Scrabble Challenge How-To and Word Lists

Rules

If you don't know how to play Scrabble, go out and buy a Scrabble set! This game is (roughly) Duplicate Scrabble, where all players play with the same board and letters, and the best word each turn is added to the board.

To enter your turn, fill out the form. You will need to fill in the following fields:

  1. Your name. This will go on the roll of honour for the following turn. All entries from the previous turn are listed, as are totals for players who have entered words in more than half the turns in a game.
  2. Your word. Enter the entire word, including letters already on the board and letters for which a blank tile must be used. Any other words made in the process will be generated for you.
  3. Direction. Whether the word goes across or down.
  4. Now click on the board where the first letter of your word should go. Your turn will be processed and you will be informed of your score.
You should only submit one word each turn. To enforce this rule, your site will be locked out for 30 minutes after you submit a turn. If you enter a word which is challenged by the dictionary, your site will be locked out for 2 hours. This is to discourage unscrupulous probing of the dictionary.

Blanks are usually played automatically when a letter tile is not available in the rack. If you want to force a blank to be used, enclose the corresponding letter in your word with parentheses `( )'. For example, playing `l(i)vid' will force a blank to be used for the first `i'.

A new game will be started if there are not enough letters to fill the rack and no word has been entered in the last turn, or if there are no more letters in the rack.

Netscape 4.01 for Mac PPC: This browser contains a bug which means that clicking on the board does not work. You will have to change your browser or use the text only version.
Internet Explorer 4 for Win95: This browser does not filter double-clicks correctly. Do not double-click the board when entering your turn.

Word Lists

Words are checked against a dictionary made up using the Enhanced North American Benchmark LExicon (ENABLE) and OSW extensions. ENABLE is based on the Merriam-Webster 10th Edition dictionary, but corrects a number of errors made in the compilation of the OSPD. The OSW extensions contain the additional words appearing in the OSW but not in ENABLE. The resulting list is a slight superset of the SOWPODS (OSPD+OSW) combined list. For more details see the ENABLE home page. The construction of the dictionary and its contents are available for public scrutiny via the web. I am not a lexicographer, so there is no point mailing me about its contents.

The following two-letter words are allowed:

aa ab ad ae ag ah ai al am an ar as at aw ax ay ba be bi bo by ch da de di do ea ed ee ef eh el em en er es et ex fa fy gi go gu ha he hi hm ho id if in io is it jo ka ko ky la li lo ma me mi mm mo mu my na ne no nu ny ob od oe of oh oi om on oo op or os ou ow ox oy pa pe ph pi po qi re sh si so st ta te ti to ug uh um un up ur us ut we wo xi xu ya ye yo yu zo

Please do not use crossword/anagram solvers! It spoils the game for the rest of the players. I cannot enforce this except by banning sites, so I am relying on honest behaviour from everyone.

Turns

Board updates are performed at 15 hour intervals, at the following times (GMT). Please make up your own local timetable: 
       Mon    Tue    Wed    Thu    Fri    Sat
      00.00  06.00  12.00  03.00  09.00  00.00
      15.00  21.00         18.00         15.00
On Sundays, the Scrabble Challenge has a rest.

Duplicate Scores

Players who have entered legal words in more than half the turns in a game will receive duplicate scores. The duplicate score is the sum of the best scores achieved by that player each turn. Since not all players can submit a word every turn, each player is awarded three totals: their actual total, a reserve total and a maximum total. The reserve total is obtained by adding the median score for any turn in which the player did not enter a word; the maximum total is obtained by adding the best score for any turn in which the player did not enter a word. The number of turns played by each player is listed in parentheses.
The name `Scrabble' is a Registered Trademark of J. W. Spear & Sons plc., Enfield, Mddx (UK and elsewhere), and of Milton Bradley Company, a division of Hasbro, Inc. (US and Canada). The Scrabble game, board and rules are copyright J. W. Spear & Sons.

The OSPD is published by Merriam-Webster.

The OSW is published by Chambers.

Back to the Scrabble Challenge.