6 letter word: O K E D N Y

3 letter words
DEN
DOE
DON
DYE
END
EON
KEN
KEY
NOD
ODE
ONE
YEN
YON

4 letter words
DENY
DONE
DYKE
KENO
NODE
YOKE

5 letter words
DOYEN
YOKED

6 letter words
DONKEY

6 letter word: G E A R N E

3 letter words
AGE
ARE
EAR
ERA
ERE
ERG
GAR
GEE
GEN
NAE
NAG
NEE
RAG
RAN

4 letter words
EARN
GEAR
GENE
GRAN
NEAR
RAGE
RANG

5 letter words
AGREE
ANGER
EAGER
GENRE
GREEN
RANEE
RANGE

6 letter words
ENRAGE
GENERA

6 letter word: T E L A L Y

3 letter words
ALE
ALL
ATE
AYE
EAT
ELL
ETA
LAY
LEA
LET
LYE
TEA
YEA
YET

4 letter words
ALLY
LATE
TALE
TALL
TEAL
TELL
YELL

5 letter words
ALLEY
TALLY
TELLY

6 letter words
LATELY

Target: Labor Day weekend!

I re-looked at the NSA-sanctioned Scrabble tournament schedule, and the one I've decided to go to is the 3-day tourney held over Labor Day at Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas.

I've got a relative who lives relatively near there...but I'd prefer to stay in the city if I can. I'm going to broach the subject with my Scrabble Club tomorrow at our weekly meting and see if anyone else would like to attend the tourmament. We'd each have to pay our own entry fees, of course, but it would be nice to split the cost of a hotel room with 3 or 4 other people.

Failing that, I'll just stay with my relatives at night, and drive in to the city during the day... hoping that Labor Day Traffic won't be too bad!

6 letter word: NEG R E S

3 letter words
ENS
ERE
ERG
GEE
GEN
NEE
SEE

4 letter words
ERGS
GEES
GENE
GENS
SEEN
SEER
SERE

5 letter words
GENES
GENRE
GREEN
SERGE
SNEER

6 letter words
GENRES
GREENS

6 letter word: D C A I L Y

3 letter words
AID
AIL
CAD
CAY
DAY
ICY
LAC
LAD
LAY
LID

4 letter words
ACID
CLAD
CLAY
DIAL
IDLY
IDYL
LACY
LADY
LAID

5 letter words
DAILY

6 letter words
ACIDLY

6 letter word: D L B E L I

3 letter words
BED
BID
DEB
DIE
ELL
ILL
LED
LEI
LIB
LID
LIE

4 letter words
BELL
BIDE
BILE
BILL
BLED
DELI
DELL
DILL
IDLE
LIED

5 letter words
LIBEL

6 letter words
BILLED

7 letter word: S S S E N A D

3 letter words
ADS
AND
ASS
DEN
END
ENS
NAE
SAD
SEA

4 letter words
DEAN
DENS
ENDS
SAND
SANE
SANS
SASS
SEAS
SEND

5 letter words
ASSESS
DEANS
SANDS
SEDAN
SENDS

6 letter words
SASSED
SEDANS

7 letter word
SADNESS

Time Goes Fast

I've been playing Scrabble online, but haven't input my words into my dictionary (via highlighter) or into my Excel checklist.

And now its Christmas.

Regular posts return December 26.

How To Play Scrabble by Phone

I have a relative who is housebound with MS. She does not have a computer. (Well, she had a laptop, but for some reason it has been given to her son (who is an aviation mechanic and therefore, in my opinion, has a well-paying job and can damn well afford to pay for a laptop for himself, especially these days when they are so damn cheap!) and he isn't giving it back.

To cut a long story short, I suggested playing Scrabble by phone.

Here's how it works.

Decide who goes first.

The person who goes first chooses their 7 letters - and then tells their opponent what 7 letters they are. The opponent chooses these same 7 letters.

Both people get a certain amount of time to spell a word. The person who spells a word with the most points, "wins" that round. Their word stays on the board.

The person who spelled the word gets to choose more letters to get up to 7, and the opponent chooses the same letters.

Then, round 2. They each try to spell a word that will give them the most points - the person with the most points wins that "round". The word with the most points is the one that stays on the board, and the person whose word it is, gets to choose letters to get back up to 7 - and his or her opponent replenishes his rack with the same letters.

So in one sense strategy is bypassed... there's no spelling a word in order to set up spelling a different word that will get more points...it's all about getting the most points during each "round."

We've only played it once (I've only recently reconnected with this relative) but it seems like it will be fun.

So if you know people who are housebound and have a phone but no computer...give it a try.

6 letter word: A L E U V D

3 LETTER WORDS
Ale
Due
Lad
Lav
Lea
Led
Luv

4 LETTER WORDS
Dale
Deal
Dual
Duel
Lade
Laud
Lave
Lead
Vale
Veal
Vela
Veld

5 LETTER WORDS
Laved
Value

6 LETTER WORD
Valued

18 Dec: Words Added (4 games)

3 letter words
Hey
Mar
Jug
Den
Sod
Bey
Voe
Pat
VeUrn
Max
New
EWe
Wat
Ail
Cop
Met
Net
Jet
Got
Aal
Ran
Car
One
Con
Cop
Eft
Bur
Qua
Zee
Bat
Van
Oil
Zas

4 letter words
Dale
Vale
Gait
Lost
Loge
Zoos
Nice
Oats
They
Berm
Spud
Dies
Dins
Jean
Anew
Quit
Gran
Hair
Cone
Dare
Dice
Kern
Trog
Ogre
Dare

