The Spruce / Margot Cavin
When your Scrabble rack is filled with vowels, knowing these vowel-heavy words (two letters and three letters long) can help turn your fortune around.
To be included on this list, a two-letter or three-letter word had to be made up of all vowels. It’s a short list, but it can come in handy, especially near the end of the game. These words are also excellent to know when you are making multiple words on a play, as you can play them in a corner or when forming a word on top of another word.
Included is the definition in case your opponent challenges you on it, as well as further words you can build on the two-letter word. This can come in handy for future plays or inspire you in your current move.
Scrabble Words (Vowel-Heavy) 2 and 3 Letters
AA
Definition: lava having a rough surface.
- Extend words: AAS, AAH, AAHED, AAHING, AAHS, AAL, AALS, BAA, AALII, AALIIS, AARGH, AARRGH, AARRGHH, AARDVARK, AARDVARKS, AARDWOLF, AARDWOLVES, AASVOGEL, AASVOGELS
AE
Definition: one
- Extend words beginning with AE: AEON, AERO, AERY, ALAE, AECIA, AEDES, AEGIS, AEONS, AERIE, AECIAL, AECIUM, AEDILE, AEDINE, AENEUS, AEONIC, AERATE, AERIAL, AERIED, AERIER, AERIES, AERIFY, AERILY, AEROBE, AERUGO, AETHER
- Extend words ending with AE: BLAE, BRAE, FRAE, SPAE, THAE, TWAE, ALGAE, ANSAE, ANTAE, AQUAE, AREAE, AURAE, COMAE, COXAE, CYMAE, MINAE, MORAE, NOVAE, PARAE, PSOAE, PUPAE, RUGAE, SETAE, STOAE, TELAE, TOGAE, TUBAE, ULNAE, URSAE, VENAE, VITAE, ZOEAE. There are many more as AE is a common ending for many Latin-derived words, especially in medicine and science.
AI
Definition: three-toed sloth
- Extend words starting with AI (you can further lengthen many of these root words): AID, AIL, AIM, AIN, AIR, AIS, AIT, AIDE, AIRN, AIRT, AIRY, AIOLI, AIRTH, AISLE, AITCH, AIVER, AIDMAN, AIDMEN, AIGLET, AIGRET, AIKIDO, AIBLINS, AILERON, AINSELL. There are many compound words starting with AIR. You can add all of these words to air: man, men, bag, bus, way, boat, screw, head, hold, lift, line, mail, park, play, port, post, shed, ship, sick, time, ward, wave, etc.
- Extend words ending in AI: QUAI, UNAI, ASSAI, KORAI, LANAI, LITAI, PSOAI, SERAI, STOAI, TERAI, AGAPAI, BANZAI, BONSAI, CENTAI, HERMAI, MOIRAI, NILGAI, PETSAI, STELAI, ZAIKAI.
OE
Definition: a type of whirlwind
- Extend words starting with OE: OES, OEDEMA, OEUVRE, OEDIPAL, OENOMEL, OERSTED, OESTRIN, OESTRUM, OESTRUS
- Extend words ending with OE: DOE, FOE, HOE, JOE, ROE, TOE, VOE, ALOE, FLOE, FROE, OBOE, SHOE, SLOE, CANOE, MAHOE, PEKOE, THROE
EAU
Definition: water
- Extend word starting with EAU: EAUX
- Extend words ending with EAU: BATEAU, BUREAU, COTEAU, GATEAU, RESEAU, BANDEAU, BATTEAU, CHAPEAU, CHATEAU, COUTEAU, JAMBEAU, MANTEAU, MORCEAU, NOUVEAU, PLATEAU, RONDEAU, ROULEAU, TABLEAU, TONNEAU, TRUMEAU
Scrabble Strategy
You might also want to explore more Scrabble word lists and learn legal two-letter words and words with a Q but no U.
These words are legal according to the Official Scrabble Players Dictionary, 4th Edition and verified with the Hasbro official Scrabble dictionary online in November 2016. They may not be legal if you use a different dictionary. The word list used in tournament games in the United States is known as the Official Tournament and Club Word List, created by the National Scrabble Association.
This section offers a discussion of various two and three letter Scrabble words and includes a full list of these words and their plural forms.
Each player in a game of Scrabble will have varying level of commitment. New players may enjoy a simple game every holiday or at family gatherings, while others may play serious and competitive games. There are also those that compete in tournaments held all over the world, so each player is totally different.
The very first step to move from a friendly and simple game to a competitive game is to learn a list of short words that can be easily placed on the board. Two and three letter words are the key to helping any player improve when they play Scrabble. By learning and memorising some of the shortest words in the languages, players will have better chances at scoring points when others would pass.
