2-Letter Words You Need to Know to Win at Scrabble & WWF

Why 2-Letter Words Matter

In Scrabble, Words With Friends (WWF), and other word games, 2-letter words are a game-changer. While they might seem insignificant at first glance, mastering them can unlock huge scoring opportunities, help control the board, and turn a losing position into a winning one.

Top players rely on 2-letter words for several key reasons:

1. Blocking Your Opponent’s Moves

If you place a short word in a key position, you can prevent your opponent from using premium squares. For example, if a Triple Word Score is open, playing EX or QI can seal off access while still earning a solid score.

2. Parallel Play: Doubling or Tripling Your Points

One of the most powerful ways to score big in Scrabble is by playing words parallel to existing ones, forming multiple words at once. If you're learning how to play Scrabble, mastering this technique can give you a serious edge. Suppose the word ABATEMENT is already on the board, spanning across horizontally. By playing RIGID just below it, you don’t just score for that word, you also create five additional words at the same time: AR, BI, AG, TI, and ED. This kind of play can skyrocket your score in a single move while making it harder for your opponent to find their own openings.

Example of Parallel Play, using 2-letter words, in Scrabble

3. Late-Game Strategy: Finding Playable Spots

At the end of the game, the board can be tight, and options are limited. A well-placed WE, JO, or XI might be the only way to squeeze in one last move—or even go out first and win the game.

4. Vowel Dumps: Balancing Your Rack

If you're stuck with too many vowels, 2-letter words offer an easy way to get rid of them. Words like AA, AE, AI, and OI can help clear your rack while keeping your options open for the next turn.

The Ultimate 2-Letter Word List for Scrabble and Words With Friends

The table below provides a comprehensive overview of all valid 2-letter words, showing which ones are allowed in different word lists (NWL2023, CSW2024, WWF), their point values, and game-specific applicability.

Word	SCRABBLE NWL2023	SCRABBLE CSW2024	SCRABBLE SCORE	WWF ENABLE	WWF SCORE
AA	YES	YES	2	YES	2
AB	YES	YES	4	YES	5
AD	YES	YES	3	YES	3
AE	YES	YES	2	YES	2
AG	YES	YES	3	YES	4
AH	YES	YES	5	YES	4
AI	YES	YES	2	YES	2
AL	YES	YES	2	YES	3
AM	YES	YES	4	YES	5
AN	YES	YES	2	YES	3
AR	YES	YES	2	YES	2
AS	YES	YES	2	YES	2
AT	YES	YES	2	YES	2
AW	YES	YES	5	YES	5
AX	YES	YES	9	YES	9
AY	YES	YES	5	YES	4
BA	YES	YES	4	YES	5
BE	YES	YES	4	YES	5
BI	YES	YES	4	YES	5
BO	YES	YES	4	YES	5
BY	YES	YES	7	YES	7
DA	YES	YES	3	YES	3
DE	YES	YES	3	YES	3
DO	YES	YES	3	YES	3
ED	YES	YES	3	YES	3
EF	YES	YES	5	YES	5
EH	YES	YES	5	YES	4
EL	YES	YES	2	YES	3
EM	YES	YES	4	YES	5
EN	YES	YES	2	YES	3
ER	YES	YES	2	YES	2
ES	YES	YES	2	YES	2
ET	YES	YES	2	YES	2
EW	YES	YES	5	YES	5
EX	YES	YES	9	YES	9
FA	YES	YES	5	YES	5
FE	YES	YES	5	YES	5
GI	YES	YES	3	YES	4
GO	YES	YES	3	YES	4
HA	YES	YES	5	YES	4
HE	YES	YES	5	YES	4
HI	YES	YES	5	YES	4
HM	YES	YES	7	YES	7
HO	YES	YES	5	YES	4
ID	YES	YES	3	YES	3
IF	YES	YES	5	YES	5
IN	YES	YES	2	YES	3
IS	YES	YES	2	YES	2
IT	YES	YES	2	YES	2
JO	YES	YES	9	YES	11
KA	YES	YES	6	YES	6
KI	YES	YES	6	YES	6
LA	YES	YES	2	YES	3
LI	YES	YES	2	YES	3
LO	YES	YES	2	YES	3
MA	YES	YES	4	YES	5
ME	YES	YES	4	YES	5
MI	YES	YES	4	YES	5
MM	YES	YES	6	YES	8
MO	YES	YES	4	YES	5
MU	YES	YES	4	YES	6
MY	YES	YES	7	YES	7
NA	YES	YES	2	YES	3
NE	YES	YES	2	YES	3
NO	YES	YES	2	YES	3
NU	YES	YES	2	YES	4
OD	YES	YES	3	YES	3
OE	YES	YES	2	YES	2
OF	YES	YES	5	YES	5
OH	YES	YES	5	YES	4
OI	YES	YES	2	YES	2
OK	YES	YES	6	YES	6
OM	YES	YES	4	YES	5
ON	YES	YES	2	YES	3
OP	YES	YES	4	YES	5
OR	YES	YES	2	YES	2
OS	YES	YES	2	YES	2
OW	YES	YES	5	YES	5
OX	YES	YES	9	YES	9
OY	YES	YES	5	YES	4
PA	YES	YES	4	YES	5
PE	YES	YES	4	YES	5
PI	YES	YES	4	YES	5
PO	YES	YES	4	YES	5
QI	YES	YES	11	YES	11
RE	YES	YES	2	YES	2
SH	YES	YES	5	YES	4
SI	YES	YES	2	YES	2
SO	YES	YES	2	YES	2
TA	YES	YES	2	YES	2
TE	YES	YES	2	YES	2
TI	YES	YES	2	YES	2
TO	YES	YES	2	YES	2
UH	YES	YES	5	YES	5
UM	YES	YES	4	YES	6
UN	YES	YES	2	YES	4
UP	YES	YES	4	YES	6
US	YES	YES	2	YES	3
UT	YES	YES	2	YES	3
WE	YES	YES	5	YES	5
WO	YES	YES	5	YES	5
XI	YES	YES	9	YES	9
XU	YES	YES	9	YES	10
YA	YES	YES	5	YES	4
YE	YES	YES	5	YES	4
YO	YES	YES	5	YES	4
ZA	YES	YES	11	YES	11
KO	NO	YES	6	NO	0
OU	NO	YES	2	YES	3
CH	NO	YES	7	NO	0
FY	NO	YES	8	NO	0
KY	NO	YES	9	NO	0
IO	NO	YES	2	YES	2
ST	NO	YES	2	NO	0
UR	NO	YES	2	NO	0
YU	NO	YES	5	NO	0
DI	NO	YES	3	NO	0
GU	NO	YES	3	NO	0
ZE	NO	YES	11	NO	0
EA	NO	YES	2	NO	0
JA	NO	YES	9	YES	11
NY	NO	YES	5	NO	0
OO	NO	YES	2	YES	2
ZO	NO	YES	11	NO	0
OB	NO	YES	4	NO	0
EE	NO	YES	2	YES	2
UG	NO	YES	3	NO	0
EO	NO	NO	0	YES	2
FI	NO	NO	0	YES	5
FU	NO	NO	0	YES	6
JE	NO	NO	0	YES	11
VU	NO	NO	0	YES	7
YI	NO	NO	0	YES	4