5 letter words
Cider
Dunks
Blare
Spree
Goods
Tinea

6 letter words
NONE

7 letter words
NONE

17 Dec Words added - 3 games

3 letter words
Fox
Oba
Tas
Hat
Vig
Eek
Dib
Lar
Run
Lar (yes, 2 lar's
Git
Let
Jot
Her
Fox
Zin
Die
Min
Tax
Wax
Bad
Qis
Par
Hey
Mar
Jug
Fer
Den
Sod
Bey
Voe

4 letter words
Axon
Fast
Goth
What
Aide
Grot
Jete
Dive
Lobe
Wise
Frat
Aqua
Grow
Drag
Gone
Lone
Laze
Jolt
Band
Azon
Reef
Moth
Slur
Gout
Vier

5 letter words
Juice
Wispy
Drape
Lover

6 letter words
Ranked
Ciders
Nester

7 letter words
Franked

7 letter word: Y T N L H O M

3 LETTER WORDS
Hon
Hot
Lot
Mot
Not
Nth (seriously?) [and on research, I see it's been used since 1850, for the "nth" deegree]
Ohm
Tho
Thy
Tom
Ton
Toy
Yon

4 LETTER WORDS
Holy
Homy
Hymn
Loth
Molt
Moth
Myth
Only
Tony

5 LETTER WORDS
Hotly
Month

7 LETTER WORDS
Monthly

A Flaw in the WordBiz online scrabble game!

I know that when I click on a blank letter in my tile rack, it changes from a "?" to an A, and from there, each time you click on it to move it around your rack, it changes to a new letter - so that unless you click on it and hit a backspace (to bring it back to the "?" it will look like any letter other than a blank. Sure, in the right hand corner is a "0" in yellow font, indicating that it's worth no points and therefore a blank, but when you've been busy concentrating on moving around your tiles to spell a scrabble - o (my term for a bingo) you can lose track of that.

Long story short, I'm going to have to write a letter to these people to complain, because I was playing a game today and wasted a blank on a measly 5 point word because I thought it was a T instead of a blank. Sooooo frustrating! And one problem that playing in real life does not present!

Words added Dec 16: 4 games

3 letter words
Bat
Elf
You
Fir
Jin
Fug
Net
Eek
Nun
Huh
Die
Too
Aal
Gas
Fes
Too
Rag
Vim
Eon
Rub
Net
Hog
Lag
Tab
Box
Mic
Now
Tee
Wet
Qis
Set
Eta
Jin
You
Tun
Het
Six

4 letter words
Port
Code
Aver
Bade
Floe
Rive
Punt
Gaum
Bile
Roil
Puce
Mole
Glee
Baal
Gent
Mica
Army
Cove
Dray
Wire
Rage
Edit

5 letter words
Nouns
Grail
Chine
Quote
Jutes
Trice
Yarns
Mitre

6 letter words
Choker
Senile
Chines

7 letter words
None!

Blow to the Ego

Lost twice at my Scrabble Club tonight..facing real people.

The first game I really had no chance, my opponent got all the power letters except the J, and I was getting either mostly vowels (and not good ones, i's and u's)or mostly consonants (and not good ones.) And she got a Scrabble-O! (My term for bingo.)

For the first half of my second game I got good letters and was 20-30 points in the lead, then my luck changed. Skipped a turn to toss in 2 i's and a u, got back an i as well as a couple other useless letters.

Well...a good lesson to learn. Playing against real people is more challenging than against the computer - which I'm mainly using just to be able to cross off words in the dictionary.

But it's been brought home to me quite clearly that I still have a long way to go to be able to put up a respectable showing next year.

Words added, Dec 15, 2011: 3 games

3 letter words
Hon
Fax
Max
Dow
Bus
Ave
Pun
End
Vat
Hog
Tic
Are
Top
Hon
Urn
Jut
Gun
Low
Vet
Lav
Tis
Lag
Taj
Cub
Gum
Ail

4 letter words
Boon
Kiva
Foam
Lean
Quin
Crib
Koel
Vote
Rode

5 letter words
Crops
Sting
Quell
Rodes
Plead
Brine
Raids

6 letter words
Stingo
Quells
Plead
Preach

7 letter words
Esteems
Radioed

Words added 12/14/11: 1 game

3 letter words
Dog
Rot
New
Sod
Tab
Cue
Vee
Rue
Pia

4 letter words
Rake
Vims
Fall
Lout
Area
Lion

5 letter words
Razer
Quota
Gelid

6 letter words
None

7 letter words
None

6 letter word anagram: E N F U R D

3 letter words
DEF
DEN
DUE
DUN
END
FED
FEN
FUN
FUR
RED
REF
RUE
RUN
URN

4 letter words
DUNE
FEND
FERN
FEUD
FUND
NERD
NUDE
REND
RUDE
RUED
RUNE

5 letter words
NUDER
UNDER
UNFED

6 letter word
REFUND

More Realistic Plans

As I stated in my introduction to this blog on the Kindle, I'd intended to learn every single word in the Scrabble dictionary by next November (2012) in order to make a good showing at my first official Scrabble tournament in Dallas.

That was a bit ambitious...and I'm sure I knew it at the time...

My revised, scaled-down plan, is to learn every 2- and 3-letter word between now and next November.

I've got I suppose about 2/3rds of the 2-letter words down, but haven't even started on learning the 3-letter words, except the ones I've learned by playing scrabble online in the last month or so.

But it's more than just learning the words, you have to know them by heart. So far I know the 2 letter words that start with each letter, (A through Z, with no C or V!) but if I needed to pull out a 2-letter word that ends in a specific letter...a bit harder. So I'll be working on that.

