Scrabble adds 'OK' and 'emoji' as acceptable words — and some fans are calling it the 'death of the English language'

Hundreds of words that were previously off-limits to Scrabble players are now fair game.

The newest version of Merriam-Webster’s The Official Scrabble Players Dictionary boasts 300 new words, including “OK,” ew, and “emoji.”

“‘OK’ is something Scrabble players have been waiting for for a long time,” Peter Sokolowski, lexicographer and Merriam-Webster editor-at-large, told the Associated Press. “Basically two- and three-letter words are the lifeblood of the game.”

Former Planned Parenthood president Cecile Richards applauded the two-letter additions, tweeting that she’s “been trying to play ‘ew’ for years.”

But not everyone is thrilled about changes to a game that’s been around for 80 years. Some Scrabble players claimed on social media that adding such short words would effectively dumb down the game.

Other previously banned words that made the new list include macaron, sriracha, beatdown, zomboid, twerk, sheeple, wayback, facepalm, frowny, hivemind, puggle, and yowza. Adding “qapik” (a monetary unit in Azerbaijan) will be a game changer, as words that start with “q” but don’t require a “u” are rare. In the opposite vein, “arancini” (which describes an Italian stuffed rice ball) will allow players to get rid of four vowels in one go.

Sokolowski told the AP that Merriam-Webster consulted with the North American Scrabble Players Association “to make sure that they agree these words are desirable.”

Bottom line: The words are probably here to stay.

Read more from Yahoo Entertainment:

• Final season premiere of ‘Parts Unknown’ kicks off with Anthony Bourdain trolling Trump

• Khloé Kardashian tweets about her heartbreaking loss during Sunday night’s ‘KUWTK’

• How lovelytheband’s ‘Broken’ became a surprise mental health anthem