Is XU a Scrabble Word? Yes! (Vietnamese Currency)
Yes, XU is a valid Scrabble word worth 9 points. XU is a Vietnamese monetary unit equal to one-hundredth of a dong. It is accepted in both TWL and SOWPODS dictionaries and completes the set of five 2-letter X words. While XU is the hardest of the five to play (U tiles are scarce), knowing it gives you one more option for dumping the X tile quickly.
XU
9 points · Vietnamese currency · One of 5 two-letter X words
XU is a monetary unit from Vietnam that gives Scrabble players a fifth option for deploying the X tile in just 2 letters. While U tiles are less common than I or A, XU often appears in spots where other X words cannot reach.
9
Points
Vietnamese
Currency Unit
1 of 5
2-Letter X Words
XU vs XI: When to Play Each
Both words score identically (9 points), so the choice comes down to board position and tile availability.
✓ Play XI When
An I tile is near a premium square. I appears 9 times in the bag and is almost always on the board. This is your default X play.
✓ Play XU When
A U tile is positioned near a better premium square than any available I. Also useful when I tiles are all blocked or already used in cross-words.
X Dumping Strategy
The X tile is worth 8 points in your hand but costs you 8 points at the end if unplayed. Here is the X dumping priority.
🧩 X Play Priority Order
Look for a longer X word (AXE, EXAM, TAXI, OXIDE) on premium squares — maximum points.
Play any 2-letter X word (XI, AX, EX, OX, XU) on a Triple Letter square — 25 points guaranteed.
Play any 2-letter X word on a Double Letter or Double Word square — 17-18 points.
Play any 2-letter X word without premium — 9 points is still better than holding X and risking the -8 penalty.
All 2-Letter X Words Ranked
All five score 9 points. Here they are ranked by how often you will realistically play them:
💡 Key Insight
Memorize all five 2-letter X words. In any game, you will always have at least one playable because between I, A, E, O, and U, the board will always have one of these vowels accessible. The X tile should never get stuck.
Premium Square Scoring
XU on premium squares delivers the same explosive returns as any 2-letter X word:
9
Base Score
17
X on DL
25
X on TL
18
XU on DW
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Open Word Finder →Building Your Word Arsenal
🧠 Memory & Recall
The goal is not memorising the entire dictionary. It is building a working vocabulary of 5,000-10,000 words that covers the most common game situations.
Start with recognition: Identify which words you already know. Focus study time on unfamiliar ones — particularly those with high point values or unusual letter combinations.
Learn hooks obsessively: A hook turns an existing board word into a new one (ABLE → TABLE). Knowing front and back hooks for common words creates plays from nothing.
Focus on 2-3 letter extensions: Learning that RAIN becomes TRAINS, BRAINS,RAINED gives you multiple plays from one root word. Extensions multiply your vocabulary exponentially.
Applying These Words in Real Games
🔄 The Study-Play Loop
Study feeds play. Play reveals gaps. Gaps guide study. This feedback loop is how every expert builds their word knowledge.
🧩 Building Game-Ready Recall
Take each word and mentally construct the rack you would need to play it
Visualise the word on a real board with specific premium square positioning
Ask yourself: which premium squares could it reach from likely board positions?
Time yourself: can you spot this word within 30 seconds of seeing the tiles?
📚 Sources & References
- • SOWPODS International Dictionary (267,751 words), Collins + TWL combined
- • Tournament Word List (TWL06), NASPA Word List Committee
- • Collins Scrabble Words (CSW), HarperCollins Publishers
- • Tile distribution & values per Hasbro official Scrabble rules
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