You’re sitting in that virtual classroom at Bullworth Academy. Mr. Galloway is probably nursing a secret drink, the chalkboard is a mess of jumbled letters, and the timer is ticking down like a bomb. If you’ve played Rockstar Games’ classic Bully (or Scholarship Edition), you know that the English classes are basically the bane of every player's existence. English 4 is notoriously the "wall" where most people get stuck. It’s not just about knowing words; it’s about seeing patterns in a mess of tiles that don't seem to make sense when you're under pressure.
Honestly, English 4 is a jump in difficulty. English 1 through 3 are warm-ups. By the time you hit the fourth session, the game expects you to pull nineteen different words out of a six-letter scramble. The letters you're working with are O, C, S, L, T, Y.
Does it sound easy? Maybe on paper. But when the clock is at ten seconds and you still need a six-letter word to pass, your brain tends to freeze.
The Reality of English 4 Answers Bully Players Struggle With
The struggle is real because Bully uses a specific dictionary. You might think of a perfectly valid English word, type it in, and the game just buzzes at you. It’s frustrating. You’re looking for "scot" or "cols" and the game acts like you're speaking Martian. This isn't just a test of your vocabulary; it's a test of your ability to guess what the developers at Rockstar Vancouver thought were common words back in 2006.
To pass the class with a passing grade (55%), you need about nine words. To get that 100% and the permanent taunt bonus, you need all nineteen.
Here is the breakdown of what actually works in the English 4 word scramble:
Three-Letter Words
You should start here. They are the building blocks. Grab toy, lot, and soy immediately. They’re easy to see. Then look for cot, cos, and sol. If you’re feeling clever, sty and dot (wait, no 'D', see how easy it is to mess up?)—actually, stick to sly and col. These quick hits fill your progress bar fast and buy you breathing room.
Four-Letter Words
This is where the points live. Slot, soft (no 'F', scratch that), let's go with cost, lost, and lots. You can also find clot and cyst. Notice a pattern? A lot of these are just the three-letter words with an 'S' or a 'T' tacked on. Colt is another one people often miss.
Five-Letter Words
There are only two. Costs and colts. If you found the four-letter versions, just pluralize them. It's a cheap trick, but the game allows it.
The Six-Letter Word
This is the big one. The "Golden Snitch" of English 4. The word is COSTLY.
Why Does English 4 Matter for Your Playthrough?
You might be wondering why you’re even bothering with Mr. Galloway’s nonsense. Well, the rewards in Bully aren't just cosmetic. Completing English 4 specifically gives Jimmy the ability to apologize to Prefects for minor offenses more effectively.
If you’re the type of player who likes to cause a little chaos—maybe a few firecrackers in the bin or a stray slingshot hit—you’re going to get busted. With the English 4 bonus, your "apology" actually carries weight. It can literally be the difference between getting tackled and dragged to the principal or walking away with a "don't let it happen again."
It’s about survival.
Common Pitfalls and Why You Keep Failing
Most players fail English 4 because they overthink. They try to find complex words that aren't in the game's limited library. Or, they spend way too long staring at the six-letter word.
Bully doesn't reward "big" words as much as it rewards "fast" words.
Another thing: the controls. If you're playing on the Anniversary Edition on mobile, tapping the letters can be finicky. On the PC version, the keyboard layout can sometimes feel unresponsive if you're typing too fast. Take a breath. The timer is generous if you have the list memorized, but it's a nightmare if you're searching the screen with fresh eyes.
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Maximizing Your Success in the Classroom
If you want to absolutely crush English 4, you have to stay organized. I usually recommend people tackle the list in order of length. It keeps your brain from jumping around.
- The 'S' Words: Slots, Sol, Soy, Sly, Sty.
- The 'C' Words: Cost, Colts, Costs, Colt, Clot, Cot, Cos.
- The 'L' Words: Lost, Lots, Lot.
- The Final Piece: Costly.
Wait, did you notice I missed one? Toys. Don't forget the plural of toy.
The game’s dictionary is weirdly specific. It loves "archaic" or slightly technical terms like col (a pass between mountain peaks), but ignores other common slang. This is why having a definitive list is basically a requirement for a 100% run.
What Happens After English 4?
Once you clear this hurdle, you move on to English 5. That's the final boss of the English wing. It uses the letters G, A, D, E, R, N. While it sounds intimidating, most players find it slightly easier than English 4 because the letter combination is more common in the English language.
But you can't get there without passing the "Costly" test.
Actionable Steps for Your Next Session
Don't go into the classroom blind. If you're struggling, here is exactly how to handle your next attempt:
- Pre-game Prep: Pause the game the second the letters appear on the board. This gives you a moment to look at the tiles without the timer ticking.
- The "S" Strategy: Almost every word in this set can be pluralized. If you find a word, try adding an 'S' immediately after.
- Focus on the 100%: Don't just settle for the 55% pass. The apology bonus for English 4 is one of the most useful social buffs in the entire game, especially when you start getting into the more difficult missions in Chapter 3 and 4 where Prefects are everywhere.
- Check Your Version: If you are playing the original PS2 version, the word list is identical to the Scholarship Edition and Anniversary Edition. This is one of the few parts of the game that never changed across ports.
If you hit the 100% mark, Jimmy will give a little smirk, Mr. Galloway will look slightly less depressed, and you’ll walk out of that room with the power to talk your way out of almost any trouble. It’s worth the five minutes of spelling "colts" and "cyst" over and over again. Now get back to the dorms before curfew.