How to play DotComma
A word game about saying more with fewer, simpler words.
DotComma is a constrained-language game. Each round shows you a line, and your job is to rewrite it using only short, plain words drawn from DotComma's small shared vocabulary. The constraint forces clarity — and quietly trains you to write in a simple, universal way.
The rules
- Read the line you're given.
- Rewrite it in your own words — but only using allowed short words.
- As you type, valid words turn green and off-list words turn red.
- Submit your line to see your result and score.
How scoring works
An answer where every word is valid earns the most points, with a small bonus for being short and to the point. Off-list words don't score. The aim isn't to be clever with rare words — it's to be clear with common ones.
Learning from other players
After you submit, you'll see the top answers from other players for the same line. You can like the ones you admire, and borrow their structure next time. It's a gentle, low-pressure way to learn to write with zest.
Why short words?
Writing within a constrained vocabulary is practice for a shared bridge language — a simple layer that can carry meaning across English, Mandarin, Vietnamese and more. Plain words travel further.