Word Scramble bills itself as a "phonological awareness and word-building game". Tiles are used to make words in the middle of playing board.
Based on the squares on which their pawns land, players either blindly draw a tile, move a tile already on the board or read all the words on the board. Five board spaces direct the player to draw a tile give them the choice between the word beginning or ending piles. Nineteen spaces specify from which pile the player should draw. Those spaces also direct the player to define the word played, rhyme it, use it in a sentence or use it in a question. Four spaces direct the player to read all the words already on the board, awarding four points for doing so. Landing on one of the four corners allows the player to move a tile already on the board.
Tiles drawn or moved are placed on one of 61 spaces in the middle of the board which have either word beginnings or endings. Harder-to-match tiles or spaces are worth more points than easy ones. Points values range from one to six. Play ends after one player reaches a predetermined number of points.