And that will also be my plan for the 3 letter words. Knowing not only all the words starting A through Z, but also ending A through Z.

Words added 12/13/11 (4 games)

Played 4 games of scrabble today. Twice to computerts (Bamse and Snowberry, if anyone plays Wordbiz)

I won't list the 2-letter words.

3 letter words
Ran
Men
Jam
Yod
Nas
Gae
Aid
Vat
Goo
Oil
Bed
Box
Gem
Jag
Lav
Aba
Den
Dot
Peg
Tab
Yea
Dev
Vie
Nut
Zee
Sup
Jot
Jet
Dew
Cat
Rug

4 letter words
Rime
Vets
Jams
Wart
Dirt
Fans
Char
Chef
Goad
Leer
Vert
Zine
Mine
Teen
Wart
Hind
Ates
Jail
Grin
Zine
Gone
Bumf
Sing

5 letter words
Reins
Croft
Quate
Quate
Comer


6 letter words
Crofts

7 letter word
Peeving

The Word List

Below I'm going to share 1,312 words - all the words I've used playing Scrabble - via an online scrabble site where you play against real people (or computer), with a computer distributing the letters. 90% of my games or more are against real people, but occasionally I play the computer.

What you will learn if you bother to go all the way down the list is that 2-letter words are used most often. That's because of the strategy I've had to adopt playing strategists on this online site. They spell short words, on top of or on the bottom of other words already created. Usually this gives the player a lot of points, and doesn't open up a free "e" or a consonant like "r" or "s" from which their opponent can spell a bingo (or as I prefer to call it, a Scrabble-o).

That's also why most of my other words are 3 or 4 letters long, with only a handful of 5 or 6 or 7 letters.

Apart from the 7 letter words which are hard!, the main reason for this is again, strategy. That's why I sometimes play the computer - I don't mind losing badly to a computer, and as I play a game I can use some longer words in order to add to my other project - which is my goal of spelling every single word in the Official Scrabble Players Dictionary, fourth edition.

