The 30 Best 2-Letter Words for Scrabble and Words With Friends
Two-letter words are the secret weapon of top Scrabble and Words With Friends players. Here are the 30 most powerful ones to memorize right now.
The 30 Best 2-Letter Words for Scrabble and Words With Friends
If there is one thing that separates good word game players from great ones, it is their knowledge of two-letter words.
Two-letter words are the most strategically flexible plays in Scrabble and Words With Friends. They allow you to play parallel to existing words — scoring two words simultaneously. They help you squeeze into crowded boards. They let you unload awkward high-value tiles without wasting them. And they open up or block access to premium squares.
Here are the 30 best two-letter words you should commit to memory.
ZA (11)
Za is informal slang for pizza, and it is fully valid in both Scrabble and Words With Friends.
“They ordered za for the whole office.”
Tip: The Z tile is worth 10 points on its own. ZA is one of the highest-scoring 2-letter plays in the game.
QI (11)
Qi is the vital life energy in Chinese philosophy, also spelled chi.
“She spent an hour cultivating her qi.”
Tip: The only valid 2-letter Q word. The Q tile is worth 10 points, making QI enormous value for just two letters.
XI (9)
Xi is the fourteenth letter of the Greek alphabet.
“The fraternity was named after the letter xi.”
OX (9)
An ox is an adult bovine animal, particularly one trained as a draft animal.
“The farmer hitched the ox to the plow.”
AX (9)
An ax is a chopping tool with a heavy metal blade and a handle.
“He split the log cleanly with a single ax swing.”
Alternative spelling: Axe
XU (9)
Xu is a monetary unit of Vietnam, equal to one hundredth of a dong. It is valid in Scrabble.
“The old coins included xu denominations.”
EX (9)
Ex means a former partner or spouse, and also functions as a prefix meaning “out of” or “formerly.”
“She ran into her ex at the coffee shop.”
JO (9)
Jo is a Scottish word for sweetheart or darling.
“He called her his jo in the old Scots song.”
KA (7)
In ancient Egyptian belief, the ka was the spiritual double or life force of a person that survived after death.
“The tomb was built to protect the ka of the pharaoh.”
ZO (11)
A zo is a hybrid animal, the offspring of a yak and domestic cattle, found in Tibet and the Himalayas. Also spelled zho or dzo.
“The farmer kept a small herd of zo in the highland pasture.”
GI (5)
A gi is the traditional uniform worn in martial arts, such as judo or karate.
“He tied his gi belt before stepping onto the mat.”
HM (7)
Hm is an interjection used to express thoughtful consideration or mild doubt.
“Hm, I hadn’t considered that possibility.”
MM (6)
Mm is an interjection expressing agreement, satisfaction, or pleasure.
“Mm, that soup smells wonderful.”
SH (5)
Sh is an interjection used to urge silence, identical in meaning to “shh.”
“She put her finger to her lips and said sh.”
BO (4)
Bo is an informal term for a friend or pal, used primarily in South African English.
“He greeted his old bo with a handshake.”
OP (4)
Op is short for operation, and is valid in Scrabble and Words With Friends.
“The surgical op lasted three hours.”
KI (7)
Ki is an alternative spelling of qi, referring to the life energy concept in Japanese culture (known as ki in martial arts).
“He channeled his ki before the sparring match.”
AA (2)
Aa is a type of rough, jagged lava with a spiny surface, as opposed to smooth pahoehoe lava.
“The hikers struggled across the field of aa.”
OE (2)
An oe is a grandchild in Scottish dialect. Also acceptable in Scrabble.
“The farmer doted on his youngest oe.”
AE (2)
Ae is a Scottish word meaning one.
“Just ae biscuit remained on the plate.”
AI (2)
An ai is a three-toed sloth found in South America.
“The ai hung motionless from the jungle canopy.”
OI (2)
Oi is a British interjection used to attract attention or express surprise.
“Oi, you dropped your keys!”
EM (4)
An em is a typographic unit of measurement equal to the height of a capital M in a given font. Also used as the name of the letter M.
“The designer set the margin at two ems.”
EN (2)
An en is a typographic unit half the width of an em, and also the name of the letter N.
“She used an en dash between the two dates.”
ET (2)
Et is an archaic or dialectal past tense of “eat,” valid in Scrabble.
“He et his dinner quickly and left the table.”
RE (2)
Re is a musical note (the second note of the major scale), and also a preposition meaning regarding or about, used in formal correspondence.
“Re your email: yes, I’ll attend the meeting.”
ID (3)
Id is the part of the mind in Freudian psychology that represents primal instincts and drives.
“His id demanded immediate gratification.”
GO (3)
Go means to move or travel. It is also a traditional Asian board game of immense strategic depth.
“Shall we go to the market before noon?”
UP (4)
Up means toward a higher place or position, and can be used as a verb meaning to increase.
“They plan to up the price next quarter.”
HI (5)
Hi is an informal greeting.
“Hi, it’s been a long time!”
Bonus: Two-Letter Words by Tile Value
| Word | Points | Tile Highlight |
|---|---|---|
| ZA | 11 | Z = 10 pts |
| QI | 11 | Q = 10 pts |
| ZO | 11 | Z = 10 pts |
| AX | 9 | X = 8 pts |
| OX | 9 | X = 8 pts |
| EX | 9 | X = 8 pts |
| XI | 9 | X = 8 pts |
| XU | 9 | X = 8 pts |
| JO | 9 | J = 8 pts |
| KA | 7 | K = 5 pts |
See Also
- 25 best 3-letter words for Scrabble
- Words with Q but no U
- How to unscramble letters fast
- Free word unscrambler tool
Published June 2024 | Word Games Guide