Scrabble Reference
Two-Letter Words
Every valid 2-letter word approved for Scrabble (NWL/TWL) and Words With Friends, complete with definitions, Scrabble point values, and strategic context. Memorizing this list is the single highest-ROI move any Scrabble player can make.
🏆 Highest-Scoring 2-Letter Words
Complete Alphabetical List
— A —
rough, cindery lava
an abdominal muscle
an advertisement
one (Scottish)
silver (chemistry symbol)
exclamation of delight
a three-toed sloth
an East Indian tree
first person singular present of be
indefinite article
the letter R
to the same degree
in the position of
exclamation of protest
a chopping tool
yes; an affirmative vote
— B —
the eternal soul (Egyptian)
to exist
bisexual
a pal; a hobo
near; through the agency of
— D —
a Burmese knife; father (slang)
of; from (prefix)
the first tone of the musical scale
— E —
education (informal)
the letter F
exclamation requesting repetition
elevated railway
printer's unit of width
half an em (printing)
hesitation sound
the letter S
past tense of eat (dialectal)
exclamation of disgust
former spouse or partner
— F —
fourth tone of the musical scale
a Hebrew letter
variant of phi
— G —
to move or travel
a type of violin (Shetland)
— H —
exclamation of triumph or surprise
third person singular masculine pronoun
a greeting
sound of hesitation
exclamation of discovery
— I —
the instinctual part of the psyche
a condition or supposition
within; inside
third person singular of be
third person singular neuter pronoun
— J —
a sweetheart (Scottish)
— K —
the spiritual double (Egyptian)
variant of chi; the vital energy
— L —
sixth tone of the musical scale
a Chinese unit of distance
look! behold!
— M —
mother
first person objective pronoun
third tone of the musical scale
sound expressing agreement
a moment (informal)
twelfth letter of the Greek alphabet
belonging to me
— N —
no (Scottish/dialectal)
born as; also called
a negative reply
thirteenth letter of the Greek alphabet
— O —
an objection (informal)
to overdose
a whirlwind off the Faeroe Islands
belonging to; relating to
exclamation of surprise or pain
exclamation calling attention
acceptable; to approve
a sacred Hindu mantra
in contact with a surface
a surgical operation (informal)
a conjunction; gold in heraldry
a bone; an estuary
exclamation of pain
an adult castrated bull
exclamation of dismay (Yiddish)
— P —
father (informal)
seventeenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet
sixteenth letter of the Greek alphabet; 3.14159…
a chamber pot (British informal)
— Q —
the vital life force (Chinese philosophy)
— R —
second tone of the musical scale; regarding
— S —
hush! be quiet!
variant spelling of ti (music)
fifth tone of the musical scale; therefore
— T —
thank you (British informal)
variant spelling of ti (music)
seventh tone of the musical scale
in the direction of
— U —
to feel horror or loathing
sound of hesitation
hesitation sound
one (dialectal)
toward a higher position
the musical note do (old solmization)
— W —
first person plural pronoun
woe (archaic)
— X —
fourteenth letter of the Greek alphabet
a monetary unit of Vietnam
— Y —
you (informal)
you (archaic plural)
a call to attract attention
— Z —
pizza (slang)
a gender-neutral pronoun
a Himalayan hybrid cattle
How to Use 2-Letter Words in Scrabble
Parallel Plays
Place a word parallel to an existing word, creating multiple 2-letter words. Every 2-letter word formed counts toward your score.
Opening Up Tight Boards
2-letter words fit where longer words can't. On a crowded board, QI or ZA can score 11+ points in a single-tile gap.
Bingo Extensions
Hook an S, ED, or ER onto an existing word to enable your 7-letter bingo. 2-letter hooks are the key to finding bingo lanes.
Using Difficult Letters
Q, X, Z, and J are hard to place but score big. QI (11pts), XI (9pts), ZA (11pts), and JO (9pts) let you unload high-value tiles fast.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many 2-letter words are valid in Scrabble?
There are 107 valid 2-letter words in the NWL (North American Word List) used in tournament Scrabble. The Collins Scrabble Words (international) list contains even more. Memorizing all of them is the single biggest competitive upgrade a Scrabble player can make.
What is the highest-scoring 2-letter Scrabble word?
QI scores 11 points (Q=10, I=1) making it the highest-scoring valid 2-letter Scrabble word. OX scores 9 points (O=1, X=8). XI and XU both score 9 points as well. These are essential to memorize for high-scoring plays.
Why should I memorize 2-letter Scrabble words?
Two-letter words let you place tiles on cramped boards where longer words don't fit. They also allow parallel plays — placing a word alongside an existing word to create multiple smaller words simultaneously, dramatically increasing your score.