Aa 4
Aah
Aas
Ab -- 6
Aba -- 2
Ably
Ace -- 3
Ache
Ad -- 8
Add
Ado
Adz -- 2
Ae -- 8
Aft
Ag -- 11
Agave
Ago -- 3
Ags
Ah -- 3
Ahi
Ai -- 4
Aid -- 2
Ail
Ails
Air
Ais
Ajar
Al -- 6
Ale -- 2
Alone
Alto
Am -- 2
Ama
An -- 12
Ana
Ani
Anti
Ants -- 2
Ape
Apse
Ar -- 12
Are -- 4
Ares
Arks
Arts
As -- 3
At -- 11
Ate -- 2
Ate
Ates
Atom
Ava -- 2
Ave -- 2
Aver
Avow
Aw -- 7
Awa
Awe -- 2
Awed
Awes
Ax -- 7
Axe -- 3
Axed
Axon
Ay -- 5
Aye -- 2
Ays
Ba -- 4
Bag -- 2
Bail
Bait
Bale
Bams
Bane
Bang -- 3
Bap
Bat -- 3
Batons
Bats
Bay
Be -- 10
Beam -- 2
Beat
Bed
Bed
Beep
Beeps
Begs
Bel -- 3
Bells
Ben
Bent
Bet -- 2
Bewigs
Bey
Bi -- 4
Bid
Bide
Big
Bin
Bine -- 2
Bint -- 2
Bint
Bis -- 2
Bit
Bite -- 4
Bite
Bo -- 3
Boa
Boar
Boat
Bod
Bod -- 2
Bog
Boiler -- 2
Bole
Bone
Boot -- 2
Boots
Bot -- 2
Box -- 3
Boxes
Bran
Brat
Brim
Brook
Build
Bumf
Bums
Bun -- 2
Bung
Buoys
But
By -- 3
Cab -- 3
Café
Cafes
Cage -- 4
Cain
Cam -- 2
Cane
Caned
Cape
Card
Caring
Carvers
Cast
Caste
Cat -- 4
Caul -- 2
Cave
Caved
Cay -- 2
Cel
Cell
Chat
Cheer
Chef
Chit -- 2
Cider
Cine
Clan
Clew
Clot
Clout
Coat
Cob
Cod
Coda -- 2
Code -- 4
Cods
Cog -- 2
Coil
Coin
Col
Cols
Colt -- 2
Comer
Con
Cone
Coo
Coot
Cop
Cor -- 2
Cord
Core -- 2
Cot
Cot
Cough
Cow
Coy -- 3
Coz
Craw
Croft
Crofts
Cru
Cruet
Cup
Cur -- 2
Dad
Dais -- 2
Darn
Date
Date
Dater
Day
Day
De -- 14
Deal
Def
Defrost
Del
Deli
Demes
Den -- 3
Dent
Dental
Derries
Dev -- 2
Deva -- 2
Dew -- 3
Dial
Dib
Die -- 3
Diets
Dif -- 4
Dig
Din -- 2
Dine -- 2
Diner
Dink
Dins
Dip
Dire
Dirt
Dis -- 2
Dit
Dive -- 2
Do -- 5
Doc
Dock
Docks
Doe
Doff
Doffs
Dog
Doge
Dole
Dom
Don -- 2
Dona
Done -- 2
Doper
Dor -- 2
Dork
Dot -- 6
Dote -- 3
Dousing
Dove
Dow
Dowel
Dowers
Dows
Doze
Drag
Dray -- 2
Drip
Drive
Dry
Dub
Dubs
Dud -- 2
Duds
Dues
Dun
Dune
Duo -- 3
Duos
Dyer
Ea
Earns
Ears
Ebb
Ed -- 15
Eddy
Edit
Eds
Eel
Ef -- 12
Eft -- 3
Ego -- 2
Egret
Eh -- 9
Eke
El -- 15
Elate
Elf
Elk
Ell
Em -- 9
Emotion
En -- 16
End
Eng
Enjoy
Equal
Er -- 11
Ere -- 3
Erst
Es -- 2
Et -- 9
Ewe -- 2
Ewer
Ex -- 7
Exes
Exine -- 2
Exited
Eye
Fa -- 8
Fab -- 2
Face
Fad
Fad
Fag -- 3
Fain -- 4
Fake
Fan -- 2
Fans
Far -- 3
Farm
Fat
Fate -- 3
Fave
Fe -- 9
Fear
Fed
Fee
Fen
Fer
Fern
Fever
Few
Fewer
Fey
Fez
Fib
Fie
Fig
Figs
Filer
Fin -- 3
Finds
Fir
Firm
Firs
Firs
Fit -- 2
Five -- 3
Fizz -- 2
Flab
Flam
Flap
Fleets
Flip
Flit
Fob
Fobs
Foci
Fog -- 2
Form
Fox
Fret
Fro
Frog
Frug
Fug -- 2
Fun -- 2
Furs -- 2
Fury
Fury
Fuses
Gab
Gads
Gae -- 4
Gaff
Gag
Gaily
Gait
Gal -- 3
Gale
Gall
Gar
Gar
Gasps
Gat
Gater
Gay
Gear
Gel
Gelt
Gem -- 4
Genii
Gent
Gent
Get
Geta
Gets
Gid
Gie
Gin
Git
Giver -- 2
Gives
Glady
Glob
Glop
Glut
Go -- 16
Goad
Goat
Gob
God -- 2
Gods -- 2
Gone -- 2
Good -- 2
Goodly
Goods -- 2
Gore -- 2
Gored
Gorm
Gorm
Gos
Got -- 3
Gox -- 2
Graders
Grail
Gran
Grated
Greet
Grift
Grime
Grin
Grit -- 2
Grog
Grope
Grue
Grue
Grunt
Guile -- 2
Gun
Gunner
Guns
Guv -- 2
Ha -- 7
Had
Hadal
Haft
Haft
Hag -- 7
Hair
Hao
Hare
Hare
Harm
Hart
Has
Hat
Hats
Have
Haves
Haw
Haws
Hay
Hays
Hays
He -- 7
Heed
Heel
Heil
Heir
Hem
Hen -- 5
Hens
Hens
Hep -- 3
Her
Hers
Het
Hew
Hewn
Hex -- 3
Hexes
Hi -- 3
Hid
Hider
Hie -- 2
Hin -- 10
Hind -- 2
Hit
Hm
Ho -- 5
Hobo
Hod
Holds
Holds
Homy -- 2
Honer
Hour
How
Hoy -- 3
Hum
Huns -- 2
Hunt
Hunter
Hunters
Hunts
Hurl
Hurt
Icon
Icy
Id -- 15
Idly
Ids
If -- 3
In -- 21
Ink
Inn
Ion -- 3
Ions
Ired
Iris
Ironed
Is -- 5
It -- 5
Ixias
Jab
Jabs
Jag
Jag
Jager -- 2
Jail -- 2
Jails
Jam -- 2
Jams
Jane -- 2
Janes
Jar
Jean
Jee
Jeer
Jees
Jeez -- 2
Jet -- 6
Jete
Jew
Jews
Jin -- 3
Jinns
Jins
Jins
Jive
Jo -- 17
Jo
Job
Joe -- 3
Joes -- 7
Jog -- 2
Jogs
Join
Jolly
Jot -- 3
Jota -- 4
Jovey
Jow -- 3
Joy -- 2
Judo
Jun
Juster
Ka -- 9
Kat -- 3
Keen -- 2
Kef
Ken -- 2
Kens
Key
Ki -- 16
Kid -- 2
Kif -- 3
Killer
Kin
Kina -- 2
Kir -- 2
Kit -- 4
Kits -- 2
Koi
Kors -- 2
La -- 5
Lab -- 2
Lad
Lag -- 2
Lair
Lakers -- 2
Lame
Lams
Land
Lane
Lap
Lapse
Lark
Last
Lat
Lats -- 2
Lav -- 2
Lawns
Lay -- 3
Leaf -- 2
Leaners
Led
Leer
Leg -- 2
Lek
Les
Lev
Lex
Li -- 11
Lie -- 2
Life
Ligers
Liker
Limp
Line -- 2
Liners -- 2
Lint -- 2
Lints
Lite -- 2
Lives
Llama
Lo -- 7
Loft
Log -- 3
Loge
Loin
Loo -- 2
Loos
Loot -- 2
Looter
Looters
Lop -- 3
Lore -- 2
