Word list
2-letter words for Scrabble
There are 124 two-letter words in our ENABLE-based list: the 96 in the original public ENABLE dictionary plus 28 additions from the NWL and Collins tournament lists (listed under the full list below). This is the list club players memorise first: parallel plays and tight endgames are built on these two-tile hooks. Tap a word to open it in the word unscrambler with the rest of your rack.
Worked example: type QI on the homepage. That is the only two-letter Q word — 11 points before board premiums, no U required. ZA does the same job for Z. Neither is in the original ENABLE list; both are valid in NWL and Collins, so we include them.
Learn these five first
Then the vowel dumps: aa, ae, ai, oe, oi, ou. OI is valid in NWL and Collins; OU is Collins only. Neither is in the original ENABLE list. Check which list your game uses: North American play uses NWL, UK and world play uses Collins.
All 124 two-letter words (ENABLE plus additions)
Not in the original ENABLE list (28 words). Valid in both NWL and Collins: DA, FE, GI, KI, OI, OK, PO, QI, TE, ZA. Collins only: CH, DI, EA, EE, FY, GU, IO, JA, KO, KY, NY, OB, OO, OU, ST, UG, UR, YU. If your game uses NWL (most North American play), skip the Collins-only words.
Type any of them into the Scrabble word finder with extra tiles to see hooks. Related: Q without U, J Q X Z words and 3-letter words.
How to memorise the list
Do not read 124 words in A–Z order. Group them the way they are played.
High-value dumps
QI and ZA get the Q and Z off your rack without a U. JO, XI and XU do the same for J and X. If you only learn five two-letter words this week, learn those.
The vowel dump
AA, AE, AI, OE, OI and OU clear a rack of vowels. AA is a Hawaiian lava word; AE is Scots “one”. ENABLE keeps both. They look fake until you need them.
Hooks on a single tile
Most two-letter words are a one-letter hook onto A, E, I, O or U (BA, BE, BI, BO; FA, FE, FY). Learn by the vowel, not the alphabet. Then run the Q-without-U list and the J, Q, X and Z list for the same job at three letters.
Open any word in the live unscrambler to add the rest of your rack.
FAQ
How many 2-letter words are there in Scrabble?
The original ENABLE list has 96. Our list has 124: those 96 plus 28 NWL and Collins additions (listed under the full list above). Official North American NWL (TWL) and UK/world Collins (CSW) lists are close, but not identical. Learn QI and ZA first — they dump the Q and Z.
Which two-letter words score the most?
QI and ZA are 11 points before board multipliers. JO is 9, XI and XU are 9. Vowels like AE, AI, OE are cheap but win endgames.
Is QI allowed in Scrabble?
Yes in modern NWL (TWL) and Collins lists, and in our list. It is not in the original ENABLE list. QI is the most-played two-letter word in tournament Scrabble because it dumps the Q without a U. Open QI in the unscrambler or the Q without U list for the rest.
How do I practise these with my rack?
Open the Scrabble word finder, type your seven tiles, then tap length 2. That shows only the two-letter plays hiding in that rack.