FROM HOME SCRABBLE®
TO ORGANISED SCRABBLE®

Many readers of this site have played Kitchen or Home Scrabble® as it is called, for years, perhaps decades. While this shows a love for the game, it is miles away from Organised Scrabble®. The best way to get close to organised Scrabble® is to join a Club. Here I am sure they will show you the steps that you should take to improve your game.

The differences between home and organised Scrabble® are many, for example:

At home you use the family dictionary to adjudicate words. Organised Scrabble® bodies, through their affiliated Scrabble® Clubs, use "official word lists", such as OSPD, Chambers Dictionary and SOWPODS. SOWPODS is an amalgamation of the two International Scrabble® word sources, OSW and OSPD. It is used at the World Scrabble® Championships and is the official word list in many countries, including Australia and New Zealand. OSW stands for Official Scrabble® Words, the official UK word list. OSPD stands for Official Scrabble® Players' Dictionary the official word list in the US.

Another difference between home and organised Scrabble® is the time you take to play a game. Many players have trouble getting used to a clock, so you won't be alone in this regard. Its very easy once you know how.

Some home Scrabble® players get frustrated when their opponent takes too long to put down a word. In Club Scrabble® they will show you how to acquire the knack of speeding up your moves!

Another difference with organised Scrabble® lies in the rules used - but don't worry - these are not fundamentally different from the game that you have been playing at home. These refer to, "no talking to your opponent", the proper use of blanks, challenging a word, etc. These Rules can be seen at Scrabble NSW.

When you join a Scrabble® Club you will be introduced to many exciting things related to "organised Scrabble® ", such as: word lists, clocks, rules, tournaments, tips on improving your game, etc., and no doubt, if you are serious, you will want to improve your game.

Since you are on the Internet, things are going to be much easier for you. There are numerous sites where you will find help to play Scrabble® more efficiently, but I think the quickest and more exciting way to find out is this:

Begin by searching for the word "Scrabble" on the net, and I guarantee you will be amazed at what you'll find! Choose and print what you consider is useful. Read the summary of what each site has to offer.

These - and many others not mentioned here - are brilliant:

Bob Jackman's SOWPODS. Featuring word lists, player ratings and actual games.

John Holgate's Electronic Scrabble Club. A mega-site, with built-in coaching clinic, highly recommended.

Scrabble NSW. The official home page of The Australian Scrabble Players Association of NSW.

Scrabble FAQ. Frequently asked questions about Scrabble.

Scrabble In Malta. Find out about Scrabble in Malta.

Scrabble in Bahrain. Bahrain Scrabble League.

Scrabble in India. Chennai Scrabble Page and Zygoscrabble Site.

Scrabble in Japan. KC Hirai's Japanese Site.

Scrabble in New Zealand. Glenda Foster's Home Page.

Scrabble in Singapore. Singapore Scrabble Association.

Scrabble in South Africa. South African National Scrabble Players Association.

Scrabble in Britain. Association of British Scrabble Players and The Middlesex League Home Page.

Scrabble in Zambia. Zambia National Site.

Mike Wolfberg's Home Page. Word lists and game tips.

John Chew's Home Page. Links, word lists, hints and history.

Helga's Scrabble Rogue's Gallery. A huge page, which includes sections about aspiring experts.

Musa's Scrabble Page. Word lists, techniques, links and puzzles.

Charlie Goldstein's Ultimate Guide to Scrabble Websites. Links, links and more links.

Jumbletime - for serious Scrabble players.

Scrabble Australia - an official Australian website with many useful links

Sydney's Hills District

School Scrabble Sites Around The World

Malaysian Scrabble

www.isc.ro - Do you want to play Scrabble online ?

Java Scrabble

If you like word and visual puzzles, try http://www.setgame.com/index.html

All you need to know about crosswords, words, languages and more: www.askoxford.com

For linguists, wordsmiths & Scrabblers, very interesting: http://www.worldwidewords.org

Scrabble on line : www.playsite.com

Word lists

"English as a second Language". Ideal for ESL teachers.

"Scrabble -A linguistic perspective".

Surfing the Net with Kids. Highly recommended site for teachers, families and kids.

100.000 Scrabble links.

St Ambrose pile up points in scrabble championships. 

"Fun Trivia" the world's largest trivia site.

"Those three-letter words" - we will tell you what they mean - courtesy of Scrabble Australia

Western Scrabble Network - particularly recommended: "Scrabble Tips" and "Those Words!" pages

Baulkham Hills Scrabble Club Newsletter

BrainGamez.com - A site where you can play online word and puzzle games, including Scrabble, both by yourself, and with other people, for free.