social media using hashtags like #NationalScrabbleDay.
Before You Go:
We have many more national days lists for you to explore.
- Food-related national days: complete list of national food days, pasta & noodles days, vegan & vegetarian days, mushroom days, ice-cream days, pizza days, coffee days, chocolate days, wine days, alcohol & drinking days.
- Non-food national days: National Days Calendar 2025 (check out the printable calendars in my Etsy shop), National Days for Teachers, and a wide array of special lists such as cat days, dog days, animal days, cleaning & organizing days, book days, music days, family & relationships days, national days for women, stationery days and even Harry Potter days.
- Country-specific national days: Australian national days, more coming soon.
