2 Letter Words: All 103 With Meanings and Scores

Updated: October 9, 2026Dictionary: ENABLE plus supplement, 172,830 words

103Two-letter words

5Without a vowel

7Using Q, X or Z

11Top tile score

Why two-letter words win games

Two-letter words are the most valuable vocabulary in Scrabble and Words With Friends, and it is not close. They are how you play parallel to a word already on the board, forming several short words in one move and scoring for each of them. They let you dump a high-value tile like X or Z onto a premium square in a cramped corner. And they rescue a rack that otherwise has nowhere to go.

The full list below has a short definition for every word. Many look odd at first (AA, OE, XU), but each is a real dictionary word, usually a borrowing, an interjection, a letter name or a musical note. Learning the meaning is the easiest way to remember them.

The highest-scoring two-letter words

qi₁₁za₁₁ax₉ex₉jo₉ox₉xi₉xu₉by₇hm₇

QI and ZA deserve special mention. QI is the most important word in the game for anyone holding a Q without a U. ZA lets you play the Z almost anywhere there is an A. Both were added to the North American list after ENABLE was compiled, so we include them as part of a small documented supplement.

Memory tricks

Group by type. Notes of the scale: DO, RE, MI, FA, SO, LA, TI, plus UT and SI. Greek letters: MU, NU, XI, PI. Hebrew letters: FE, PE. Letter names: AR, EF, EL, EM, EN, ES, EX.
Learn the interjections together. AH, AW, EH, ER, EW, HM, MM, OH, OI, OW, OY, SH, UH, UM.
Remember the vowel-free ones. BY, HM, MM, MY, SH.

Every two-letter word

Word	Meaning	Scrabble	WWF
AA	rough, cindery lava (Hawaiian)	2	2
AB	an abdominal muscle	4	5
AD	an advertisement	3	3
AE	one (Scots)	2	2
AG	agriculture	3	4
AH	expresses surprise or delight	5	4
AI	a three-toed sloth	2	2
AL	an East Indian tree	2	3
AM	form of be	4	5
AN	indefinite article	2	3
AR	the letter R	2	2
AS	to the same degree	2	2
AT	in, on or near	2	2
AW	expresses mild protest or sympathy	5	5
AX	a chopping tool	9	9
AY	yes, an affirmative vote	5	4
BA	the soul, in Egyptian mythology	4	5
BE	to exist	4	5
BI	a bisexual person	4	5
BO	a pal, a friend	4	5
BY	near, beside	7	7
DE	of or from (used in names)	3	3
DO	the first note of the musical scale	3	3
ED	education	3	3
EF	the letter F	5	5
EH	used to ask for agreement	5	4
EL	an elevated railroad; the letter L	2	3
EM	a printer's measure; the letter M	4	5
EN	a printer's measure; the letter N	2	3
ER	expresses hesitation	2	2
ES	the letter S	2	2
ET	a dialect past tense of eat	2	2
EW	expresses disgust	5	5
EX	a former spouse or partner; the letter X	9	9
FA	the fourth note of the scale	5	5
FE	a Hebrew letter	5	5
GO	to move along; also a board game	3	4
HA	expresses surprise	5	4
HE	male pronoun	5	4
HI	a greeting	5	4
HM	expresses thought or doubt	7	7
HO	calls attention	5	4
ID	the unconscious part of the psyche	3	3
IF	a condition or supposition	5	5
IN	inside	2	3
IS	form of be	2	2
IT	neuter pronoun	2	2
JO	a sweetheart (Scots)	9	11
KA	the spiritual self, in Egyptian religion	6	6
KI	variant of qi, the vital force	6	6
LA	the sixth note of the scale	2	3
LI	a Chinese unit of distance	2	3
LO	look, see	2	3
MA	mother	4	5
ME	objective form of I	4	5
MI	the third note of the scale	4	5
MM	expresses assent or pleasure	6	8
MO	a moment	4	5
MU	a Greek letter	4	6
MY	possessive of me	7	7
NA	no, not	2	3
NE	born with the name	2	3
NO	a negative reply	2	3
NU	a Greek letter	2	4
OD	a hypothetical natural force	3	3
OE	a whirlwind off the Faroe Islands	2	2
OF	coming from	5	5
OH	expresses surprise	5	4
OI	expresses dismay	2	2
OK	all right	6	6
OM	a mantra used in meditation	4	5
ON	atop	2	3
OP	a style of abstract art (op art)	4	5
OR	the heraldic color gold	2	2
OS	a bone; also a ridge of gravel	2	2
OW	expresses pain	5	5
OX	a bovine animal	9	9
OY	expresses dismay	5	4
PA	father	4	5
PE	a Hebrew letter	4	5
PI	a Greek letter	4	5
QI	the vital force in Chinese philosophy	11	11
RE	the second note of the scale	2	2
SH	urges silence	5	4
SI	ti, a note of the scale	2	2
SO	the fifth note of the scale	2	2
TA	thanks	2	2
TI	the seventh note of the scale	2	2
TO	in the direction of	2	2
UH	expresses hesitation	5	5
UM	expresses hesitation	4	6
UN	one (dialect)	2	4
UP	to raise	4	6
US	objective form of we	2	3
UT	the syllable once used for do	2	3
WE	plural pronoun	5	5
WO	woe	5	5
XI	a Greek letter	9	9
XU	a monetary unit of Vietnam	9	10
YA	you	5	4
YE	you	5	4
YO	used to call attention	5	4
ZA	pizza (slang)	11	11

Frequently asked questions

How many two-letter words are there?

Our dictionary contains 103. The official North American list and the Collins list used elsewhere differ slightly, and Collins has more (including words like ZO, CH and KY), so the exact number depends on which list your game uses.

What is the highest-scoring two-letter word?

By tile value, QI, ZA, AX are the top scorers at 11 points or close to it. On a triple letter square, QI or ZA can score 31 points on its own.

Are OK and EW valid?

Yes in current North American play: both were added to the official list in 2018. They are not in the original ENABLE dictionary, so we include them as part of a small documented supplement.

Are there two-letter words without vowels?

Yes: BY, HM, MM, MY, SH. They are invaluable when your rack is all consonants.

Why learn two-letter words?

They let you play parallel to existing words, scoring for several short words in one move. Strong players know every one of them.

All 103 two-letter words, explained

Why two-letter words win games

The highest-scoring two-letter words

Memory tricks

Every two-letter word

Frequently asked questions

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