Loris
Lot
Lour
Lover
Loves
Low
Lowers
Lows
Lox -- 3
Luck
Lump
Ma -- 7
Ma
Mag
Mailer
Maizes
Many -- 3
Mas
Mate
Maw -- 2
Max
Maxi -- 2
May -- 3
May
Maze
Me -- 8
Mead
Means
Meant
Med
Men -- 3
Met -- 3
Mews
Mews
Mi -- 8
Mice -- 3
Mid
Mig
Mil
Milked
Min -- 2
Mine
Mint
Minty
Mir
Misty
Mite
Mitts
Mix -- 2
Mm
Mo -- 2
Moa
Moan
Moc
Mod
Moll -- 2
Moneyers
Mop
More
Moro
Mounter
Mown
Mu
Muck
Mucks
Mun
Mut
Na -- 5
Nab
Nae
Nag -- 2
Nags -- 3
Nail
Nan
Nas
Naw
Nay -- 4
Ne -- 10
Nee -- 2
Neg -- 2
Negs
Net -- 3
Neve
New
News -- 2
Next -- 2
Nib
Nil
Nip
Nix -- 2
No -- 9
Nod
Node -- 2
Noel
Noels
Nog
Noh -- 3
Nom -- 2
Non
Nor -- 2
Norm
Not
Note
Note
Nouns
Now -- 2
Nu -- 8
Nub -- 3
Nun
Nut -- 3
Obi -- 3
Oboe
Od -- 12
Ode
Odes -- 2
Oe
Of -- 5
Of -- 2
Oft -- 2
Oh -- 4
Oho
Oi -- 4
Oil
Oiled -- 2
Okra
Om -- 5
Omen
On -- 2
One -- 2
Ones -- 2
Ones
Ons
Op -- 5
Open
Open
Ops
Or -- 14
Orb
Ore
Os -- 3
Osar
Ot
Ours
Ouzo
Ow -- 9
Own
Ox -- 9
Oxo -- 2
Oy -- 8
Oye
Oyes
Ozone
Pa -- 5
Pad -- 3
Page -- 2
Paged
Paid
Paine
Pal
Palms
Pan -- -- 2
Par
Para
Parent -- 3
Pas
Past
Pasta
Pat
Path
Pave
Paves
Pax
Pay -- 4
Pe -- 8
Peals
Pee -- 3
Peeving
Peg -- 6
Pen -- 3
Per
Peri
Pi -- 8
Pia
Pic -- 2
Pie -- 3
Pies
Pig
Piled
Pill
Pin -- 4
Pine -- 3
Pit
Pix -- 2
Plait
Plow
Po
Pod
Pods
Pol -- 2
Pole
Pool
Por
Porn -- 2
Port
Pot -- 2
Pound
Pours
Pow
Prime
Pros
Prove
Prune
Prunes
Pubs
Punt
Pups
Pus
Put
Qat -- 3
Qi -- 33
Qis -- 9
Qua -- 4
Quad -- 2
Quag -- 5
Quags
Quate -- 2
Quay
Quays
Quey
Quid -- 2
Quilt
Quilts
Quin 3
Quints
Quire
Quires
Quits
Quiz
Quod
Quoter
Race
Rack
Rad
Rag -- 4
Rage
Raid
Raided
Raj
Ram
Ran -- 3
Rang
Rant
Rare
Rat
Rate -- 2
Rated
Rave
Raw -- 2
Rax -- 2
Ray
Razes
Re -- 14
Read
Real
Rear
Reb
Reb
Rebid
Rec -- 2
Rei -- 3
Reign
Reindeer -- 2
Reins
Reloads
Rem -- 2
Renal
Rent
Rep
Reshoe
Retile
Rev -- 3
Rex -- 2
Rexes
Rib
Rice
Rid
Riel
Rif
Rife -- 2
Rig
Rile -- 2
Rim
Rime -- 3
Ring -- 2
Rioted
Rioters
Ripe
Rise -- 2
Rite -- 2
Rive
River
Rives
Rob -- 2
Robe
Robed
Robs
Rod -- 3
Rode
Roe
Role
Rood -- 2
Rose
Roster
Rots
Rouer -- 2
Rout -- 2
Rove
Row
Rub -- 4
Rude
Rue -- 2
Rued
Rug -- 3
Ruin
Ruins
Rule
Ruler
Rum -- 3
Run
Rune
Rune
Runes
Rut -- 4
Sac
Sacs
Sad -- 2
Sag
Said
Sail
Sailor
Sale
Salt
Sat
Sat
Sate
Save
Saver
Saw
Sax -- 2
Scat
Sea
Seat
See
Seen
Self
Sew
Sews -- 2
Sex -- 2
Sexy
Shad
Share
Sheen
Shes
Shoved
Shuns
Si
Side -- 2
Silo
Silo
Sim
Sing
Sings
Sinus
Sire
Siren -- 2
Site
Six -- 2
Sizer
Sizes
Slap
Slow
Slug
So
Sofa
Soil
Sole
Some
Son
Soon
Sooner
Sooners
Sour
Sow
Spry
Stages
Stat
Stay
Stile
Stingers
Stir
Stools
Storm
Stout
Stuns
Sue
Sup -- 2
Suq
Suqs
Sure
Sure
Ta -- 16
Tab -- 4
Tact
Tae
Tag -- 2
Tail
Taj -- 2
Tales
Talk
Talks
Tame
Tan -- 2
Taper
Tar
Tarn
Tarts
Tarty
Tas
Tat
Tav
Tax -- 2
Taxed
Taxes
Taxi -- 3
Taxies
Tea
Teal
Teeing
Teeing
Teem
Teen
Ten -- 2
Terret
Tew
Than
That
Ti -- 13
Tic -- 3
Tidy
Tie -- 3
Tier
Tile 3
Time
Tin
Tint
Tip
Tit
Titer -- 2
To -- 4
Toad
Tod
Toe -- 2
Toed
Toke
Told
Tom
Ton -- 2
Tone -- 2
Toners
Tong
Tons
Tool
Toon -- 3
Top
Tope
Tor
Tort
Tost
Tot
Tots
Tour -- 2
Tow
Toy -- 2
Toys
Track
Trail
Tram
Trey
Triage
Trice
Tries
Trim
Trio -- 2
Trod
Trout
Tub
Tuft
Tug
Tulle
Tun 2
Turn
Twin
Twit -- 2
Two
Uh
Undrest
Up
Us
Use
User
Ut -- 5
Vacs
Vain
Vair
Van -- 4
Vans
Var -- 3
Vars -- 3
Vary
Vat -- 2
Vaults
Vee -- 2
Veil
Vend -- 2
Vent
Vented
Verse
Vert
Very
Vest
Vet -- 2
Veto
Vets
Vex -- 4
Via -- 3
Vibe
Vibes
Vice
Vices
Vid -- 2
Vids
Vie -- 5
Vig
Vin
Vine -- 3
Viol
Vis
Vista
Voes
Volt
Voters
Wa
Wad -- 2
Wade
Wade
Wag
Wails
Waits
Wale
Wan
Waney
Want
Wark
Warp
Wart -- 2
Wary
Was
Wax
Waxer
Way -- 3
Ways
We -- 11
Weal
Wed
Wee -- 2
Weed
Weep
Wen -- 2
Wet
Wet
Wha
Whole
Wifed
Wig -- 2
Win -- 4
Wire
Wit -- 2
Wits -- 2
Wive
Wiz -- 2
Wo -- 7
Woe
Woes
Won -- 2
Wow
Xi -- 13
Xis
Xu -- 6
Ya -- 3
Yah
Yak
Yam -- 2
Yap -- 2
Yar
Yare
Yarers
Ye -- 5
Yea -- 2
Yeans
Year
Yelp
Yen -- 2
Yes -- 5
Yin -- 2
Yo -- 6
Yod -- 2
Yon
Yup
Za -- 28
Zag -- 4
Zap
Zas
Zeal
Zed -- 3
Zeds
Zee -- 4
Zees -- 3
Zesty -- 2
Zig
Zigs -- 2
Zin -- 2
Zinc
Zincs
Zine -- 4
Zines
Zip
Zip
Zip
Zit -- 2
Zoa
Zone -- 2
Zoner -- 2
Zones -- 2
Zoo -- 3
Zooey
Zoon
Zoos
Zuz

