Scrabble word checker: is it a valid word?

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To check a Scrabble word in the UK, type it into the free Collins Scrabble Words checker. Collins is the list used in UK homes, clubs and tournaments, and the checker tells you at once whether a word is playable. We do not run a checker of our own, because the official word lists are licensed. This page shows you where to check and how to settle a dispute fairly.

Where do I check a Scrabble word?

Use the Collins checker for UK rules. It is the one checker the publisher says uses the official tournament word list. Open it, type the word and press Check.

• Collins Scrabble Check: free to use on the Collins site. It says it is endorsed by Mattel and by the World English-Language Scrabble Players' Association (WESPA), and it also shows definitions and scores.
• Collins Scrabble tools: free downloads for Mac and Windows, including Collins Zyzzyva 24.0 with the 2024 word list. Use it if you want to check words without a connection.
• NASPA Word Judge: free, and the standard tool in North America. Its newest Collins option is the older CSW2015, so use it for US words (NWL2023) and use Collins for UK words.

Playing with someone in North America? Send them our US word checker guide, because their list is different.

Which word list applies?

The UK uses Collins Scrabble Words 2024, usually shortened to CSW24. The United States and Canada use the NASPA Word List 2023 (NWL2023). The two lists agree on most words but not on all of them.

Our rules guide explains the lists in more detail, and our two-letter words page shows the Collins short words.

What does the Collins family friendly box do?

It hides vulgar words from the check. Collins switches the family friendly word list on by default, and you can see the full tournament list by unticking the box. On a computer the box is at the top right of the checker. On a phone it sits under the menu icon at the top left.

If a word that you know is valid comes back as not playable, untick the box before you argue. The full tournament list includes vulgar words, even if you would never play them at home.

How do challenges work at home?

Challenge before the score is added up and the next player starts their turn. Only then do you look the word up. This follows the Mattel instructions, which also say that all players must agree on a dictionary before the game starts.

1. Agree your checker before you play. The Collins checker is a good default in the UK.
2. A player says "challenge" straight after the word is placed.
3. One person types the word into the checker. Check every word the play made, not only the main one, and spell each exactly as it sits on the board.
4. If the word is not valid, the player takes back their tiles and loses their turn.
5. If the word is valid, the penalty depends on your house rules. Many home games make the challenger miss a turn. See challenges in our rules guide for tournament options.

Do not look words up before you play unless everyone has agreed to an open dictionary. Our house rules page covers that variation and others.

Is there a book instead of a checker?

Yes. A Collins Scrabble dictionary lists the playable words, so it can settle an argument without a phone on the table.

Which words cause the most arguments?

The same five groups cause most disputes: plurals, names, abbreviations, accents and slang. The Mattel rules and the word list settle each one.

• Plurals and other forms: any word in the agreed list is allowed, including plurals and other forms of a word. Type the exact form you played, for example the plural, because the checker does not guess.
• Names: the Mattel rules do not allow words that are only spelt with an initial capital letter. A word that also has a lower-case meaning, such as jack, is a different matter, so check it.
• Abbreviations: abbreviations are not allowed, and neither are prefixes, suffixes, or words that need an apostrophe or a hyphen. Some short forms are words in their own right. OK is valid in Collins, for example, and the checker will tell you.
• Accents: the tiles carry no accents, so you play a word as plain letters. Foreign words in a standard English dictionary count as English words.
• Slang and new words: each new edition of the list adds words, so a word your friend rejects may be valid in the 2024 edition. Check it in the checker, not from memory.

Learning the short words ends many arguments early. See our guides to two-letter words and Q words without U, and our J, Q, X and Z words for high scores.