I have some friends who are challenging the validity of the Scrabble dictionary's validity. Can you help?

Question

I have some friends who are challenging the validity of the Scrabble dictionary by saying the choice of inclusion seems random, how can I respond? How do they decide what words go in it? Why are some words in it which are NOT in many dictionaries?

See this, also: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AtIbEW6z41WyJP9kvOE_3QLsy6IX?qid=20060620222031AAQtVnP

Your not helping...

I still feel that no one has FULLY answered this question: "How do they decide what words go in it? "

Answer 1

The official Scrabble Dictionary (based on Miriam/Webster in US and Chambers Dictionary in UK) is just that--the official arbitrator of what words are acceptable. The purpose is to have a common ground authority to appeal to in the case of dispute.

If your friends have a source they'd rather use, and everyone can agree on what source it is, then that's just peachy--however if they ever decide to play competitvely or outside your circle they are going to be at a severe disadvantage.

They can dismiss it if they want, however the (overall) owner of the game had/has the right to decide which dictionary will be used as the official resource--that decision is "valid" no matter what your friends say.

Edit: Words are occasionally added or deleted from the official lists as the source dictionaries change, or with input from some of the many Scrabble clubs and tournaments.

Answer 2

Maybe you should just abandon the scrabble dictionary and use an unabridged dictionary. Obviously, not all the words are put in to most dictionaries cause there is just to many. So, if your friends want to make sure that their 18 letter word is counted then they should just bring a bigger dictionary.
And i don't know if its random. The makers probably try and find the most common words used by the people they are selling to. Of course, that could change over time. Meaning a word found in an 80's scrabble dictionary would not be found in a 90's and vice-versa. It might seem random but, really its just reflecting how the ppl speak in that time period. that is the only reason i can think of as to why scrabble dictionaries don't all have the same words.
Pretty much every dictionary is like this. The makers probably don't want to spend a whole lot of time putting in words that no one uses. Or at least, what the general population doesn't use.
you should just have the computer on that way you can make sure that the word exists.

Answer 3

At the beginning of a game you should agree with your friends which dictionaries you're willing to accept as valid reference sources for your games. If your friends reject the "Official Scrabble Players Dictionary" then you'll need to choose a different reference.

The Official Scrabble Players Dictionary, in whichever edition you are using, is not a regular dictionary. It is for Scrabble playing only. "This dictionary has been prepared especially for lovers of Scrabble crossword games and is endorsed by the National Scrabble Association for recreational and school use. It is important to remember that The Official Scrabble Players Dictionary was edited solely with this limited purpose in mind...."

You'll also notice that Hasbro holds the copyright for the 4th edition and Milton-Bradley holds the copyright for the 3rd edition.

Answer 4

Okay...a Scrabble dictionary is legitimate by virtue of it coming with the game (in older versions of the board game). There are also versions that you can purchase...However, the Scrabble dictionary is more of a supplement to another (real) dictionary. In the rules of the Scrabble, the dictionary to be consulted, in the case of a challenge, needs to be agreed upon by all players before the game starts. (Alternately, a website such as dictionary.com or m-w.com must be agreed upon if there is no physical dictionary available.) When I play, the Scrabble dictionary plus the agreed upon alternate dictionary are both used, since the Scrabble dictionary is only supplementary.

Answer 5

Essentially, because the two dictionaries were designed for two different purposes. Your basic English dictionary was designed to help you spell, pronounce and know the meaning of words. A Scrabble dictionary was designed to help you win at Scrabble by providing valid combinations of letters (i.e. a word in some language somewhere on the planet) to help you play the letter tiles in your rack so you can win points.

Answer 6

If you use a seven volume dictionary you will have a lot more choices. I don't use The Scrabble one because I don't get a word like lehr. Spell check will suggest leer or lear and the word is pronounced the same. The (metal chain) conveyor that goes through a heated oven in a glass factory is called a lehr.

Happy Scrabbling.

Answer 7

Many dictionaries are abridged. That means they have been shortened due to space and cannot fit all the words in it. A Scrabble dictionary listing has much less information in it than a standard dictionary and so there is a lot more room to include more words that might not be included in the abridged dictionary.

Answer 8

The Official Scrabble Players Dictionary was created by taking all of the lower-case, bold-faced entries that appeared in any of 5 collegiate dictionaries. (Now it is updated with just 4 dictionaries, since, once of the dictionaries, Funk and Wagonals is no longer published). They include entries that are slang and foreign. Every word in that dictionary can be traced back to a collegiate dictionary.

Answer 9

they put words in that are used in speech. like take fe for example. while it is shortened form for iron, scrabble will still identify as a valid word. so if you say it and it is somewhat common, scrabble will include it. websters dictionary for example has different standards. scrabble is a word game, not a definition game. OR because chuck norris said so.

Answer 10

they do no longer undertaking the 'validity' they undertaking the silencing of questioning the validity. massive distinction. different constitutional factors are in touch, incl Nullification (to assert that any Federal ruling need no longer be ordinary by utilising a State) and Separation of Church and State (in that to declare that all and sundry grievance of evolution might desire to be non secular is bringing the State -- satirically -- into faith) i finished up some Plant technological understanding and lab artwork some year in the past and that i had this take place to me by utilising a Microbiology prof and a Bio prof. To them grievance might desire to be non secular because of the fact Evolution is authentic, some thing laughable if it occurred in say Physics.