Deletion of hate speech

The announcement

In Scrabble - as in life - the words we choose matter. Words have the power to strengthen, encourage and honor, but they also can be used to weaken, discourage and disrespect. Evolving the ways in which we support and stand with historically excluded communities through our brands and products has always been a top priority for Mattel, and we've learned from the events of last year this work must be continuous. As a family friendly brand, Mattel will be updating the official Scrabble list of playable words so our game aligns with our mission, anywhere you play. We will do this in four ways:

• Ongoing review and removal of words and definitions, including:
  • Removing hate speech from the game.
  • For words with multiple meanings, the definitions pertaining to hate speech will be removed.
• Updating Scrabble products published by our licensee Collins accordingly to uphold the same standards.
• Working with our mobile games developer, Scopely, to ensure removed words are not playable in the Scrabble GO mobile game, and definitions are updated to reflect the new word list.
• Updating official Scrabble instruction sheet and tournament rules, in partnership with the World English Language Scrabble Players Association (WESPA).

Scrabble is about harnessing the power of words for good, while finding and making words over equitable, fun, and fair gameplay. As language and connotations change over time, so must Scrabble, and just as we look to update the list with new words each year, we also must revisit words from the past. The removal of hate speech and definitions from the Scrabble word list is an important step for the game’s inclusive progression and we hope to engage and educate ourselves alongside our players through the actions set forth above. This will be an ongoing process, and we are committed to updating language as connotations evolve.

It is not clear to what extent they consulted with Collins dictionary publishers. They certainly did not consult with the WESPA Dictionary Committee, and its members have resigned.

The response from Collins Dictionary

The response from WESPA

The new edition of Collins Scrabble Words (CSW21) will be effective for tournament play starting January 1, 2022. Any WESPA-organized events, in person or online, after that date will use the updated list. A CSW21 Initiation Kit is being prepared for distribution soon to assist players in the transition. All application developers who have licensed the Collins Scrabble Words list for use in their apps, websites, and tools have been contacted with the new list, and should complete updates before this date. Publication of a paper edition will follow at a later date. National associations should prepare implementation of the list for local events as soon as practicable after this date.

Appendix 2 - Official Word Source
From 1st July, 2019, the official word source is Collins Official SCRABBLE® Words, 5th edition, 2019

The response within Australia

At the 2021 CASPA AGM it was established that the decision on what word source to use in tournaments will be up to individual states.
Tournaments are flagged CSW19 or CSW22 on the Tournament Calendar
At the 2022 CASPA AGM it was resolved that events under the auspices of CASPA such as the National Championships and the Australian Masters should use the word reference of that of the majority of states.

The extent of the revision

Deletions

There has been no official list of deletions, but it is known that there are over 400 in all. It is likely that the research for this has been done by staff at Collins Dictionary. Some sleuths have made some attempt by trying out words at the Collins Scrabble Word Checker. Here are 419 words tht they have found (as at 25 Apr 2021), not necessarily comprehensive, and possibly subject to change. There appear to be four categories, ableism, racism, sexism and religious intolerance. Words which are allowable, but not for one part of speech, are shown in italics.

Redefined words

Timeline

North America