Scrabble Word Lists

Essential words every Scrabble player should know

Building your Scrabble vocabulary is one of the fastest ways to improve your game. Below are curated word lists organized by category. These are all valid in the official Scrabble dictionary used by Scrabble Helper.

All Valid Two-Letter Words

Two-letter words are the foundation of advanced Scrabble play. They let you make parallel plays, fit words into tight spaces, and score points on multiple words in a single turn. There are over 100 valid two-letter words. Here are the most important ones grouped by usefulness:

High-Value Two-Letter Words (8+ points)

These use premium tiles and score well even without bonus squares:

QI 11 ZA 11 JO 9 XI 9 XU 9 AX 9 EX 9 OX 9 KA 6 KI 6

Common Two-Letter Words

These come up constantly in play and are essential to know:

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 BA 4 BE 4 BI 4 BO 4 BY 7 DA 3 DE 3 DO 3 ED 3 EF 5 EH 5 EL 2 EM 4 EN 2 ER 2 ES 2 ET 2 FA 5 GO 3 HA 5 HE 5 HI 5 HO 5 ID 3 IF 5 IN 2 IS 2 IT 2 LA 2 LI 2 LO 2 MA 4 ME 4 MI 4 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 PA 4 PE 4 PI 4 RE 2 SH 5 SI 2 SO 2 TA 2 TI 2 TO 2 UH 5 UM 4 UN 2 UP 4 US 2 UT 2 WE 5 WO 5 YA 5 YE 5

Q-Without-U Words

One of the trickiest situations in Scrabble is holding a Q with no U. These words will rescue you. Memorize at least the short ones — they come up more often than you think.

Word	Points	Definition
QI	11	Life force in Chinese philosophy
QAT	12	A plant chewed as a stimulant
QOPH	18	A Hebrew letter
QADI	14	An Islamic judge
QAID	14	A Muslim judge
QANAT	14	An irrigation tunnel
QINTAR	15	Albanian monetary unit
QINDAR	16	Variant of qintar
QWERTY	21	Standard keyboard layout
QINTARS	16	Plural of qintar
QINDARS	17	Plural of qindar
QAIDS	15	Plural of qaid
QADIS	15	Plural of qadi
QANATS	15	Plural of qanat
QATS	13	Plural of qat
QOPHS	19	Plural of qoph

High-Scoring Three-Letter Words

Short words with premium letters can score big, especially on bonus squares. These three-letter words use J, Q, X, or Z tiles:

Word	Points	Definition
ZAX	19	A tool for cutting roofing slates
ZEK	16	A prisoner in a Soviet labor camp
ZAP	14	To destroy or strike suddenly
ZIT	12	A pimple
ZAG	13	To turn sharply
JAB	12	A quick punch
JAW	13	The bone structure of the mouth
JAY	13	A type of bird
JOY	13	Happiness or delight
JOT	10	To write briefly
WAX	13	A substance used for sealing
VOX	13	Voice or sound
FOX	13	A cunning animal
HEX	13	A curse or spell
FEZ	15	A type of hat
FIZ	15	To make a hissing sound

Useful J Words

J is worth 8 points and can be hard to place. These words give you options:

JO 9 JAB 12 JAG 11 JAM 12 JAR 10 JAW 13 JAY 13 JET 10 JIG 11 JIN 10 JOB 12 JOE 10 JOG 11 JOT 10 JOY 13 JUG 11 JUS 10 JUT 10

Useful X Words

X is worth 8 points. These words help you place it effectively:

AX 9 EX 9 OX 9 XI 9 XU 9 BOX 12 COX 12 FAX 13 FIX 13 FOX 13 GOX 11 HEX 13 LEX 10 LUX 10 MAX 12 MIX 12 NIX 10 PIX 12 POX 12 RAX 10 REX 10 SAX 10 SEX 10 SIX 10 SOX 10 TAX 10 TUX 10 VEX 13 VOX 13 WAX 13 ZAX 19

Useful Z Words

Z is worth 10 points — the highest-value standard tile. These words let you cash in:

ZA 11 ZAG 13 ZAP 14 ZAX 19 ZED 13 ZEE 12 ZEK 16 ZEN 12 ZEP 14 ZIG 13 ZIN 12 ZIP 14 ZIT 12 ZOA 12 ZOO 12 ADZ 13 AZO 12 BIZ 14 COZ 14 CUZ 14 FEZ 15 FIZ 15 WIZ 15

Common Seven-Letter Bingo Words

Using all 7 tiles in one turn earns a 50-point bonus (called a "bingo"). These are some of the most common bingo words to watch for:

Word	Base Points	Letters
SATIRES	57	Common E, R, S, T combo
RETAINS	57	Same letters as NASTIER, ANTSIER
STEARIN	57	A solid form of stearic acid
NASTIER	57	More unpleasant
ANTSIER	57	More restless
LATRINES	57	A communal toilet
ENTRIES	57	Items entered or recorded
NASTIER	57	More nasty
SALTIER	57	Having more salt
REALIST	57	A practical person
DETAILS	58	Specific information
DILATES	58	Expands or widens
ISOLATE	57	To set apart from others
NEUTRAL	57	Not taking sides
ROUTINE	57	A regular course of action
OUTSIDE	58	The external part

The key to bingo words is having the right mix of common letters. Tiles like E, R, S, T, A, I, N, L, O are the most productive. If you draw a rack full of these, start looking for 7-letter plays right away.

Practice With Scrabble Helper

The best way to learn these words is to see them in context on a board. Use Scrabble Helper to set up board positions and practice finding plays with these words. The solver will show you placements you might have missed, helping you internalize patterns over time.

For more strategy advice, check out our Scrabble Tips & Strategy Guide.