Here’s ze way to win Scrabble this Xmas!

DEvoTEES of Scrabble are always looking for an opportunity to use the highest-scoring letter Z.

So news that the gender neutral pronoun ‘ze’ will be included in the game’s official dictionary is likely to be popular.

The traditional board game is moving with the times to include a handful of words from social media.

The new words are being allowed as the world’s most popular word game, invented by American architect Alfred Butts, celebrates its 70th anniversary.

Ze can be used as an alternative to ‘he’ or ‘she’ when a person chooses not to identify with either gender.

Elie Dangoor, chairman of the World English Language Scrabble Players Association (Wespa), told the Sunday Telegraph: ‘It will be used more than other new words because it will score highly. I will try it whenever I can.’

The new Scrabble dictionary is due to be published next May. Around 2,800 words will be added. other potentially popular new short words include ‘bae’ which means boyfriend or girlfriend (an acronym for ‘before anyone else’).

The word zen – previously excluded as a proper noun – is now allowed. This is thanks to its inclusion in September, as an adjective, in the American Merriam-Webster dictionary, which – with the Collins English Dictionary – defines acceptable Scrabble words. The changes also allow pluto to be played. It will be acceptable as a verb meaning to lose importance. Its definition stems from Pluto’s loss of status when it was demoted from a planet to a dwarf planet.

New entry yowza is one of the words popular on social media, meaning to express approval, excitement or enthusiasm.

Scrabble is sold in 121 countries, available in 29 languages and more than 150million sets have been sold worldwide.