All 2-Letter Scrabble Words: Complete List for 2026
Two-letter words are the secret weapon of every serious Scrabble player. They let you create parallel plays, squeeze into tight board spaces, and dump difficult tiles while scoring. This guide contains every valid 2-letter word in both the TWL (North American) and SOWPODS (International) dictionaries \u2014 complete with point values and strategic groupings.
107
TWL Words
127
SOWPODS Words
QI (11)
Highest Scoring
2–11
Points Range
Words Starting with Vowels
Vowel-starting 2-letter words are your bread and butter for parallel plays. They connect naturally to consonant-ending words already on the board.
A Words (16 in TWL)
AA, AB, AD, AE, AG, AH, AI, AL, AM, AN, AR, AS, AT, AW, AX, AY
E Words (10 in TWL)
ED, EF, EH, EL, EM, EN, ER, ES, ET, EX
I Words (5 in TWL)
ID, IF, IN, IS, IT
O Words (13 in TWL)
OD, OE, OF, OH, OI, OM, ON, OP, OR, OS, OW, OX, OY
Words Starting with Consonants
Consonant-starting 2-letter words help you play off vowel-heavy racks and create hooks on existing words. Many are less intuitive than vowel starters, making them valuable surprise plays.
High-Value Starts (6+ pts)
JO (9) · KA (6) · KI (6) · QI (11) · XI (9) · XU (9) · ZA (11) · BY (7) · MY (7) · HM (7)
Common Consonant Starts
BA, BE, BI, BO · DA, DE, DI, DO · FA, FE · GI, GO · HA, HE, HI, HO
M–N–P–R Starts
MA, ME, MI, MM, MO, MU · NA, NE, NO, NU · PA, PE, PI, PO · RE
S–T–U–W–Y Starts
SH, SI, SO · TA, TE, TI, TO · UH, UM, UN, UP, US, UT · WE, WI, WO · YA, YE
Complete TWL Word List with Scores
Here is every valid 2-letter word in the TWL (Tournament Word List), the standard for North American competitive play.
💡 Key Insight
Memorize these 107 words and you will have access to dozens of parallel play opportunities every game. Most casual players know fewer than 30 — giving you a massive edge.
| Word | Pts | Word | Pts | Word | Pts | Word | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AA | 2 | AB | 4 | AD | 3 | AE | 2 |
| AG | 3 | AH | 5 | AI | 2 | AL | 2 |
| AM | 4 | AN | 2 | AR | 2 | AS | 2 |
| AT | 2 | AW | 5 | AX | 9 | AY | 5 |
| BA | 4 | BE | 4 | BI | 4 | BO | 4 |
| BY | 7 | DA | 3 | DE | 3 | DI | 3 |
| DO | 3 | ED | 3 | EF | 5 | EH | 5 |
| EL | 2 | EM | 4 | EN | 2 | ER | 2 |
| ES | 2 | ET | 2 | EX | 9 | FA | 5 |
| FE | 5 | GI | 3 | GO | 3 | HA | 5 |
| HE | 5 | HI | 5 | HM | 7 | HO | 5 |
| ID | 3 | IF | 5 | IN | 2 | IS | 2 |
| IT | 2 | JO | 9 | KA | 6 | KI | 6 |
| LA | 2 | LI | 2 | LO | 2 | MA | 4 |
| ME | 4 | MI | 4 | MM | 6 | MO | 4 |
| MU | 4 | MY | 7 | NA | 2 | NE | 2 |
| NO | 2 | NU | 2 | OD | 3 | OE | 2 |
| OF | 5 | OH | 5 | OI | 2 | OM | 4 |
| ON | 2 | OP | 4 | OR | 2 | OS | 2 |
| OW | 5 | OX | 9 | OY | 5 | PA | 4 |
| PE | 4 | PI | 4 | PO | 4 | QI | 11 |
| RE | 2 | SH | 5 | SI | 2 | SO | 2 |
| TA | 2 | TE | 2 | TI | 2 | TO | 2 |
| UH | 5 | UM | 4 | UN | 2 | UP | 4 |
| US | 2 | UT | 2 | WE | 5 | WI | 5 |
| WO | 5 | XI | 9 | XU | 9 | YA | 5 |
| YE | 5 | ZA | 11 |
SOWPODS-Only Words (20 Additional)
If you play with the international Collins Scrabble Words dictionary (SOWPODS), you have access to 20 additional 2-letter words not found in the TWL. These are particularly useful in international tournaments.
20
Extra SOWPODS Words
ZO (11)
Highest Extra Word
SOWPODS-Only (A–G)
CH (7) · DA (3) · DI (3) · EA (2) · EE (2) · GI (3) · GU (3)
SOWPODS-Only (I–Z)
IO (2) · JA (9) · KO (6) · OB (4) · OK (6) · OU (2) · PO (4) · ST (2) · TE (2) · UG (3) · UR (2) · YU (5) · ZO (11)
Strategy: Using 2-Letter Words Effectively
Knowing the words is only half the battle. The real skill lies in applying them to create high-scoring plays. Here are the key techniques that separate beginners from advanced players.
Parallel plays: Place your word alongside an existing word so every adjacent pair forms a valid 2-letter word. A single parallel play can score 30–50 points by forming 3–4 words simultaneously.
Hook plays: Add a single letter to an existing word to create a new 2-letter word perpendicular to it. For example, adding a Q next to an I already on the board creates QI for 11 points plus whatever your main word scores.
Dump difficult tiles: Words like JO, KA, QI, XI, XU, and ZA let you offload high-value tiles that are otherwise hard to use. Playing QI is almost always better than holding the Q hoping for a longer word.
Premium square access: Short words let you reach premium squares that longer words cannot. A 2-letter word placed on a Triple Word Score still triples your total — and the perpendicular words formed count too.
Tight board control: In defensive games, 2-letter words let you score without opening up the board. Play parallel to existing words in cramped areas where your opponent cannot extend.
✓ Smart 2-Letter Use
Play QI on a DL/TL square for 22–33 points. Form parallel plays scoring 3+ words at once. Use ZA to dump the Z early and keep your rack flexible.
✗ Common Mistakes
Holding the Q for a long word (usually costs you points). Not knowing obscure 2-letter words and missing parallel opportunities. Playing 2-letter words that open Triple Word squares for opponents.
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