Why Letter Frequency Matters

Not all letters are created equal. In English, E appears about 13% of the time in typical text, while Z appears less than 0.1% of the time. Understanding which letters are common and which are rare gives you a significant edge in every word game:

• Scrabble: Knowing letter frequency helps you evaluate your rack, predict what tiles remain in the bag, and choose the highest-scoring plays.
• Wordle: The best starting words use the most common letters to eliminate the most possibilities on the first guess.
• Anagrams: Common letters form more words — prioritizing them in your unscrambling leads to faster solutions.
• Crosswords: Common letters are more likely to appear in answers, so filling them in first often unlocks other answers.

English Letter Frequency Table

Here is the relative frequency of each letter in English, based on analysis of millions of words from dictionaries, books, and web text:

Notice the pattern: the most common letters (E, T, A, O, I, N, S, R, H) are all worth just 1 point in Scrabble. The least common letters (J, X, Q, Z) are worth 8-10 points. Scrabble rewards you for using rare letters — but rare letters are hard to play because they combine with fewer other letters.

The "ETAOIN SHRDLU" Mnemonic

ETAOIN SHRDLU is the order of the 12 most common English letters, based on Linotype keyboard layout from the hot-metal typesetting era. Memorize it and you instantly know which letters to prioritize in word games:

1. E — by far the most common letter. Every vowel-heavy rack has an E.
2. T — the most common consonant. Essential for past tense (-TED) and superlatives (-EST).
3. A — second most common vowel. Appears in many common prefixes and suffixes.
4. O — the third vowel. Crucial for -TION, -MENT, -NESS endings.
5. I — completes the top-5 vowels with A and E. Common in -ING.
6. N — works with almost every other letter. N+D, N+G, N+T, N+K.
7. S — the plural-maker. If you have an S, you can hook it onto almost any noun or verb.
8. H — pairs with S, T, C, G, P, W to form digraphs.
9. R — the comparative-maker (-ER) and the infinitive-maker (RE-).
10. D — the past-tense-maker (-ED). Very versatile.
11. L — appears in -LY, -ABLE, -AL, -EL, -LE. Common at word ends.
12. C — pairs with H (CH), K (CK), and forms -TION endings.

Letter Frequency in Scrabble

Scrabble tile distribution is based on letter frequency, but it is not exactly proportional. There are 100 tiles total (98 letters + 2 blanks):

• 12 tiles: E (the most common)
• 9 tiles: A, I
• 8 tiles: O
• 6 tiles: N, R, T
• 4 tiles: L, S, U, D
• 3 tiles: G
• 2 tiles: B, C, M, P, F, H, V, W, Y
• 1 tile: K, J, X, Q, Z
• 0 tiles (blank): 2 blank tiles worth 0 points

For a complete breakdown of every tile, see our Scrabble Tile Values guide.

What This Means for Your Rack

When you draw your 7 tiles, the odds favor common letters. A "typical" rack has:

• 2-3 vowels (E, A, I, O are most likely)
• 4-5 consonants (N, R, S, T are most likely)
• Occasionally one "premium" tile (J, K, Q, X, Z)

If your rack has 4 or more vowels, see our Vowel-Heavy Words guide for strategies. If you draw Q without U, see our Q Words Without U guide.

Letter Frequency in Wordle

Wordle uses a curated list of 2,309 answer words (plus additional valid guesses). The letter frequency in Wordle answers differs slightly from general English because the answer list favors common, recognizable 5-letter words.

Top 10 Letters in Wordle Answers

1. E — appears in 1,233 of 2,309 answers (53%)
2. A — appears in 979 answers (42%)
3. R — appears in 860 answers (37%)
4. O — appears in 819 answers (35%)
5. T — appears in 779 answers (34%)
6. L — appears in 719 answers (31%)
7. I — appears in 671 answers (29%)
8. S — appears in 669 answers (29%)
9. N — appears in 572 answers (25%)
10. D — appears in 522 answers (23%)

Notice that R jumps to #3 in Wordle (it is #9 in general English) because many common 5-letter words end in -ER or -RE. This is why starting words like CRANE, SLATE, and ARISE are effective — they cover the most common letters.

For more Wordle strategies, see our Wordle Solver page and Wordle Tips and Tricks.

How to Use Letter Frequency in Word Games

Scrabble Strategy

• Track the bag. As tiles are played, count what remains. If five E tiles have been played, the remaining bag has fewer E's — adjust your strategy accordingly.
• Play common letters first. In the early game, play your E, A, I, N, R, S, T tiles quickly to draw more tiles. Save premium tiles (J, Q, X, Z) for high-scoring plays on premium squares.
• Balance your rack. If your rack has five consonants and two vowels, play a consonant-heavy word to draw more vowels. The natural distribution is roughly 40% vowels, 60% consonants.

Wordle Strategy

• Start with a common-letter word. CRANE, SLATE, ARISE, and TRACE all use letters from the top of the frequency list. Each guess eliminates roughly 60-70% of possible answers.
• Avoid rare letters early. Do not start with JAZZY or QUIZZ — these use rare letters that are unlikely to appear in the answer, wasting a guess.
• Use the process of elimination. After your first guess, you know which common letters are in the answer. Enter your known letters into the Wordle Solver to narrow down possibilities.

Anagram Strategy

• Start with common letters. When unscrambling, look for E, T, A, O, I, N first — they form the backbone of most English words.
• Look for common pairs. TH, HE, IN, ER, AN, RE, ON are the most common two-letter combinations. If your letters include T and H, try putting them together.
• Check for common prefixes. RE-, UN-, IN-, DE-, and common suffixes like -ING, -ED, -TION, -ER can help you build longer words from shorter ones.

The Rare Letters: J, Q, X, Z

The four rarest letters in English each have distinct characteristics that affect word game strategy:

• J (8 points) — appears in common words like JUST, JUMP, JOKE, JOY. Relatively easy to play. See our Words With J, Q, X & Z guide.
• Q (10 points) — almost always paired with U. Without U, your options are limited to QI, QAT, QADI, and a handful more. See our Q Words Without U guide.
• X (8 points) — appears in common words like BOX, FIX, SIX, AXE, and EXAM. Versatile for a rare letter. See our Words That Start With X guide.
• Z (10 points) — appears in ZOO, ZAP, ZIP, ZONE, and as a suffix in BUZZ, FUZZ, JAZZ. Double-Z words score heavily. See our Words That Start With Z guide.

Related Guides

• Scrabble Tile Values & Distribution — every tile's point value and count
• Vowel-Heavy Words — what to do when your rack is all vowels
• 5-Letter Words for Wordle — starting words and strategy
• Words With J, Q, X & Z — mastering the high-value tiles
• Word Finder — find words by letter frequency and pattern