The first Scrabble blog post of the semester featured playable two-letter words beginning with “a.” Learning those two-letter words, as well as the others that follow in the alphabet, will enable you to see more options for play and can increase the number of points you earn in a single turn.
Here’s a list of the playable words beginning with “b,” “d,” and “e”:
- ba: the soul in ancient Egyptian spirituality
- bi: a bisexual
- bo: a pal
- by: a side issue
- de: of, from
- do: a tone on a scale
- ed: education
- ef: the letter f (also eff)
- eh: used to express doubt
- el: an elevated train
- em: the letter m
- en: the letter n
- er: used to express hesitation
- es: the letter s
- et: a past tense of eat
- ex: the letter x
When in Doubt . . .
Consult the guidelines (in the game box) if you are unsure whether an action is permissible in gameplay. An additional copy of the guidelines follows.
Scrabble Guidelines
- Do not let your opponents know which letters are on your rack. Whenever possible, communicate with your teammate nonverbally by pointing to the letters and rearranging them on the rack. If you need to refer out loud to letters on your rack, refer to them as “this one, that one . . . .”
- Do not say the definition of a word aloud. If you play a word and your opponents question its validity, do not provide the definition. Definitions can be provided only in the event of a challenge. See the note below regarding challenges. Also, note that you will have the opportunity on your own after class to look up the meanings of any unfamiliar words played by your opponents or recommended by your teammate and subsequently played by the two of you. You will also have the chance to look up definitions during your Monday debriefings.
- If you think your opponents have played a word that isn’t permissible, such as a misspelled word or a proper noun, tell me that you have a challenge. I will consult the Official Scrabble Players Dictionary to determine whether the word in question is playable and will provide the definition. If the challenged word isn’t playable, the team that set it down loses a turn. Conversely, if the challenged word is playable, the team that called the challenge loses a turn.
- If any group member’s smartphone or laptop is in evidence during the game, immediately tell that person to put it away. The presence of any player’s digital device is a foul—as is providing a definition or otherwise offering unauthorized assistance—and fouls come with penalties, five points each.
Next Up
On Monday, in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr., you will read his ”Letter from Birmingham Jail.” You do not need to print a copy; I will distribute copies of an excerpt from the letter when class resumes on Wednesday, January 21, and we will examine it before you begin revising your literacy narratives in class.
Coming Soon
Next Wednesday will be devoted primarily to revision work. After your Scrabble debriefing and our examination of an excerpt from “Letter from Birmingham Jail” and another short excerpt, I will return the drafts of your literacy narratives. You will then have the remainder of the class period to begin revising on your laptops. You will have an additional week to continue revising before posting to Blackboard and WordPress. The due date for your literacy narrative is Wednesday, January 28, before class; the hard deadline is Friday, January 30, before class.
Jane Lucas 