🚀 API Documentation

Welcome to the Wordotron Word Validation API! This free, public API allows you to validate words against the comprehensive SOWPODS dictionary (267,752 words).

Overview

Base URL: https://wordotron.com
Authentication: None required
Rate Limit: Fair use policy (please be reasonable)
Cost: 100% Free
Dictionary: SOWPODS (267,752 words)

Endpoints

POST /api/v1/check-word

Validate whether a word exists in the SOWPODS dictionary.

📌 Note: The old /api/check-word endpoint is deprecated but still functional for backwards compatibility. New integrations should use /api/v1/check-word.

Request

POST https://wordotron.com/api/v1/check-word
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "word": "HELLO"
}

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
word	string	REQUIRED	The word to validate (case-insensitive, max 50 characters)

Response

HTTP/1.1 200 OK
Content-Type: application/json
X-API-Version: v1

{
  "valid": true
}

Field	Type	Description
valid	boolean	`true` if word exists in dictionary, `false` otherwise

Response Headers

Header	Description
X-API-Version	API version used (currently "v1")
Deprecation	Only present on old `/api/check-word` endpoint (value: "true")

Examples

cURL

curl -X POST https://wordotron.com/api/v1/check-word -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d '{"word":"HELLO"}'

Response:

{"valid":true}

JavaScript / Fetch

const response = await fetch('https://wordotron.com/api/v1/check-word', {
  method: 'POST',
  headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' },
  body: JSON.stringify({ word: 'HELLO' })
});

const data = await response.json();
console.log(data.valid); // true

Python

import requests

response = requests.post(
    'https://wordotron.com/api/v1/check-word',
    json={'word': 'HELLO'}
)

data = response.json()
print(data['valid'])  # True

Node.js (axios)

const axios = require('axios');

const response = await axios.post(
  'https://wordotron.com/api/v1/check-word',
  { word: 'HELLO' }
);

console.log(response.data.valid); // true

Error Handling

The API returns appropriate HTTP status codes:

200 OK: Request successful
400 Bad Request: Invalid request (missing word, word too long, invalid JSON)
405 Method Not Allowed: Wrong HTTP method (must be POST)
415 Unsupported Media Type: Missing or invalid Content-Type header (must be application/json)

Example Error Response

HTTP/1.1 415 Unsupported Media Type
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "valid": false,
  "error": "Invalid Content-Type. Expected application/json"
}

Try It Now

Interactive API Tester

Enter a word to test the API:

Use Cases

🎮 Word Games: Build Scrabble, crossword, or word puzzle games
📚 Educational Tools: Create spelling or vocabulary learning apps
✍️ Writing Assistants: Integrate spell-checking features
🤖 Chatbots & AI: Validate user input in conversational interfaces
🧩 Puzzle Generators: Create word-based puzzles and challenges

Fair Use Policy

This API is provided free of charge for everyone. We ask that you:

Don't scrape or download the entire dictionary from Wordotron - you can get it directly from the source at Free Scrabble Dictionary
Implement reasonable client-side caching
Don't make excessive requests that could impact service for others
Consider crediting Wordotron if you use this API in your project

About the Dictionary

The API uses the SOWPODS word list, which combines:

OSPD (Official Scrabble Players Dictionary - North America)
OSW (Official Scrabble Words - UK)

This makes it the most comprehensive international Scrabble dictionary with 267,752 valid words.

Support

Questions or issues? Visit our contact page to get in touch.

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