What's the dif?

I'm currently going through my 2-week wordlist and looked up the word "Dif." Yep, it's an alternate spelling of "Diff" which is short for "Difference." So how can "co", which is short for "company" not be a word?

Hah!

Why is "De" a word?

I don't deny that "De" comes in handy - I see in my word list (that I will post in another few minutes) that I have used "De" 14 times in 2 weeks worth of games, averaging 3 games a day.

But come on!

Look up the dictionary definition of "de" and it says, "preposition, of, from, used in names."

And that's all its used for, and of course it's originally French.

If they're going to make "De" a valid word, then they really should make "Co" a valid word as well. (as in co-dependent, co-author, not to mention short for company.) They have many abbreviated words in the dictionary - none that jump to mind immediately, but I know they are there! - why not co?

That makes a heckuva lot more sense than being able to use "LOL"!

Scrabble Words

I've been keeping track of all the words I've used in my Scrabble games (when playing online) and I'm going to be sharing it with you tomorrow. My goal is to use every word in the scrabble dictionary within the next 3 years.

The most words used are of course the 2 letter words. I'm not using as many large words as I had wanted to, because if you do that...your opponent will get a Scrabble-o (my term for a bingo) out of it.

It'll all make sense when I post the list tomorrow.

Art Terminology: Acanthus and Altarpiece

Acanthus
Architecture: A prickly plant of the Mediterranean region with large, deeply cleft and scalloped leaves which are freely imitated on the capitals of the Corinthian and Composite orders and often used, in varying degrees of abstraction, to ornament moldings, brackets, friezes and so on.

Altarpiece
Architecture: A painted or sculpted panel or shrine placed behind and above an altar, also called a "reredos" or "retable." 14th and 15th century altarpieces are often very complicated, consisting of several panels or separate groups of sculpture.

An altarpiece consisting of three panels is called a tryptych, when it has more than three panels it is called a "poylptych". Some altarpieces have a decorated base, or pedella, and have "shutters" or "wings" which can be opened to reveal a series of "transformations" or "stages" to reveal other paintings or sculptures. The shutters are usually painted in rather subdued colors on the outside - monochrome imitations of sculpture ("grisailles") being common in northern Europe - but when opened up for the feast days of the Church, they offer a brilliant and sumptuous display of color.

Now, which of the words above are in the scrabble dictionary?

Acanthus is defined as "a prickly herb."

Altar is in there, but not altarpiece. This seems silly, as one could surely spell "piece" on the end of "altar"!

Frieze is defined as a "coarse woolen fabric." (Which is not the same as the art "frieze" - the middle member of an entablure."

Reredos - an ornamental screen behind an altar

Retable - a raised shelf behind an altar.

Tryptych - is not in the Official Scrabble Players Dictionary, 4th edition! Neither is polyptych, which is more understandable.

Pedella - is not in the Scrabble dictionary. Nor is grisaille.

____________
Bibliography
From Abacus to Zeus, A Handbook of Art History
James Smith Pierce, 1977

Whither Good Tiles?

Lost a game badly to someone whom I should have been on an even level with, last night, playing in the Online Scrabble Club. So frustrating and annoying, as I could not get any tiles. I either had 1 vowel and 6 consonants or 1 consonant and 6 vowels, and never got one of the power tiles.

So my opponent is piling on the points and I'm spelling the equivalent of cat and dog.

I always seem to wait too long to turn in my tiles for new ones. I have to get out of the habit of that. Although if you're not drawing well, sometimes even changing all your tiles doesn't matter!

