The Wordscapes Word List: What Words Does the Game Accept?

One of the most common frustrations in Wordscapes is entering a word you're certain is real — only to have the game reject it. Or discovering that an obscure word you'd never think of is apparently valid. Here's how the Wordscapes dictionary works.

What Dictionary Does Wordscapes Use?

Wordscapes uses a proprietary dictionary that's based on standard English dictionaries (similar to SOWPODS or TWL used in Scrabble). However, it's not identical to any standard word game dictionary.

Key characteristics:

• Accepts most common English words 3-8 letters long
• Includes many archaic and uncommon words
• Excludes profanity and slurs
• Excludes proper nouns (names, places, brands)
• Excludes most abbreviations

Words That Wordscapes DOES Accept

These often surprise players:

• TOLE (decorated metalware)
• FROE (a woodworking tool)
• KHAT (a shrub)
• NOEL (a Christmas carol)
• RIEL (Cambodian currency)
• NAEVI (plural of naevus, a birthmark)

Words That Wordscapes DOESN'T Accept

• Proper nouns: AMAZON, PARIS, GOOGLE
• Abbreviations: USA, NFL, CEO
• Most slang terms not in formal dictionaries
• Foreign words (even common ones like CAFE without accent)

How to Use This to Your Advantage

When you're stuck, try:

1. Standard word game words — anything valid in Scrabble is likely valid in Wordscapes
2. Obscure plurals and verb forms — try adding -S, -ES, -ED, -ING to base words
3. Our solver — the WordscapesMate solver uses a dictionary similar to Wordscapes' own

Understanding the dictionary is what separates good Wordscapes players from great ones.