Python list is not adding a singular word to the list [closed]

Question

(you can view the source here)

So I am running in to a issue.
Lets say I have a list named mylist.
When I add a word to the list, for example cat, it's not ['cat'] but instead ['c', 'a', 't']. And my code has a function where it wants to eliminate combinations its already tried, so you can see how this is a problem. Any help?

here is the code:

import os
from random import randrange
from colorama import *

def clear():
  os.system('clear')

realWords = []
fakeWords = []

letters = ['a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e', 'f', 'g', 'h', 'i', 'j', 'k', 'l', 'm', 'n', 'o', 'p', 'q', 'r', 's', 't', 'u', 'v', 'w', 'x', 'y', 'z']

words = []

sentence = ""

def testAWord():
    global fakeWords
    global realWords
    word = ""
    for i in range(randrange(10)):
        word += letters[randrange(len(letters))]
    
    for i in fakeWords:
        if word == i:
            print(Fore.RED + "Already in database: FAKE")
            break
    for i in realWords:
        if word == i:
            print(Fore.LIGHTBLUE_EX + "Already in database: REAL")
            break

    print(Fore.GREEN + "Lets test a word. Is "+ Fore.LIGHTGREEN_EX + word + Fore.GREEN +" a word?")
    isItAWord = input()
    
    if isItAWord == "y":
        realWords += str(word)
    elif isItAWord == "n":
        fakeWords += str(word)

    # if isItAWord == "m":
    #     sent = makeASentence()
    #     print(sent)
    if isItAWord == "v":
          print(Fore.GREEN + str(realWords))
          print(Fore.RED + str(fakeWords))
          input()
    clear()
  

    
while(True):
  testAWord()

Answer 1

Use the .append() function:

if isItAWord == "y":
    realWords.append(str(word))
elif isItAWord == "n":
    fakeWords.append(str(word))

This will add the full word into your list, as opposed to the individual characters.

Answer 2

realWords += str(word) is equivalent to realWords.extend(str(word)), which appends all elements from the iterable str(word) to the list one by one.

Example:

>>> realWords = []
>>> word = 'foo'
>>> realWords += str(word)
>>> realWords
['f', 'o', 'o']

What you want is realWords.append(str(word)). Same goes for the handling of fakeWords.

You can also omit str in str(word) if word is already a string (I didn't check).

Answer 3

You cannot add elements to an array by simply "+="ing your element to the array, instead you need to [array].append([element]).
.append(), appends the element to the end of the array.

So try changing:

if isItAWord == "y":
    realWords += str(word)
elif isItAWord == "n":
    fakeWords += str(word)

to:

if isItAWord == "y":
    realWords.append(str(word))
elif isItAWord == "n":
    fakeWords.append(str(word))