Two-Letter Words: The Full List and How to Use Them
By Unknot Words · Last updated
The two-letter words are the most useful thing a crossword board game player can learn. Our word list has 107 of them. They let you squeeze tiles into tight spaces, play alongside words already on the board and score in two directions at once. This guide lists every one, then breaks them into small groups that are easy to memorize.
Why two-letter words matter
Long words win games, but short words keep the board open for you. A two-letter word lets you play a single tile against an existing word, or lay a word parallel to another so that each pair of touching letters forms a valid two-letter word. Every one of those small words scores, which is how strong players turn an ordinary turn into 30 or 40 points.
The full list
| Starts with | Words |
|---|---|
| A | AA AB AD AE AG AH AI AL AM AN AR AS AT AW AX AY |
| B | BA BE BI BO BY |
| D | DA DE DO |
| E | ED EF EH EL EM EN ER ES ET EW EX |
| F | FA FE |
| G | GI GO |
| H | HA HE HI HM HO |
| I | ID IF IN IS IT |
| J | JO |
| K | KA KI |
| L | LA LI LO |
| M | MA ME MI MM MO MU MY |
| N | NA NE NO NU |
| O | OD OE OF OH OI OK OM ON OP OR OS OW OX OY |
| P | PA PE PI PO |
| Q | QI |
| R | RE |
| S | SH SI SO |
| T | TA TE TI TO |
| U | UH UM UN UP US UT |
| W | WE WO |
| X | XI XU |
| Y | YA YE YO |
| Z | ZA |
No two-letter words start with C or V, and C and V don't appear in any of them at all. If you are holding a C or V, a two-letter play is never an option.
Learn them in small groups
Trying to memorize 107 words at once rarely sticks. These groups are easier to learn because each one has a clear use in play.
The high scorers
QI and ZA are worth 11 points each at face value, and AX, EX, JO, OX, XI and XU are worth 9. Learn these first: they turn an awkward high-value tile into a strong play, especially on a premium square.
All vowels
AA, AE, AI, OE and OI are made only of vowels. They help when your rack is crowded with vowels and you need to play two of them without opening the board.
No vowels
HM, MM and SH contain no vowels at all, so they help with the opposite problem: a rack of consonants.
Surprising but valid
Some words look like abbreviations or sounds but are allowed: OK, EW, UH, UM, HM and MM. Others come from the names of letters and notes: EF, EL, EM, EN, ES, AR (letters), and DO, RE, MI, FA, LA and TI (notes of the scale).
A study routine that works
- Learn one starting letter a day. Most rows in the table have five words or fewer.
- Quiz yourself in reverse: for each letter, list the two-letter words that end with it. That is what you need when you want to play in front of a tile already on the board.
- After a game, check any two-letter word you weren't sure about in the word checker. It checks up to 20 words at once and shows each word's points.
For the bigger picture of how short words fit into hooks, parallel plays and bingos, read word game strategy basics. Words with Friends uses a different list, so a few of these words may not be accepted there.