Some words can be spelled in so many ways that it’s hard to get them wrong (or right). The small cap worn by Jewish men can be spelt YAMALKA, YAMULKA, YARMELKE, YARMULKA and YARMULKE. Quite why you can’t have, say, a yarmalka is not entirely clear.
If you are thinking of a loose-fitting Arab cloak, choose from GALABEA, GALABEAH, GALABIA, GALABIAH, GALABIEH, GALABIYA, GALABIYAH, GALLABEA, GALLABEAH, GALLABIA, GALLABIAH, GALLABIEH, GALLABIYA, GALLABIYAH or GALLABIYEH.
YAMALKA is from Hebrew, but Yiddish also gives us many picturesque words, such as GANEF, a thief. It has eight spellings:
GANEF GANOF GONEF GONIF GONOF
In GANEF only, you can replace the F with a V – GANEV
In GONIF only, you can double the F – GONIFF
In GONOF only, you can replace the F with PH – GONOPH
Simple really.
By Barry Grossman
Barry is a leading UK Scrabble player and winner of several tournaments. He is the author of Scrabble for Beginners (Chambers), Need to Know Scrabble, Scrabble – Play to Win and The Little Book of Scrabble Trickster. He has also contributed to numerous other books on the subject of words and word-games, has been a series champion of Channel 4’s Countdown, and has written four comedy series for BBC Radio 4. He lives in Hertford.
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