Check Dictionary
Look up any word across NWL, CSW and ENABLE dictionaries in one click.
Which dictionaries do we check?
We check your word against three authoritative word lists used by different word games and communities:
- NWLThe North American Word List (formerly TWL — Tournament Word List) is the official dictionary for Scrabble tournaments in North America. Published by NASPA (North American Scrabble Players Association), it contains approximately 187,000 words.
- CSWCollins Scrabble Words is the international tournament word list, used in most countries outside North America. It is a superset of NWL and contains over 270,000 words, including many more regional English words.
- ENABLEThe Enhanced North American Benchmark Lexicon is a general-purpose English word list (~173,000 words) used by many online word games and solvers. It is the default dictionary on this site.
Why does dictionary membership matter?
Playing a word that is not in the official dictionary of your game results in a challenge penalty in Scrabble, or a failed submission in online apps like Wordle and Words With Friends. Knowing exactly which lists a word appears in lets you play with confidence — or challenge your opponent when you suspect their play.
Common questions about word validity
Are proper nouns valid in Scrabble?
No. Proper nouns (names, places, brands) are never valid in standard Scrabble, even if they appear in a general dictionary.
Are two-letter words always valid?
All 101 two-letter words in NWL and all 127 in CSW are valid Scrabble plays. Check our two-letter word list for the full reference.
What if a word is in CSW but not NWL?
That word is valid in international Scrabble tournaments but not in North American ones. Always confirm which dictionary your game uses before playing.
Can I use this for Words With Friends?
Words With Friends uses its own dictionary (ENABLE-based but with additions and removals). Our ENABLE check is a very close approximation, but edge cases may differ.