Collections of Words

I find it easier to learn words if I know what they mean, and I also find it easier to learn these words if I learn them as a group.

So right now I'm working on Art Terminology, and also Coins and Monetary units of the world.

Art Terminology: Abacus and Abbey

Abacus
Architecture: The uppermost part of a capital, forming a slab on which the architrave rests.

Abbey
Architecture: A monastery governed by an abbot. The church of an abbey is called an "abbey church" and is usually planned to allow for the special requirements of the monks such as a deep choir or many altars.

____________
Bibliography
From Abacus to Zeus, A Handbook of Art History
James Smith Pierce, 1977

Status Report 3 Dec 2011

I have been playing a lot of games at the Online Scrabble Club and not doing very well...my ranking is now down to 371.

Which is okay, because I've really got to stop playing scrabble for a week or so and concentrate more on learning words I've got to learn. I still don't have all the 2-letter words memorized, and I really need to start learning the 3-letter words.

There are 4 very good scrabble players at my scrabble club - which meets every Thursday...my goal is to be able to defeat each of them on a regular basis. That's the only way that I'll know, by November of next year, if its worth going down to Dallas, Texas to participate in the Scrabble tournament down there.

Although...I will probably go anyway, just to get the experience of it.

6 letter words: R U Y P E L

3 letter words:
LYE
PER
PLY
PRY
REP
RUE
RYE
YWP
YUP

4 letter words:
LURE
LYRE
PREY
PULE - as in a "puling infant" - to cry in a high, thin voice
PURE
PURL - as in knit one, purl two (Origin:
1520–30; variant of obsolete or dial. pirl to twist (threads, etc.) into a cord)
PYRE
RELY
RULE
YELP

5 letter words
REPLY

6 Letter wirds
PURELY

6-letter word: O V E L C R

3 letter words:
COL
COR
OLE
ORC
ORE
REC
REV
VOE

4 letter words
CORE
COVE
LORE
LOVE
OVER
ROLE
ROVE
VOLE

5 Letter Words
CLOVE
COVER
LOVER

6 letter words
CLOVER

Setting a Record for the Guinness Book of World Records

I did a google search on "Guinness World Record Scrabble" and the only thing it came up with was the highest score.

Before I continue on with my post, I'll share an article about that:

From AZCentral: World Scrabble record set in Ahwatukee tournament

Laurie Cohen, a Tempe resident and founder of Tempe Scrabble Club, called her mother in New York at the close of the 25th Annual Phoenix Scrabble Tournament held at Grace Inn in Ahwatukee last weekend .

"I told her, 'I've got good news and bad news. The bad news is I did really crappy in the tournament; the good news is I might have gotten in the Guinness Book of World Records,'" said Cohen, who became the newest member of the Competitive Scrabble 700 Club by scoring 725 points in one game.

Cohen and her opponent, Arizona State University sophomore Nigel Peltier, scored a total 1,127 points, surpassing the previous Guinness record of 1,108.

The record requires the tournament game be without "phonies": words not found in the dictionary but sometimes successfully played without challenge. This match had none.

The world-record setting game Monday, the last day of competition, was the 19th of the 20-game tournament.

Cohen, director of institutional research at Scottsdale Community College, also became only the 13th tournament player to top 700 since 1981.

"It was just one game," said Cohen. "I'm playing in the top division where everybody is really, really good and I won only 9 of 20 games. But that one was exciting."

Though Peltier is a member of the Tempe Scrabble Club that Cohen founded five years ago, they've faced off only a handful of times.

The high score and Cohen's high point one-game tally crowned the 25th anniversary of the Phoenix Scrabble Tournament founded by Chandler resident Barbara Van Alen. Van Alen, a high-ranking national Scrabble competitor, won the National Scrabble Association's Co-Director of the Year Award in 2004 and is co-director of the Phoenix Scrabble Club, which hosted the Ahwatukee hosted the tournament and attracted players from Canada and throughout the U.S. including Hawaii.

Her co-director and husband Larry Rand said the Cohen-Peltier world record (Peltier scored 402) and Cohen's high score were extraordinary.

"Very few people ever attain a 700-point game - even a 600 game is rare. And then to have a new world record set - well, everything just fell into place."

To prepare for tournament competition, Cohen - who began playing the game at age 10 and competitively at 16 - says she melds the old with the new.

"After reading 'Word Freak' (a 2001 book on competitive Scrabble by Stefan Fatsis, I made flashcards starting with the highest probability words, then I put all the words I didn't know on cards," she said, estimating her word cards now number 20,000 to 30,000. "I'm at my computer a lot at work so I get up and go for a walk and go through my cards. It's kind of an old-school way to study."

Like many other modern-day Scrabble players, she also makes use of specialized study software like Zyzzyva.

In my own quest to become a Scrabble tournament champion master, I'm not messing with Zyzzyva, but I have my own plans..

And I have my own obsessions.

One of which is to spell every word in the Scrabble dictionary.

I've been keeping track for the last 2 weeks - which is when I got the idea.

I've been playing on the Internet Scrabble Club (Wordbiz) - 3 games a day.

And yes...I do use a dictionary to find words - but I justify that because I am in training. Scrabble played on the internet doesn't count, only Scrabble played against live people - like at a tournament.

I've worked out that it will take me a minimum of 3 years to play every word...

We'll see how it goes.

Wordbiz is getting on my nerves!

Played two games today... started out getting all consonants...ended up getting all vowels. Enough to annoy the heck out of me.

