It has been the ultimate word game for decades, but Scrabble players are continuously seeking to expand their vocabulary to reflect modern terms and phrases. With that in mind, some 6,500 extra words have been added to the already sizeable quarter of a million words included in the Collins Official Scrabble Words. So if you were looking to use the word 'hacktivist' in future, you may want to say 'thanx' for the new additions.

Created back in 1938

Since its creation in 1938 by an American architect by the name of Alfred Mosher Butts, Scrabble has become a popular game with families and serious competition players alike.

At the elite level it can become an extremely serious affair, as professional wordsmiths try their utmost to outdo their opponents. There is even a world championship in existence, which since 2013 has been held annually and is referred to as the Scrabble Champions Tournament.

Changed with the times

Scrabble has modified its rules several times down the years. The already comprehensive list of words that are acceptable options to be spelt out with a player's tiles (some 250,000 words prior to the additions) have been supplemented by extra words that have come into 'common' usage in recent times.

The English language is constantly changing, so clearly the list of acceptable words in Scrabble should move with the times.

Several of the additions seem to be indicative of the increased influence of Social media and a desire for words to be shortened. Modern language and slang usage could also be said to be creeping more and more into common parlance.

New words that have been added

Among the new words are some that may be familiar, but also some that may be less so:

  • Wuz - an alternative reference to the word 'was'. An useful way to use that always awkward 'z' that pops up from time to time.

  • Thanx - many texters and tweeters will already be familiar with the word as a way of saying 'thank you'. Again 'x' is a high scoring tile at 8 points but often tricky to use up.

  • Grr - an expression to reflect anger, but has previously been frowned upon in Scrabble. Words without vowels are always useful, especially near the end of the game.

  • Obvs - a shortened word for obviously, reflecting our common desire to reduce words to their bare minimum.

  • Hacktivist - in a time when hacking is commonly in the news, it seems an obvious inclusion for someone who hacks into computer systems.