Understanding the Differences in 2-Letter Word Lists

As we can see above, not all dictionaries include the same words, and small differences can significantly impact gameplay. Whether you're using a Scrabble word finder, a Words With Friends word finder, or an anagram solver, knowing which words are valid in each dictionary is key to maximizing your score.

Here’s why some words are missing from certain dictionaries:

1. The Scope of Different Dictionaries

NWL (North American Scrabble Dictionary, 2023): This is the official Scrabble word list used in tournaments in the U.S. and Canada. It contains 107 two-letter words.
CSW (Collins Scrabble Words, 2024): Used in international Scrabble play, it has a broader vocabulary and includes 127 two-letter words— 20 more than NWL.
WWF ENABLE (Words With Friends Dictionary): This word list is similar to Scrabble but differs in some places, including 118 two-letter words.

2. Words in CSW but Not NWL

The 20 extra words in CSW (not found in NWL) largely reflect regional variations, archaic words, and abbreviations that aren’t commonly accepted in North American Scrabble. Examples include:

Loanwords from other languages: KO (Japanese), JA (Afrikaans for “yes”), OU (Scottish dialect word for “wool”).
Obsolete or rare words: FY (an exclamation of disgust), UR (an interjection).
Variant spellings and dialect words: DI (Scottish word for “do”), NY (Scots for “nigh”).

These words are more likely to appear in British and international Scrabble due to the broader linguistic scope of CSW.

3. WWF: A Mix of NWL and CSW, with Unique Additions

Words With Friends generally includes all 107 words from NWL but allows 11 extra words not in Scrabble at all. These words include:

Scientific or technical terms: EO (a chemical element prefix), VU (a unit of loudness).
Shortened forms of words: FI (a musical note), FU (slang for kung fu).
Possible typos or inconsistencies: Some words like JE and YI appear to be accepted in WWF, despite not being recognized in Scrabble word lists.

On the other hand, WWF doesn’t allow some words that are valid in CSW, including KY, FY, GU, and ZE. This means WWF sits somewhere between NWL and CSW but also has its own unique quirks.

4. Why the Differences Exist

The discrepancies between word lists come down to several factors:

Tournament vs. casual play: NWL is stricter, focusing on competitive fairness, while CSW allows a wider range of words.
Cultural and regional variations: Some words are more common in British or Scottish English, which influences CSW.
Game design philosophy: WWF has its own editorial decisions, occasionally accepting words that don’t appear in any Scrabble list.

Here are downloadable PDFs for all 2-letter words across different word lists:

📄 Complete 2-Letter Words List (All Dictionaries) – A comprehensive list covering NWL2023, CSW2024, and WWF ENABLE.
📄 NWL2023 2-Letter Words (North American Scrabble) – The official tournament list for Scrabble in North America.
📄 CSW2024 2-Letter Words (International Scrabble) – The extended word list used in international Scrabble play.
📄 WWF ENABLE 2-Letter Words (Words With Friends) – The list of valid two-letter words in WWF, including words not found in Scrabble.

Knowing how to play Words With Friends effectively relies heavily on mastering 2-letter words. Understanding which words are valid and where to place them—whether using the NWL, CSW, or WWF dictionary—can give you a serious edge in the game.

But even experienced players make mistakes. Here are some common pitfalls to watch out for:

❌ Assuming all 2-letter words are universal—WWF, CSW, and NWL each have unique words!
❌ Thinking ZE is valid in NWL or WWF (it’s only allowed in CSW).
❌ Forgetting that QI and ZA are high-scoring power plays.
❌ Missing plural opportunities ( EX → EXES, PE → PES), which can rack up extra points.

Want to memorize these words faster and recall them effortlessly during games? Check out our Learn 2-letter words tips and printable lists so you can play smarter and score higher!

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