6 LETTER WORD ANAGRAM: L A I S E L

3 letter words
AIL
ALE
ALL
ELL
ILL
LEA
LEI
LIE
SEA

4 LETTER WORDS
AILS
ALES
ELLS
ILEA
ILLS
ISLE
LEAS
LEIS
LIES
SAIL
SALE
SEAL
SELL
SILL

5 LETTER WORDS
AISLE
LISLE

6 LETTER WORDS:
ALLIES

8 Scrabble Players in Cheyenne

In Oct 2010 I moved to Cheyenne, WY and within a few days started a scrabble club. After a year I've got 8 regular members...a couple of people have come for a couple of times and then never come again.

I had a Scrabble tourney today - and we had a nice write-up in the local Cheyenne paper on Wednesday, talking about the club and mentioning the tourney.

Result? 1 - 1! new person on Thursday, and that same new person today (who wiped the floor with the competition.) No spectators, nobody else.

Very disappointing.

Don't know if the new guy will continue to come, he's young and rather brusque, so not really fun to play even for the guys most nearly at his level...

Typical!

30 Days to a More Powerful Vocabulary

Okay, not specifically Scrabble related - I should be studying words with multiple Is, words with Js, Zs, Qs, all that stuff.

But, in my opinion, Scrabble players should know the meanings of every word they play!

Test V - hononyms
1. why does modern music have such a strange [a) affect b) effect] on you?

2. Most buildings have [a) stationary b) stationery] walls.

3. The [a) principal b) principle] features of Southern California are sunshine and smog.

4. Sitting contentedly by the fire, the cat licked [a) it's b) its] paws

5. His vocal [a) cods b) chords] were inflamed

6. he sat for hours [a) poring b) pouring] over the dictionary.

7. He listened with [a) baited b) bated] breath for the second shoe to fall.

8. Admiral Nelson is famous for one of the most important [a) navel b) naval] encounters in British history.

9. The scene of the accident was lighted by a huge [a) flare b) flair].

10. The boxer made a [a) feint b) faint] with his left.

And not precisely an honynym but one I see pretty often.

11. It's a [a) mute b) moot] point.


Bibliography
30 Days to a More Powerful Vocabulary

Only 8 people in Cheyene, WY play scrabble

At least that's what it seems like.

I'm having a recreational Scrabble tournament on Saturday - there was an article in the paper about my Scrabble club yesterday - and people were asked to pre-register, no one's doing it.

My weekly Scrabble meeting is tonight..I'm hoping we'll get some new people but I am not really sanguine...

I guess this explains why no one ever holds Scrabble Tournaments in Wyoming or Colorado - closest place that has a tournament - a sanctoned tournament - is Texas,. And that's where I intend to go next year. And that's what my training in this blog is all about.

But I sure do wish I could get some more members of my scrabble club here...

2 letter A-words, quiz

There are 16 two letter A words.

Name them.

(AC, AF, AJ, AO, AP, AQ, AU and AZ are NOT words.)

2 letter words and their definitions, Part 2

BA - eternal soul, in Egyptian mythology

BE - 1st person singular

BI - bisexual

BO - pal

BY - a pass in certain card games

DE - used in names

DO - to begin and carry through to completion

2 letter words - help remembering

There are 16 2-letter words

There are 5 B-words

There are 2 D words

There are 10 E words

There are F words

There is 1 G-word

There are 5 H-words

There are 5 I words

There is 1 J word

There are 2 K words

There are 3 L-words

There are 7 M-words

There are 4 N-words

There are 13 O-words

There are 3 P-words

There is1 Q-word

There is 1 R word

There are 3 S-words

There are 3 T words

There are 6 U words

There are 2 W words

There are 2 X words

There are 3 Y words

There is 1Z word

2 letter words and their definitions, part 1

There are NO 2-letter words beginning with V or C.

The As are easy to remember, I admit.

AA - a rough type of lava. (The opposite of that is PAHOEHOE, "smooth, billowy lava). Both Hawaiian words.

AB - an abominal muscle

AD - an advertisement

AE - one (not sure how you'd ever use this in a sentence, but it's a Scots word.)

AH - aah.

AI - a 3-toed sloth in the forests of Venezuela, Guianas and northern Brazil

AL - an East Indian mulberry tree

AM - 1st person singular

AN - indefinate article

AR - the letter R

AS - to the same degree

AT - in the position of

AW - used to express protest, disgust or disbelief.

AX - cutting tool

AY - aye (yes, as in "Aye, Aye, sir)






_____________________
Bibliography
Official Scrabble Players Dictionary, 4th Edition. Merriam-Webster.

My Scrabble Club

I moved to Cheyenne, Wyoming a year ago, and started a Scrabble Club shortly thereafter. We meet every Thursday at the Cheyenne County Library, if anyone would like to visit us and play Scrabble.

It's been an educational experience, as I learned over the course of the last year just how much I didnt' know. I'd say half of our members (there are 8 regulars) are much better scrabble players than me, a couple our really just beginners, and perhaps one or two are at my level.

We've got a new member now who is serious about learning Scrabble words - the two letter words, the 7 letter bingoes, etc. He doesn't intend to enter any tournaments (as I do) he's simply interested in elevating his game.

And so that is who this blog is for to, as well as those who are interested in attending tournaments. Whether you want to learn new words just to...well, to learn them!, or because you want to go to a tourney someday, learn with me.

Manifesto, October 10, 2011

On October 16, 2012,I want to have learned/memorized the over 100,000 2-to-8 letter words in the Official Scrabble Players Dictionary (the American edition!) as well as Scrabble strategy, so that I can compete at a decent level in an NSA sponsored Scrabble tournament.

Learn along with me.