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{{Short description|Abridged Scrabble word list used in North America}}
'''NASPA Word List''' ('''NWL'''), (formerly '''Official Tournament and Club Word List''', referred to as '''OTCWL''', '''OWL''', '''TWL'''), is the official word authority for tournament [[Scrabble]] in the USA and Canada.<ref name="naspadc">[http://www.scrabbleplayers.org/w/Dictionary_Committee NASPA Dictionary Committee & Its Word Sources]</ref> It is based on the ''[[Official Scrabble Players Dictionary]]'' (OSPD) with modifications to make it more suitable for tournament play. Its British counterpart is ''[[Collins Scrabble Words]]''.
'''NASPA Word List''' ('''NWL''', formerly '''Official Tournament and Club Word List''', referred to as '''OTCWL''', '''OWL''', '''TWL''') is the official word authority for tournament [[Scrabble]] in the USA and Canada under the aegis of [[NASPA Games]].<ref name="naspadc">[http://www.scrabbleplayers.org/w/Dictionary_Committee NASPA Dictionary Committee & Its Word Sources]</ref> It is based on the ''[[Official Scrabble Players Dictionary]]'' (OSPD) with modifications to make it more suitable for tournament play. Its British and international-English counterpart is ''[[Collins Scrabble Words]]''.


==Current edition==
==Current edition==


North American tournament Scrabble currently uses the fourth edition of OTCWL (officially NWL2018, but variously referred to as OWL4, OTCWL2018, TWL4, and TWL2018). This version was created by the [[North American Scrabble Players Association]] (NASPA) Dictionary Committee in 2018 and took effect on March 1, 2019; it is the first version published autonomously by NASPA rather than by [[Merriam-Webster]] under their copyright.
North American tournament Scrabble currently uses the sixth edition of NWL, officially called NWL2023. The [[NASPA Games]] Dictionary Committee created this version in mid-2023 and it took effect on February 29, 2024;<ref name="nwl2023">{{cite web|url=https://www.scrabbleplayers.org/w/NWL2023|title=NWL2023|access-date=2024-03-01}}</ref> it is the third version published autonomously by NASPA rather than by [[Merriam-Webster]] under its copyright.


OWL4 contains every word in the sixth edition of the ''[[Official Scrabble Players Dictionary]]'', but also includes words considered unsuitable for that book.
NWL2023 contains every word in the seventh edition of the ''[[Official Scrabble Players Dictionary]]'' as well as words considered unsuitable for that book (offensive words and trademarks). It also contains words of nine or more letters, unlike the OSPD. It differs from its predecessor, NWL2020, in the introduction of over 4,500 words, including additions to OSPD7, and 11–15 letter words from COD2.


==Past editions==
==Past editions==
The decision to [[bowdlerize]] the OSPD's third edition by removing a large number of possibly offensive words necessitated a separate, unabridged word list for tournament use. The first edition of OWL was created by the NSA Dictionary Committee, chaired by [[John Chew (Scrabble)|John Chew]], and took effect on March 2, 1998. To avoid controversy, it was available for sale only to NSA members, and unlike the OSPD, did not include definitions. To provide additional value for tournament players, the OWL includes words whose base or inflected forms have up to nine letters, rather than the OSPD's eight.


⚫
OSPD3 was created from OSPD2 by adding all appropriate words that had been added to Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (MWCD) in the interim; OWL was then formed by restoring the possibly offensive words removed from OSPD3 and adding nine-letter words from MWCD.
The decision to [[bowdlerize]] the OSPD's third edition by removing a large number of possibly offensive words necessitated a separate, unabridged word list for tournament use.

The first edition of OWL was created by the NSA Dictionary Committee,
The 2014 update OTCWL2014{{efn|also known as OWL3}} added several thousand words from two new sources, Oxford Collegiate Dictionary Second Edition{{efn|OCD2}} and Canadian Oxford Dictionary Second Edition.{{efn|COD2}}
chaired by [[John Chew (Scrabble)|John Chew]], and took effect on March 2, 1998.

To avoid controversy, it was available for sale only to NSA members, and unlike the OSPD, did not include definitions.
⚫
OTCWL2016,{{efn|also known as OWL3.1}} a minor update in 2016, added over 1,000 nine-letter words.
To provide additional value for tournament players, the OWL includes words whose base or inflected forms have up to nine letters, rather than the OSPD's eight.

