Electronic Scrabble Dictionary
Playing Scrabble involves adding verbal skills to a game of chance. This is how creator Alfred Mosher Butts envisioned the diversion when he invented it in 1931. Originally called Lexico, a copyright was taken out on the game in 1948 after Butts joined with James Brunot for distribution. When the then-chairman of Macy's department store, Jack Strauss, sought the game for his stores, it became a world-wide phenomenon quickly after.
Today, the game of Scrabble is played throughout the world. Local, national, and international tournaments abound for the best players to show off their skills. While chance factors into the letters you choose, it is your expertise as a player that is challenged when it comes time to make words out of the random letters you have picked.
Advanced Scrabble players can use dictionaries to challenge other players' words. Beginners will find dictionaries helpful in improving their own word scores and building their vocabularies.
YourDictionary offers many of the dictionary features useful to Scrabble players. Have the beginnings of a word, but not sure how to spell it or where to fit it onto the game board? Use the wild card search, substituting any number of the letters in your word with an asterisk (*). For example, a search for garg* would return these results:
If you are just missing a single letter, you can specify it with a question mark (?). So, a search for toas? would have you looking for an open "t" on the scrabble board so you could make toast.
Online Electronic Scrabble Dictionaries
Several websites offer online electronic Scrabble dictionaries. If you choose to use these websites while playing via the Internet, however, it is considered cheating if you do not notify your opponent.
Keep the website you prefer to use uploaded as you play at home. Use it often as you learn to play in order to improve, or simply use as needed to check challenged words. Try these Scrabble dictionaries:
- Scrabble Dictionary: Use the Scrabble dictionary, brought to you by Hasbro, to help improve your game. Keep "Exact Match" selected if you want to check a challenged word. Deselect the box if you want help finding words that contain the one you typed into the box. The word list used is from Merriam-Webster's Official SCRABBLE Player's Dictionary, 4th Edition.
- Scrabulous: This Scrabble website offers two resources for you to check on challenged words. Choose either the SOWPODS dictionary, which is used for international tournaments, or the TWL dictionary, used primary in tournaments in the U.S.A. and Canada. SOWPODS is an acronym formed by a merger of the OSW (Official Scrabble Words) and OSPD (Official Scrabble Players Dictionary); TWL stands for Tournament Word List. Type the word you need to check into either box, and a new window will appear with the result of your query. You can also find out the definition of the word by clicking on the link that appears.
- The Phrontistery 2 and 3-Letter Scrabble Words: The TWL98 and SOWPODS accept many two and three letter words in official Scrabble play. By memorizing the lists provided, you can increase your score. Definitions are not provided, just a simple word list; you cannot look up challenge words on this site. Use this site if you are just starting to play the game.
- a2z WordFinder: This site is one to bookmark for beginning players. Use it to help form words out of the letters you have chosen. A number of options for word formation are available, including limiting word length, pattern matching, and inclusion of required letters. Instructions are below a mid-screen advertisement banner. Despite the heavy ads on this website, it is extremely useful. For example, typing in the letters "o h v i t s y" results in 46 words. Sort them by score and up the ante on your opponent.
Download a Scrabble dictionary so you can use it even when your computer is not connected to the Internet. While some may be free, others might require a purchase. Make sure you have all of your spyware and security protection on when attempting to download a dictionary, and terminate if you feel at all wary about the website. Using free trials from respectable companies can help you decide if you want to purchase the full package.
It is also worth noting that not all electronic Scrabble dictionaries are found online. Handheld electronic devices, such as The Official Players Scrabble Dictionary and Scrabble Dictionary, are good for car trips as well as playing outdoors. However, they can be somewhat expensive and require batteries for use. Additionally, the handheld electronic devices only contain the current accepted word lists. Updates may require additional purchases.
Need a scrabble dictionary in print format? The official Merriam Webster Scrabble Dictionary is in its fourth edition.