In Bananagrams, each player must use the tiles they draw at the start of the game to create words in their intersecting word grid. The number of tiles they require to draw at the start depends entirely on the number of players in the game.
Players can use the dictionary available to determine which words are acceptable, and which is not. A player cannot play any word not available in the dictionary.
Can you use abbreviations in Bananagrams? Official Bananagrams rules prohibit players from playing abbreviations, and everyone must choose from the acceptable words list.
There are a handful of word types that are not accepted in the game Bananagrams, and abbreviations are on the list. Answered below are frequently asked questions about using abbreviations in Bananagrams and why they are not allowed.
What words are not allowed in Bananagrams?
When playing using regular Bananagrams rules, the following words are forbidden from being used in a word grid.
- Two letter words such as ix, oz, za, and others. But players can use the two-letter words as placeholders as they look for more new tiles to make longer words. Otherwise, before a player calls out for “BANANAS,” all words in their respective word grid must have three letters or more.
- Words that require capital letters when used as part of speech. This includes; proper nouns such as names of countries, people, months, brands, cities, weekdays, and other abbreviations such as IT, TV, and IQ.
- Abusive words, especially explicit or curse words. However, some words like bitch, despite being used as abusive words, still have another meaning; thus, it’s okay to use them.
- Racial words are prohibited.
- Words that are foreign and haven’t been adopted in the English language yet.
- Slang words that are not commonly used in the official language haven’t been included in the official dictionary.
- Words that are misspelled or spelled in the wrong direction.
- Words that require a hyphen, such as long-term.
Can you use slang in Bananagrams?
According to official Bananagrams rules, a word is acceptable if it’s part of the dictionary used, regardless of its slang or not. However, the word must be at least three letters and should not be capitalized to be legally accepted, even if it’s found in the dictionary.
In Bananagrams, players can use any dictionary that decides which word will be accepted and which will not. Most slang words have been used in the common language such that they have been adopted in many Dictionary versions.
For instance, a slang word like DOPE, which means cool, has been commonly used such that it’s part of the official dictionary even if it’s considered a slang word. Others include LIT, GUCCI, GOAT, to mention a few.
Nonetheless, it will depend on the dictionary used as a word finder. If the slang word is there, the player wins it. But if not, the player will get called a “Rotten Bananas” if they yell out for “Bananas.”
Do abbreviations count in Bananagrams?
No, abbreviations don’t count in Bananagrams because the official rules are against the use of abbreviations for multiple reasons. In general, no slang words are accepted in the gameplay and only complete words are allowed in the game.
Many abbreviations are two-letter words, and in Bananagrams, any acceptable word must have at least three letters. Furthermore, short words can have a large impact on the outcome of the game because they leave many chances for word variations that can have a large impact on the game.
Abbreviations in Bananagrams: Conclusion
Any word that requires a capital letter to appear as part of speech cannot be used in Bananagrams, even if it’s found in the dictionary. For this reason, proper nouns and abbreviations are verboten in Bananagrams.
More reason to ban the use of abbreviations in Bananagrams is to protect the game’s strategy aspect. Allowing abbreviations would make the game easy since it increases the number of words that can be played.
In the end, the dictionary has the final say on whether the word is acceptable or not. However, a word used in the dictionary does not make it necessarily acceptable because it must also adhere to other rules outlined by Bananagrams official rules.
Two-letter words are illegal in Bananagrams, yes, but they can be used as a strategy to hold places on the grid to buy some time before adding new tiles on them to form longer words. When working with short words, it is important that they are not abbreviations because they will not be accepted when calling “Bananas.”