⚫
OSPD3 was created from OSPD2 by adding all appropriate words that had been added to Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (MWCD) in the interim; OWL was then formed by restoring the possibly offensive words removed from OSPD3, and adding nine-letter words from MWCD.
The 2014 update (OTCWL2014, also known as OWL3) added several thousand words from two new sources, Oxford Collegiate Dictionary Second Edition (COD2) and Canadian Oxford Dictionary Second Edition (COD2).
The 2018 update NWL2018{{efn|also known as OWL4}} added over 3,000 words, including additions to OSPD6 and MWCD, and ten-letter words from COD2. It was produced by NASPA in collaboration with Merriam-Webster, and under its own copyright for the first time.

⚫
A minor update in 2016 (OTCWL2016, also known as OWL3.1) added over a thousand nine-letter words.
The 2020 update NWL2020{{efn|also known as OWL5}} differed from its predecessor only in the removal of 259 words deemed to be personally applicable offensive slurs, precipitated by rule changes proposed by the North American holder of SCRABBLE trademarks, [[Hasbro, Inc.]], in the wake of that year's anti-racism protests.


==Other word authorities==
==Other word authorities==
Unlike the ''[[Official Scrabble Players Dictionary]]'', OWL is a list and does not include definitions. OWL also contains words not included in ''OSPD'' because they are considered [[Official Scrabble Players Dictionary#Offensive words|offensive]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.seattlescrabble.org/expurg.php |title=Expurgated Words |accessdate=2007-12-10}}</ref> and a number of other additional words (mostly registered trademarks). Print versions of OWL can be procured from the NASPA website by NASPA members only.<ref name="naspaowl">{{cite web|url=http://www.scrabbleplayers.org/w/NASPA_Word_List|author1=John Chew|lastauthoramp=yes |title=NASPAWiki: NASPA Word List|accessdate=2019-08-06}}</ref>
Unlike the ''[[Official Scrabble Players Dictionary]]'', NWL is a list and does not include definitions. It contains words not included in ''OSPD'' because they are considered [[Official Scrabble Players Dictionary#Offensive words|offensive]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.seattlescrabble.org/expurg.php |title=Expurgated Words |access-date=2007-12-10}}</ref> and a number of other additional words (mostly registered trademarks). Print versions of NWL can be procured from the NASPA website by NASPA members only.<ref name="naspaowl">{{cite web|url=http://www.scrabbleplayers.org/w/NASPA_Word_List|author1=John Chew |title=NASPAWiki: NASPA Word List|access-date=2019-08-06}}</ref>


==Word count==
==Word count==
{{Bar chart
{{Bar chart
| title = OTCWL2014 words by number of letters (total: 187,632)<ref>[http://www.isc.ro/en/commands/lists.html Internet Scrabble Club word lists]</ref>
| title = NWL2023 words by number of letters (total: 196,601)
| label_type = Letters
| label_type = Letters
| data_type = Word count
| data_type = Word count
| data_max = 32,000
| data_max = 32,000
| label2 = 2 | data2 = 105
| label2 = 2 | data2 = 107
| label3 = 3 | data3 = 1,081
| label3 = 3 | data3 = 1,085
| label4 = 4 | data4 = 4,214
| label4 = 4 | data4 = 4,247
| label5 = 5 | data5 = 9,403
| label5 = 5 | data5 = 9,476
| label6 = 6 | data6 = 16,564
| label6 = 6 | data6 = 16,706
| label7 = 7 | data7 = 25,257
| label7 = 7 | data7 = 25,473
| label8 = 8 | data8 = 31,475
| label8 = 8 | data8 = 31,736
| label9 = 9 | data9 = 30,307
| label9 = 9 | data9 = 31,229
| label10 = 10 | data10 = 23,124
| label10 = 10 | data10 = 25,028
| label11 = 11 | data11 = 16,958
| label11 = 11 | data11 = 18,735
| label12 = 12 | data12 = 12,084
| label12 = 12 | data12 = 13,515
| label13 = 13 | data13 = 8,264
| label13 = 13 | data13 = 9,323
| label14 = 14 | data14 = 5,411
| label14 = 14 | data14 = 6,102
| label15 = 15 | data15 = 3,385
| label15 = 15 | data15 = 3,839
}}
}}


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*[[Official Scrabble Players Dictionary]]
*[[Official Scrabble Players Dictionary]]
*[[Collins Scrabble Words]]
*[[Collins Scrabble Words]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}


