To unscramble 'abbesses,' follow these steps: 1) List the letters: A, B, B, E, S, S, E, S. 2) Identify potential word patterns, such as the presence of double letters (e.g., 'ss'). 3) Consider common endings like '-es' or '-ess.' 4) Rearrange the letters to form smaller words first, such as 'bass,' 'base,' or 'sees.' 5) Gradually combine these smaller words to form larger ones. 6) Check each arrangement against a dictionary to ensure validity.