What is SOWPODS and why does Unscramble AU use it?

SOWPODS (also called Collins Scrabble Words) is the official word list used in Scrabble tournaments and clubs across Australia, the UK, New Zealand, South Africa and most of the world outside North America. It contains 267,751 valid words. Unscramble AU uses full SOWPODS so results reflect the dictionary Australian players actually compete with.

Does Unscramble AU use American or Australian spelling?

Australian English throughout. You'll see colour, organise, centre, aluminium and travelling rather than the American color, organize, center, aluminum and traveling. This matters because SOWPODS accepts both spelling variants where they exist, but Unscramble AU surfaces the Australian form first.

Can I use Unscramble AU for Words With Friends?

You can, but note Words With Friends uses the TWL (Tournament Word List / ENABLE), not SOWPODS. The two lists overlap heavily but not completely — some SOWPODS words won't be valid in Words With Friends, and vice versa. Unscramble AU is optimised for SOWPODS-based Australian Scrabble.

Is Unscramble AU free to use?

Yes, the word unscrambler is completely free, with no account required. A Premium tier with cloud-saved word lists, extended curriculum packs and branded PDF exports is planned for around A$5–9 a month.

Is Teacher Mode really ad-free?

Yes. Teacher Mode has no ad slots at all, so it's suitable for classroom and interactive whiteboard use without distraction.

Frequently Asked Questions

Straight answers about SOWPODS, Australian English spelling, Scrabble rules, and how the parts of Unscramble AU fit together.

The Dictionary & SOWPODS

What exactly is SOWPODS?

SOWPODS — also known as Collins Scrabble Words (CSW) — is the combined word list originally formed by merging the UK's OSPD-derived list with international sources. It's the word list used in World Scrabble Championships and in official play across Australia, the UK, and most Commonwealth countries. It's larger and more permissive than the North American TWL/ENABLE list, containing 267,751 words at last count.

Why doesn't Unscramble AU just use the same list as most American unscramblers?

Most word-unscrambling tools are built by and for a US audience and default to TWL or ENABLE. That's a problem for Australian players: your local Scrabble club plays SOWPODS, so a tool built on the wrong list will confidently tell you a word is invalid when it's actually fine at your table — or vice versa. We built Unscramble AU specifically to close that gap.

A word I expected is missing from my results. What happened?

Three common reasons: the word isn't in SOWPODS at all (some familiar-looking words genuinely aren't valid Scrabble plays); it's spelled differently in Australian English (e.g. you typed "COLOR" but the valid form is "COLOUR"); or it requires a blank tile / wildcard that wasn't included in your input letters. If you've ruled those out, email us the word via the Contact page and we'll check it against the dictionary directly.

Does the dictionary get updated?

SOWPODS itself is revised periodically by the international Scrabble governing bodies. When a new official edition is released, we update our word list to match.

Australian English Spelling

What spelling differences should I expect?

The most common patterns: -our instead of -or (colour, favour, honour), -ise instead of -ize (organise, realise, analyse), -re instead of -er (centre, metre, theatre), and doubled consonants before suffixes (travelling, cancelled, modelling). We also use aluminium (not aluminum) and programme (not program, in most contexts).

Will American spellings ever show up in results?

SOWPODS accepts many American variants as valid Scrabble words alongside the British/Australian ones, since international tournament rules allow both where they historically diverge. Where a choice exists, Unscramble AU highlights the Australian form so it's front and centre in your results.

Using the Unscrambler

How do I search for words containing specific letters, not just starting with them?

Use the "Contains" filter alongside "Starts With" — enter up to four letters and the tool will only show words that include that exact letter sequence anywhere in the word, which is handy for finishing off a partial crossword answer or checking a hunch about a word pattern.

Can I filter by word length?

Yes — set a minimum and/or maximum length before unscrambling, or leave maximum blank to see everything up to the length of your input. This is especially useful when you're hunting for a specific board play, like a 7-letter bingo.

Does the tool handle blank tiles?

Not directly as a wildcard character yet — for now, try running your search with each possible substitute letter in place of the blank to see which produces valid words. This is on our list of planned improvements.

Scrabble Rules & Scoring

What's a "bingo" and why does it matter?

A bingo is when you play all 7 of your tiles in a single turn. It earns a 50-point bonus on top of the word's normal score in official Australian Scrabble rules, on top of whatever premium squares you land on. Our Strategy Guide has a full breakdown of how to spot bingo opportunities.

Which letters are worth the most points?

In standard Scrabble scoring, Q and Z are worth 10 points each, J and X are worth 8 points each, and K is worth 5. Even a short word using one of these tiles on a premium square can outscore a much longer common word.

Teacher Mode & Classrooms

What curriculum does Teacher Mode align to?

Preset word lists follow the Australian Curriculum for Foundation to Year 6, supplemented by the Oxford Word List — a well-established, research-based list of the words Australian children most commonly encounter in their early schooling years.

What's the difference between Easy Mode and normal mode?

Easy Mode keeps the first and last letters of each word fixed in place while scrambling the middle letters — this gives struggling readers a stronger visual anchor and makes the activity more accessible without changing the underlying word list.

Can I save and reuse my own custom word lists?

Yes — you can save up to 5 custom lists directly in your browser's local storage (no account needed). Cloud-based unlimited saving is part of the planned Premium tier.

Can I print worksheets or display them on a whiteboard?

Both. The Interactive Whiteboard Display shows one large-font word at a time with keyboard navigation, ideal for a projector or smartboard. The Print PDF Worksheet option generates a clean, ad-free A4 handout.

Daily Challenge

How often does the Daily Challenge change?

A new scrambled word is set every day, themed around Australian geography, wildlife, or slang. Each puzzle includes an optional hint and a full reveal if you get stuck.

Is there a way to see past Daily Challenges?

Not currently — each day's puzzle is a one-off. We're considering an archive as a future feature; let us know via the Contact page if that's something you'd use.

Account, Privacy & Pricing

Do I need to create an account?

No. Play Mode and Teacher Mode both work without signing up. The only optional data we collect is an email address if you choose to join the Premium waitlist.

How does advertising work on this site?

Play Mode is supported by Google AdSense advertising so the tool can remain free. Teacher Mode carries no ads at all. Full detail on cookies and ad personalisation is in our Privacy Policy.

What will Premium cost and what does it add?

Premium is planned at roughly A$5–9 per month and will add unlimited cloud-saved word lists, extended curriculum packs for teachers, and branded PDF worksheet exports. Join the waitlist via the notify form on the Pricing page.

Still have a question?

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