Play a word game in different languages

In Word Release, two players can share one board while using completely different languages. For example, you can play English words while your opponent plays French words, or you can play German words while your opponent plays Spanish words.

One board, two dictionaries

Each player chooses their dictionary before starting the game. Your main word and every side word created by your move are checked against your dictionary. Your opponent’s moves are checked against theirs. Neither player needs to switch to the other player’s language.

Existing tiles stay on the board. You can use those letters to form or extend words, but the complete words you create must be valid in your own dictionary. The game does not translate words automatically. A flag beside each name identifies that player’s dictionary.

An example

An English-speaking player places CHAT, an English word. A French-speaking opponent could add S to form CHATS, provided the placement and any adjoining words are valid in the French dictionary. Both players use the same letter tiles and scoring rules.

How online matching works

Online matching first prefers players using the same dictionary. British English and American English are the next preference. Pairings across other languages are a last resort after the 24-hour matching period, when no better human match is available. If a bot fills an unmatched online game, it uses your dictionary.

Try another language against a bot

On the game selection screen, choose a bot difficulty. You can then select the bot’s dictionary separately from your own. This lets you try a cross-language game without waiting for a human opponent.

White-ball deals

Unused tiles stay in their rack positions and new letters fill the gaps. New racks have at least three vowels (A, E, I, O, U) and three consonants. Refills preserve unused tiles and maintain this balance whenever possible, otherwise getting as close as the remaining spaces allow. This applies to black and white balls. Every player, including Easy, Medium and Expert bots, starts each game with one white and one black ball, regardless of how many games they have started that day. The initial white ball counts for turn 1; add black balls before personal turns 2, 4 and 6, and white balls before turns 3, 5 and 7. A black ball gives random letters within that balance. A white ball first tries to complete a playable nine-letter anagram while keeping every leftover tile. If that is not possible, it tries the unclaimed words from your bonus phrase from longest to shortest, supplying letters for the first one that legally fits the rack and board. Either success uses the white ball. If an opponent blocks every nine-letter anagram in that rack before your next turn, the white ball is returned to your bag once at the start of that turn; your letters stay the same. If neither is possible, the white ball stays in the bag and the rack is refilled normally. You earn the word and phrase points when you play the word.

Bonus phrases

Players using the same language share a bonus phrase; British and American English also share one. Players using different languages each have a phrase in their own language. Press B on the game board to see both phrases and which words have been played.

See Select Your Dictionary for the five choices and how accented letters are represented.

Choose your matching language

Open Language on the game selection screen. Beneath the dictionary choices, use “Allow online games with players using different dictionaries?” Choose Yes to allow other languages, or No to keep matching within your language. British and American English are grouped together as English. This default is saved to your account and applies to new online games without asking again. Existing games keep their original matching choice. Cross-language pairing requires both players to allow it and becomes eligible after the 24-hour matching period. If no suitable human is found after 24 hours, a bot using your dictionary can join.

Dictionaries and languages

Read how dictionaries, language selection and bot languages work, including the source credits and licences for all five word lists.