Crossword Solvers Tend To Be Good At Scrabble
Well, the most likely reason is that they both involve words and a good vocabulary. Obviously to solve crossword puzzles, and particularly cryptic puzzles, you need to have a very good vocabulary. To excel at scrabble you need to have a superb vocabulary, and particular knowledge of the very scrabble-esque words that only appear in that world, for instance the myriad 2, 3 and 4 letter words that aren't used in the real world but are essential for that game.
As well as a good vocabulary being important for both games, scrabble is very much anagrams + knowledge of words + some scrabble tactics. Clearly there is some crossover with anagrams, as many crosswords include one or two anagrams (quick crosswords), whilst cryptic crosswords often have up to around 50% of the clues having some element of an anagram in them, so there is crossover there too.
Although the puzzles are also sufficiently different it can be seen that they do have these notable similarities. Indeed, people who like word puzzles are quite likely to also be good at word puzzles (people don't usually like things that they are not good at, in terms of participation).
It would be interesting to know if there is more crossover between cryptic crossword solvers and scrabblers than there is with those who simply do quick and possibly general knowledge crosswords, or if no such correlation exists.
Whether crossword or scrabble champions are "smarter" is a matter of opinion, and probably aficionados of each will come down on their own side! Certainly a scrabbler will generally have a 'better' vocabulary, in terms of knowing obscure words using weird letter combinations, whilst a crossword solver you would expect to have a better general knowledge, particularly a cryptic or general knowledge puzzle solver.
Do you play both puzzles - if so which do you enjoy more and why; does getting better at one puzzle help you also get better at the other, or do you see them as very separate? Please do share your thoughts with us in the comments section below.
Date written: 29 Apr 2015
Comment on this post
You must be logged in to comment - please Register or Login
Why No Wordsearch At Wordy Puzzle
We have a huge range of word puzzles here at Wordy Puzzle, representing all the major puzzle types. All of them, that is, apart from the wordsearch puzzle. Just in case you've not come across it before, a wordsearch is a simple word puzzle that features...
Added: 21 Jun 2015
Codeword Solving Tool
If you want help with solving codewords, then there are various tips and techniques that you can use, as outlined on other blog entries here at Wordy Puzzle.
However, sometimes if you get completely stuck on a puzzle, then you might want some outside...
Added: 18 Mar 2015
Introduction To Points And Awards
Welcome to this introduction to the points and awards system here at Wordy Puzzle.
When you complete a puzzle, you'll get more than just the satisfaction of completing the puzzle! As long as you don't use the 'show solution' button to reveal the...
Added: 14 Mar 2015
Skeleton Crossword Solving Tips
Solving skeleton crosswords can be quite tricky, and experience helps. For those new to solving this puzzle type, what tips can we offer you to help you crack the Wordy Puzzles skeletons and thus gain the many points available for solving this tricky...
Added: 31 Mar 2015
General Knowledge Solving Tips
Solving general knowledge puzzles, surprisingly enough, requires a considerable amount of general knowledge. So far, so obvious. But how do you go about getting the knowledge that you require to solve a general knowledge crossword?
Well there are...
Added: 20 Mar 2015
Back to Puzzle Blog
Puzzle Types:
