originally called “Lexiko,” was invented by Alfred Mosher Butts in the 1930s. Butts was an architect who enjoyed creating games in his spare time. He wanted to design a game that combined both chance and skill, so he analyzed the front page of The New York Times to determine how frequently each letter of the alphabet was used. This analysis helped him decide how many of each letter should be included in the game and how many points each letter would be worth.
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The game went through several name changes. Initially, it was called “Lexiko,” which focused on forming words using letter tiles. Later, it was renamed “Criss-Cross Words” to reflect the crossword puzzle-like layout of the game board. Eventually, the game was rebranded as “Scrabble,” a name that stuck and became iconic.