How do you count a word that intersects with another word?

by CJ
(Fishers, IN)

In other words, if you use the word NOTE, and the N also starts a connecting word of say NOODLE, do you count the N twice?

Hi there CJ - I hope my delay in answering your question didn't result in any family violence over Christmas ;-)

If the picture above accurately reflects your question, the answer is that the N only gets counted once in this situation.

To have a letter count twice, it has to be a letter that you actually played, and that letter needs to contribute to two words simultaneously (one in each direction - across and down).

In your situation, you didn't play the N, so it fails the first criterion. And the letters that you did actually play (the O-O-D-L-E) only contribute to one word (NOODLE), so they would fail the second criterion (not that you thought otherwise, I realize).

Suppose, for example, you had played the word SET vertically, using the S to form NOTES, like this...

In this situation, you have played the S, and it contributes to both words, so the S would count twice.

I hope that clears things up for you. But if not, just let me know via the Comments link down below this post.

All the best,