This article on '''how lexicons are compiled''' was originally
edited from email messages sent by [[Jim Pate]], former chair of the
[[Dictionary Committee]].
For a more technical discussion of how [[NWL2018]] was edited,
see the [[NWL2018 editorial process]].
The reason that words like UQUQ (filial impiety), NOIO (a Hawaiian bird) or MONOID (a type of mathematical set) are not in the [[Official SCRABBLE Players Dictionary]] (OSPD) nor in the [[Official Tournament and Club NASPA Word List]] (OWLNWL) is that they have not been found listed appropriately in any of the source dictionaries that were used to createand to update these official SCRABBLE word lists.
”Appropriately“ here means that a word must appear at least once without any of the following disqualifications:
The best way to get words into a future edition of the Official
SCRABBLE Players Dictionary (and the Official Tournament and ClubNASPA Word List) is to convince the editors at Merriam-Webster to addthem to Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary which has alwaysbeen one of the source dictionaries for the OSPD official words.
Jim Lowe, past Senior Editor at Merriam-Webster, Inc. suggested sending
When the next edition of the Official SCRABBLE Players Dictionary
is done , the new words that have made their way into Merriam-Webster's
Collegiate Dictionary should then be incorporated into the OSPD and
thus become legal words for tournament and club play.
As for your group using these words as you play, that's the great
thing about SCRABBLE Brand Crossword Game &mdashScrabble; if you and your opponents
agree on the dictionary or word list you want to use then you are
by all means free to do so. Of course, if you play at a NASPA club
or sanctioned tournament then the word list used for adjudication
there would be the current edition of [[OTCWLNWL]]. (If you cannot get all of the people in
your group to allow these words in all the games you play, you might
want to suggest including them as acceptable in a certain percentage
We hope that you and your friends continue
to enjoy playing SCRABBLE Brand Crossword Game Scrabble whatever word source you
choose to use.