Two-letter words in Scrabble (Collins)

Collins Scrabble® Words, the list used in the UK and in international play, has 127 valid two-letter words. Learning them is the fastest way to raise your average score.

Why two-letter words matter

Two-letter words let you play alongside a word already on the board instead of only through it. Each tile you place can make a short cross-word, so a single move often scores two, three or four words at once. They also get rid of awkward letters when your rack will not make anything longer. See scoring cross-words for an example worth 50 points from one tile.

The full list, by first letter

Every letter starts at least one two-letter word except V. There is no two-letter word with a V anywhere in it, and CH is the only one with a C. Both catch a lot of players out.

A (16)

B (5)

C (1)

D (4)

E (13)

F (3)

G (3)

H (5)

I (6)

J (2)

K (4)

L (3)

M (7)

N (5)

O (17)

P (4)

Q (1)

R (1)

S (4)

T (4)

U (8)

W (2)

X (2)

Y (4)

Z (3)

The high scorers

These 11 words use a J, Q, X or Z. Put that letter on a premium square where it makes two words at once and the score adds up fast.

For longer words, see the J, Q, X and Z word lists.

All-vowel words

Too many vowels on your rack? These 10 words use only vowels:

What do the strange ones mean?

You do not need to know a meaning to play a word, but a few of these come up in every challenge.

AA: a type of rough, broken lava
CH: an old dialect form of “I”
EE: Scots for eye (plural EEN)
EW: an exclamation of disgust
FY: an old exclamation of disapproval, like “fie”
GU: a kind of violin once played in Shetland
JA: yes (South African)
JO: a sweetheart (Scots)
KA: a person's spirit, in ancient Egyptian belief
KY: cows (Scots)
NY: an old spelling of “nigh”
OU: a man or fellow (South African)
QI: life energy, in Chinese philosophy
ST: a sound used to call for silence
XI: a letter of the Greek alphabet
XU: a unit of Vietnamese money
YU: jade
ZA: informal for pizza
ZE: a gender-neutral pronoun
ZO: a cross between a yak and a cow, also spelt DZO and ZHO

Collins and the North American list

Players in the USA and Canada usually use a different, shorter word list, so some of the words above, such as CH, EE and ZO, are not valid there. If you play online or with friends from abroad, agree on the word list before you start.

Checked against the official Collins Scrabble Words list (127 two-letter words). Always use the edition your group has agreed for challenges.

Common questions

How many two-letter words are there in Scrabble?

Collins Scrabble Words, the list used in the UK and in international play, has 127 two-letter words. The North American list is shorter, so some words, such as CH and ZO, are not valid there.

Is QI a word in Scrabble?

Yes. QI is valid in both Collins and the North American list. It means life energy in Chinese philosophy, and it lets you play the Q without a U.

Which two-letter words have no vowels?

CH, HM, MM, SH and ST contain no vowel and no Y. BY, FY, KY, MY and NY use Y as their only vowel sound. All of them are valid in Collins.

Are OK and EW valid Scrabble words?

Yes, both are in Collins Scrabble Words, which is the list used in the UK.

Are there any two-letter words with a V?

No. There is no valid two-letter word with a V in it, and CH is the only one containing a C.

Which two-letter words score the most?

The Z and Q words are the highest at 11 points before premiums: ZA, ZE, ZO and QI. JA, JO, XI and XU score 9, as do AX, EX and OX. See the high scorers.

Last reviewed: October 2026.