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Difference between revisions of "Letters game"
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A player scores points on a letters game by writing down a valid word within the 30 seconds. This word must be in the current New Oxford English Dictionary, but not a proper noun, nor an abbreviation. Players can use each lettter only once, but can use a letter more than once if it appears more than once in the selection. For example from {{word|EEEECDLST}} the player could play {{word|SELECTED}}, which uses three E's, but there are four E's in the selection. Words score 1 point per letter, but 18 points for a nine-letter word. | A player scores points on a letters game by writing down a valid word within the 30 seconds. This word must be in the current New Oxford English Dictionary, but not a proper noun, nor an abbreviation. Players can use each lettter only once, but can use a letter more than once if it appears more than once in the selection. For example from {{word|EEEECDLST}} the player could play {{word|SELECTED}}, which uses three E's, but there are four E's in the selection. Words score 1 point per letter, but 18 points for a nine-letter word. | ||
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| + | ==Mass nouns== | ||
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| + | Unlike the game of [[Scrabble]], [[Countdown]] uses a mass and count noun system. A mass noun is one that can't logically have a plural like {{word|GUNFIRE}} or {{word|HEALTH}} because in standard English, they would never be used in the singular. For example you can't have a gunfire or one health, so the plurals aren't allowed either. This system causes some controversy, some common nouns lack plurals, for instance lager is listed as a mass noun. Also since the start of [[Series 49]], some mass nouns can have plurals if they are logical. In [[Series 58]] {{word|CONGEES}} was allowed because it was argued that you could ask for "two congees", although the [[Oxford Dictionary of English]] lists it as a mass noun. | ||
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| + | ==Other languages== | ||
[[Des chiffres et des lettres]] also uses letters games, but there are no tiles. Letters are generated by a computer, and contestants take it in turns to select one letter at a time, so one contestant selects 5 of the letters and the other 4. The [[Cifras y Letras|Spanish version]] also uses this system. | [[Des chiffres et des lettres]] also uses letters games, but there are no tiles. Letters are generated by a computer, and contestants take it in turns to select one letter at a time, so one contestant selects 5 of the letters and the other 4. The [[Cifras y Letras|Spanish version]] also uses this system. | ||
[[Category:Terminology]] | [[Category:Terminology]] | ||
Revision as of 23:20, 3 May 2008
A letters game is one of the 11 rounds during a 15 round game in which the contestant chooses 9 letters by selecting either a vowel or a consonant until there is a total of 9 letters. The player in the champions chair chooses 6 letters games and the challenger chooses 5, but gets an extra choice of numbers. The player can choose the letters in any order, but the selection must include at least 4 consonants and 3 vowels, hence there are only three valid choices in modern Countdown: 3 vowels, 6 consonants; 4 vowels, 5 consonants and 5 vowels, 4 consonants.
When the show was first broadcast, and for a number of years, contestants could choose as many vowels and consonants as they liked, which often led to poor selections where only 4's and 5's were available. Since then the rules have been changed. In the original 9-round format, there were 6 letters games.
A player scores points on a letters game by writing down a valid word within the 30 seconds. This word must be in the current New Oxford English Dictionary, but not a proper noun, nor an abbreviation. Players can use each lettter only once, but can use a letter more than once if it appears more than once in the selection. For example from EEEECDLST the player could play SELECTED, which uses three E's, but there are four E's in the selection. Words score 1 point per letter, but 18 points for a nine-letter word.
Mass nouns
Unlike the game of Scrabble, Countdown uses a mass and count noun system. A mass noun is one that can't logically have a plural like GUNFIRE or HEALTH because in standard English, they would never be used in the singular. For example you can't have a gunfire or one health, so the plurals aren't allowed either. This system causes some controversy, some common nouns lack plurals, for instance lager is listed as a mass noun. Also since the start of Series 49, some mass nouns can have plurals if they are logical. In Series 58 CONGEES was allowed because it was argued that you could ask for "two congees", although the Oxford Dictionary of English lists it as a mass noun.
Other languages
Des chiffres et des lettres also uses letters games, but there are no tiles. Letters are generated by a computer, and contestants take it in turns to select one letter at a time, so one contestant selects 5 of the letters and the other 4. The Spanish version also uses this system.
