NWL2023 vs CSW24
There are two official Scrabble word lists, and they are not the same. Which one applies depends on where you play. This page explains the difference in plain terms and how to check any word in both.
The short answer
NASPA Word List 2023 (NWL2023) is the official list for the United States and Canada: 196,601 words, published by NASPA, in force since 29 February 2024. Collins Scrabble Words 2024 (CSW24) is the official list for the United Kingdom and more than 50 other countries: 280,887 words, published by Collins, the seventh edition of the international lexicon. If you play in the US or Canada, use NWL2023. If you play in the UK, Australia, or international tournaments, use CSW24.
Side by side
| NWL2023 | CSW24 | |
|---|---|---|
| Publisher | NASPA (North American Scrabble Players Association) | Collins (HarperCollins) |
| Where it is official | United States, Canada (and Hasbro apps) | UK, Ireland, Australia, NZ, India, most of Africa, WESPA events |
| Words | 196,601 | 280,887 |
| Two-letter words | 107 | 127 |
| Three-letter words | 1,085 | 1,351 |
| Word length | 2 to 15 letters | 2 to 15 letters |
| Previous edition | NWL2020 (added 4,787 words) | CSW21 (added 1,816 words) |
| Consumer book | Official Scrabble Players Dictionary, 7th ed. (OSPD7) | Collins Scrabble Words / Collins Scrabble Dictionary |
Why they differ
CSW is built from several British and international dictionaries as well as the American lists, so it is a near-superset of NWL: British spellings (COLOUR, REALISE), Commonwealth and Scots words (BRAW, WEE as a verb), and many older words survive in Collins. NWL is curated by NASPA from Merriam-Webster and other North American sources and is deliberately tighter. In practice, roughly 84,286 words are valid in Collins but not in the North American list, and only a few hundred go the other way (mostly recent American additions from NWL2023).
Famous examples: ZE, ZO, CH, EE, OU, QIN and EUOI are valid in CSW24 only. OK, EW and ZA are in both.
Which one should you use?
- Club or tournament in the US/Canada: NWL2023.
- Club or tournament anywhere else, or WESPA: CSW24.
- Hasbro's Scrabble GO / Scrabble apps in North America: NWL-based; internationally Collins-based.
- Kitchen-table games: either. Pick one and stick to it for the game. This site checks both at once and tells you which list a word belongs to.
Check any word in both lists
Every word has a page here (for example scrabble-checker.com/qi) showing NWL2023 and CSW24 validity, the definition, and points. Study lists: two-letter words, three-letter words, Q without U, new NWL2023 words, new CSW24 words. Printable sheets: two-letter NWL2023 (PDF), two-letter CSW24 (PDF).
Common questions
- Which Scrabble dictionary is used in the United States?
- NWL2023, the NASPA Word List 2023 Edition (196,601 words), for club and tournament play in the United States and Canada. Casual players often use the Official Scrabble Players Dictionary (OSPD7), which is the same list minus offensive words and words longer than eight letters.
- Which Scrabble dictionary is used in the UK and internationally?
- CSW24, Collins Scrabble Words 2024 (280,887 words), used in the UK, Australia, and more than 50 other countries and in WESPA tournaments.
- Is CSW24 bigger than NWL2023?
- Yes, by about 84,286 words. Almost every NWL2023 word is also in CSW24; Collins adds many British spellings, Commonwealth words, and words from older dictionaries.
- Can I use both lists in one game?
- Agree on one before you start. Words like ZE, ZO, CH, EE and OU are valid in CSW24 but not NWL2023; a handful go the other way.
- How do I check a word in both lists?
- Type it into scrabble-checker.com. The result shows whether it is valid in NWL2023, CSW24, or both, with the definition and score.
Word lists current as of 2026-08-18. SCRABBLE® is a trademark of Hasbro (US/Canada) and Mattel (elsewhere); this site is independent.