Scrabble Dictionary
Scrabble Word Lists
A Scrabble dictionary is an official dictionary used by Scrabble players which contains the accepted word list for tournament and competitive Scrabble. There are actually two major Scrabble dictionaries in the community: The Chambers Dictionary and TWL.
These official Scrabble dictionaries are used in different parts of the world, and will occasionally draw from different word sources for their full word lists. Put together, these word lists are known as SOWPODS. Let’s discuss each one separately first, though.
Chambers Dictionary Official Word List
The Chambers Dictionary was first printed in 1872 and its has long been a favorite with word game players, including those who love crosswords and Scrabble. The Chambers Dictionary, based in England, has long been known for its wry definitions.
The main reason Scrabble players enjoyed the Chamber Dictionary or TCD is the large number of archaic words listed, which gives Scrabble players more selections to choose from when filling out a Scrabble board.
The TCD or OSW is no longer the official Scrabble dictionary, though you can find the Chambers Dictionary in online, CD-Rom, cellphone and iPod formats.
Official Tournament Word List – OSPD
Sometimes known as the Official Tournament and Club Word List, the “official Scrabble word list” is also known by the initials “TWL”, “OWL” or “OTaCWL”. This is the official Scrabble dictionary in the U.S., Canada and Thailand.
SOWPODS Scrabble Dictionary
When you combine the “OSPD” and “OSW” of the “Official Scrabble Players Dictionary” and the “Official Scrabble Words”, respectively, you can make the acronym “SOWPODS”, which is what the combined official Scrabble dictionary is.
Sowpods has no official word list at present, but the words found in the two aforementioned dictionaries or word lists combine to make the officially sanctioned Scrabble words in much of the world, beyond the United States, Canada and Thailand.
The result of the SOWPODS list is that there are words when you play officially in America, Canada and Thailand that cannot be used, but which could be used in most other parts of the world. This can get somewhat confusing, especially since the abbreviations for the various word lists aren’t even standardized, but Scrabble players generally enjoy a bit of a puzzle, so perhaps all of this is on purpose.
Whatever the case, a good Scrabble dictionary to consult is the Official Scrabble Players Dictionary, unless you are playing in the U.K., Australia or New Zealand. In that case, grab the Sowpods list, because that Scrabble dictionary gives you more word choices.
See also:
- Scrabble Pages
- Scrabble News
- Scrabble Websites
- Why Play Scrabble
- Best Scrabble Cheats
- Amazon Scrabble
- Scrabble Vowel Dumps
This entry was posted on Monday, December 28th, 2009 at 10:11 pmand is filed under Scrabble, Words. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
i would like to play
Question on S word endings! My sister and I play the board regularly! At times the interpretation of how to use comes up! For instance: You ad an “S” to the word “Run” diagonally. On the same play is it possible to add AND score the beginning of, or the ending of, a word starting with or ending with an “S” horozontally! For example: R
U
N
P A S S N A P
(with the PASS OR SNAP, being and either/or scenario)
Any comments, advise is greatly appreciated! thanks, mike