Varieties Of Scrabble

If you're thinking about purchasing Scrabble, either for yourself or as a gift to someone else, you may be interested in learning that there are a number of varieties of Scrabble. You will be able to decide which particular form of Scrabble best suits your needs by getting a brief view of the differences.

One important fact about Scrabble, which most people are probably not aware of, is that there are actually two different companies currently manufacturing this game. Which one is most available for you to purchase depends on where you live. In the United States and Canada, Scrabble is made and sold by the Hasbro toy company in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. This is the Scrabble game most Americans are familiar with.

The Scrabble games that are available in the rest of the world are produced by England's J.W. Spear and Sons, which is owned by the Mattel toy company. Although these two companies are not affiliated with each other, the basic Scrabble game which each company offers are not significantly different. The main difference is in spelling-- "American" English versus "the Queen's English," represented in the dictionaries for each game.

Hasbro presents a number of Scrabble games. For beginners-- listed as being ages five through eight-- there is Scrabble Junior. For the younger children who are developing an interest in Scrabble, they can start with matching letter tiles to picture words. Scrabble Junior is "reversible," as the opposite side of the board is for older children who can play the game without pictures.

For people who are on-the-go, or traveling, Hasbro sells a game folio edition. This style is designed to make Scrabble portable. You can carry the game with you, and even play the game itself, without concern about losing the Scrabble pieces! It contains a zippered nylon carrying case, to be easily portable. Another specialized form of Scrabble is Hasbro's Spanish edition.

For the basic Scrabble, Hasbro makes the regular and the deluxe editions. The main difference between these two forms is that the Deluxe Edition is made with a rotating board, a timer to be used when playing the game, and the tiles can be stored inside the board when not in use.

The Mattel company has more versions of Scrabble to choose from. You can select which styles best fit those who will be playing the game. My First Scrabble is similar to Scrabble Junior, except it is geared toward even younger children. My First Scrabble is designated as being for the three-to-six-year-old age group. Mattel also sells Scrabble Junior.

Mattel's Scrabble also has Scrabble games relevant to a child's particular interest. Dora Scrabble, named for the popular "Dora the Explorer" cartoon, helps children learn to spell in both Spanish and English. Dora Scrabble is listed as being for children aged four and up. Another Mattel Scrabble based on a popular cartoon is Simpson's Scrabble. For children in the older age groups, this Scrabble is based on the Simpson's television cartoon.

The Mattel company also makes Original Scrabble, Travel Scrabble, and Deluxe Scrabble, which are all similar to Hasbro's American versions of this game.

Both companies have Scrabble "extras," to suit a Scrabble-player's tastes and needs. These range from Scrabble dictionaries to online versions of the game. For European Scrabble players, the dictionary which is usually recommended is the Collins Dictionary. For Scrabble players in the United States, the standard Merriam Webster dictionary is the one which is generally preferred.