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ENABLE vs CSW: Which Scrabble Dictionary Should You Use?
WordZap offers two English dictionaries. They are not the same list — and knowing which one your game uses is worth real points.
Published: October 2026 | Category: Dictionary Reference
First, an Honest Note About WordZap's Dictionaries
WordZap's North American dictionary is ENABLE — a widely used open word list of 172,823 words. It is not the official NASPA list (NWL). NWL is licensed by NASPA, so we use ENABLE, the closest openly available North American list, and we label it accurately.
What does that mean in practice? ENABLE is missing a handful of famous words that official NWL contains. The best-known gaps are QI and ZA, plus nine more two-letter words: DA, EW, FE, GI, KI, KO, KY, OI, PO. For casual play the difference rarely matters. For official tournaments, verify against the official list — and know that QI and ZA are legal there even though they will not appear in WordZap's ENABLE results.
WordZap's international dictionary is CSW (Collins Scrabble Words), 370,105 words — the standard list used across most of the world. ZA is valid in CSW; QI is not.
Key Differences at a Glance
| Feature | ENABLE (North American) | CSW (Collins) |
|---|
| Word Count | 172,823 | 370,105 |
| Two-Letter Words | 96 | 427 |
| Regions | USA, Canada (closest open list) | UK, Australia, NZ, Europe, Asia, Africa |
| British Spellings | No (COLOR, not COLOUR) | Yes (COLOUR, HONOUR, FAVOUR) |
| Archaic / Obscure Words | Fewer | Many more |
| QI / ZA | Neither | ZA yes, QI no |
Counts above are the exact sizes of the word lists WordZap loads — not rounded marketing numbers.
ENABLE's Two-Letter Words (Complete List)
Every two-letter word in WordZap's ENABLE dictionary, for reference:
AA AB AD AE AG AH AI AL AM AN AR AS AT AW AX AY BA BE BI BO BY DE DO ED EF EH EL EM EN ER ES ET EX FA GO HA HE HI HM HO ID IF IN IS IT JO KA LA LI LO MA ME MI MM MO MU MY NA NE NO NU OD OE OF OH OM ON OP OR OS OW OX OY PA PE PI RE SH SI SO TA TI TO UH UM UN UP US UT WE WO XI XU YA YE YO
That is 96 words. Compare with CSW's 427 — the extra CSW two-letter words are the reason international players have so many more parallel-play options.
Two-Letter Words Valid in CSW but Not in ENABLE
If you play internationally or online against global opponents, these CSW-only two-letter words are essential:
CH, DA, DI, EA, EE, EO, EU, FI, FY, GI, GU, IE, IO, KA, KI, KO, KY, NY, OB, OE, PO, TE, TI, UG, UH, UR
Several of these (DA, GI, KI, KO, KY, PO) are also in the official NWL — they are missing from ENABLE only. Others (CH, DI, EA, EE, EO, EU, FI, FY, GU, IE, IO, NY, OB, OE, TE, TI, UG, UH, UR) are CSW exclusives.
When to Use Which Dictionary on WordZap
- ENABLE: Scrabble GO (North American server), Words with Friends (whose list is close to ENABLE), casual North American play
- CSW: Scrabble GO (international server), Lexulous, Wordfeud, international tournaments, most mobile apps outside North America
- Both: when practicing — check both to see all possible words, and to learn which words belong to which list
Strategy Tip: if you are playing a casual game with friends and someone challenges a word, agree on the dictionary before starting. WordZap lets you switch instantly — use it to settle disputes fairly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is ENABLE the same as NWL?
No. NWL (NASPA Word List) is the official North American tournament dictionary, licensed by NASPA. ENABLE is an open word list that overlaps heavily with NWL but is missing a small number of words (QI, ZA, and nine other two-letter words among them). WordZap uses ENABLE because it is openly available, and we say so plainly.
Why is QI missing from WordZap?
QI is valid in official NWL but it is not in ENABLE or CSW, the two lists WordZap loads. It is a known gap, not a bug in the search — the word simply is not in these dictionaries.
Can I use WordZap in a tournament?
No — tournaments prohibit solvers. Use WordZap as a practice and learning tool between games, and verify tournament-critical words against the official list for your region.
Which dictionary should I use for Words with Friends?
ENABLE is the closest match: Words with Friends uses a list based on ENABLE with some additions. For most WWF play, the ENABLE dictionary on WordZap will agree with the game.
Why does CSW have so many more words?
CSW merges multiple English dictionaries and includes British spellings, archaic words, and a much larger set of short words. That is why CSW has 427 two-letter words against ENABLE's 96 — and why international play feels like a different game.