==References==
==References==
Line 52: Line 58:
==External links==
==External links==
<!--do not add your anagram web site to this page. One site cannot be preferred to another, and none of them are official-->
<!--do not add your anagram web site to this page. One site cannot be preferred to another, and none of them are official-->
* [https://www.scrabbleplayers.org/w/NWL2018 Information on the NASPA Word List 2018 Edition at NASPA]
* [https://www.scrabbleplayers.org/w/NWL2023 Information on the NASPA Word List 2023 Edition at NASPA]

{{Scrabble}}


[[Category:Lists of English words]]
[[Category:Lists of English words]]

Latest revision as of 08:33, 7 June 2024

NASPA Word List (NWL, formerly Official Tournament and Club Word List, referred to as OTCWL, OWL, TWL) is the official word authority for tournament Scrabble in the USA and Canada under the aegis of NASPA Games.[1] It is based on the Official Scrabble Players Dictionary (OSPD) with modifications to make it more suitable for tournament play. Its British and international-English counterpart is Collins Scrabble Words.

Current edition

[edit]

North American tournament Scrabble currently uses the sixth edition of NWL, officially called NWL2023. The NASPA Games Dictionary Committee created this version in mid-2023 and it took effect on February 29, 2024;[2] it is the third version published autonomously by NASPA rather than by Merriam-Webster under its copyright.

NWL2023 contains every word in the seventh edition of the Official Scrabble Players Dictionary as well as words considered unsuitable for that book (offensive words and trademarks). It also contains words of nine or more letters, unlike the OSPD. It differs from its predecessor, NWL2020, in the introduction of over 4,500 words, including additions to OSPD7, and 11–15 letter words from COD2.

Past editions

[edit]

The decision to bowdlerize the OSPD's third edition by removing a large number of possibly offensive words necessitated a separate, unabridged word list for tournament use. The first edition of OWL was created by the NSA Dictionary Committee, chaired by John Chew, and took effect on March 2, 1998. To avoid controversy, it was available for sale only to NSA members, and unlike the OSPD, did not include definitions. To provide additional value for tournament players, the OWL includes words whose base or inflected forms have up to nine letters, rather than the OSPD's eight.

OSPD3 was created from OSPD2 by adding all appropriate words that had been added to Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (MWCD) in the interim; OWL was then formed by restoring the possibly offensive words removed from OSPD3 and adding nine-letter words from MWCD.

The 2014 update OTCWL2014[a] added several thousand words from two new sources, Oxford Collegiate Dictionary Second Edition[b] and Canadian Oxford Dictionary Second Edition.[c]

OTCWL2016,[d] a minor update in 2016, added over 1,000 nine-letter words.

The 2018 update NWL2018[e] added over 3,000 words, including additions to OSPD6 and MWCD, and ten-letter words from COD2. It was produced by NASPA in collaboration with Merriam-Webster, and under its own copyright for the first time.

The 2020 update NWL2020[f] differed from its predecessor only in the removal of 259 words deemed to be personally applicable offensive slurs, precipitated by rule changes proposed by the North American holder of SCRABBLE trademarks, Hasbro, Inc., in the wake of that year's anti-racism protests.

Other word authorities

[edit]

Unlike the Official Scrabble Players Dictionary, NWL is a list and does not include definitions. It contains words not included in OSPD because they are considered offensive,[3] and a number of other additional words (mostly registered trademarks). Print versions of NWL can be procured from the NASPA website by NASPA members only.[4]

Word count

[edit]
NWL2023 words by number of letters (total: 196,601)
Letters Word count
2
107
3
1,085
4
4,247
5
9,476
6
16,706
7
25,473
8
31,736
9
31,229
10
25,028
11
18,735
12
13,515
13
9,323
14
6,102
15
3,839

See also

[edit]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ also known as OWL3
  2. ^ OCD2
  3. ^ COD2
  4. ^ also known as OWL3.1
  5. ^ also known as OWL4
  6. ^ also known as OWL5

References

[edit]
  1. ^ NASPA Dictionary Committee & Its Word Sources
  2. ^ "NWL2023". Retrieved 2024-03-01.
  3. ^ "Expurgated Words". Retrieved 2007-12-10.
  4. ^ John Chew. "NASPAWiki: NASPA Word List". Retrieved 2019-08-06.
[edit]
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