Short Word Strategies
Short words do not always mean low points. There are some situations where these words can result in some impressive scores. They are also useful towards the end of the game where not many spaces are left open on the board. Short words will also allow a player to play defensively, where they can score a few points without providing other players with an opportunity to score high points.
There are number of times when three letter words are important in the game of Scrabble. Here are some strategies where a two or three letter word will benefit any player.
Parallel Plays
This occurs when a player can play a two letter word along the length of an already placed word, resulting in the scoring of multiple words.
Playing on a Blocked Board
Many opponents will play defensive Scrabble and there may not be many openings on the board to place a long word. Knowing various two letter words will allow something to be squeezed in where players may not have thought a word could be played. It is possible to get in a two letter word on a multiplying square to collect more points and play defensively at the same time.
2-Letter Words
Two letter words may not seem important, but they are the key to being a successful Scrabble player. There are more than 125 two letter words in the English language and when these are memorised, players will enjoy the game on a different level. Most of the mentioned two letter words here can be found in any Scrabble dictionary.
Two-Letter A-Words
AA, AB, AD, AE, AG, AH, AI, AL, AM, AN, AR, AS, AT, AW, AX, AY
Two-Letter E-Words
EA, ED, EE, EF, EH, EL, EM, EL, EM, EN, ER, ES, ET, EX
Two-Letter I-Words
ID, IF, IN, IO, IS, IT
Two-Letter O-Words
OB, OD, OE, OF, OH, OI, OM, ON, OO, OP, OR, OS, OU, OW, OX, OY
Two-Letter U-Words
UG, UH, UM, UN, UP, UR, US, UT
Two-Letter Words Starting In Consonants
BA, BI, BO, BY, DI, DO, FA, FE, GI, GO, GU, HA, HI, HO, JO, KA, KI, KO, LA, LI, MU, NA, NE, NU, PA, PE, PI, PO,
QI, RE, SI, TA, TE, TI, TO, WO, XI, XU, YA, YO, YU, ZO
Two-Letter Words Removed After OSPD 3
DA, DE
Two-Letter Words Without Vowels
CH, FY, HM, MM, SH, ST, KY, NY, PH
There are cases where players will not have any vowels in their rack, or just a few. This is most common at the end of the game. Luckily, there are some two letter words that do not use any vowel at all, which can allow players to place a word and not have to pass or turn in letters.
High Point Value 2-Letter Words
The following eight words use some of the higher point tiles in the game, so these are important to learn. With these, you can get out of some tight situations and collect decent points at the same time.
JO, KA, KI, QI, EX, XI, XU, ZA
Five of these words can be made plural with an «S».
KAS, KIS, QIS, XIS, ZAS
Three-Letter Words
About 2/3rds of the two-letter words on this page have a plural form. Here is a list of those words.
Three-Letter Plural Words
The three letter words that are provided here are mostly plural forms of the two letter words already discussed. In some cases, these words can mean something completely different, such as when placing an S on an already placed AS.
AAS, ABS, ADS, AGS, AHS, AIS, ALS, ARS, ASS, AYS, BAS, BES, BIS, BOS, BYS, DOS, EDS, EFS, ELS, EMS, ENS, ERS, ESS, FAS, FES, GOS, HAS, HES, HIS, IDS, IFS, INS, ITS, KAS, KIS, LAS, LIS, MAS, MIS, MOS, MUS, NOS, NUS, ODS, OES, OHS, OMS, ONS, OPS, ORS, PAS, PES, PIS, QIS, RES, SIS, SOS, TAS, TIS, UNS, UPS, UTS, WOS, XIS, YES, ZAS
There is a larger list of three-letter words that I will add on a separate page for the complete three-letter words list.
Scrabble Word Finder is a helpful tool for Scrabble® players — both on a traditional board and Scrabble Go fans. By entering your letter tiles in the search box, Scrabble Word Finder finds the best cheats and high scoring words instantly. The advanced options are intuitive, and easy to use, for seasoned pros and newcomers alike.
Ultimate Scrabble Word-Finder and Game Guide
“What words can I make with these letters?” This is the constant question when trying to win Scrabble. A word cheat tool is a handy thing that can help you unscramble letters to make words. With letters on your tray that are hard to use, like X, Z, Q, or nothing but vowels, it can be almost impossible to figure something out without a Scrabble word-finder cheat! Of course, “Scrabble cheat” may be the wrong way to think about it; it’s more like Scrabble word-search help. This powerful tool allows you to train your brain, build your vocabulary muscles, become a master Scrabble anagram solver, impress friends, strike fear into the hearts of your enemies, AND, naturally, learn some new words. Use our free Scrabble solver with blank tiles or question marks to unscramble words, cheat with permission, or just become better at the game!
Besides our ultimate word unscrambler tool, we also have some other helpful tips and tricks to help you win Scrabble®. Word-help searches for common problems like “two-letter scrabble words” and “words that start with Q” are listed here, and we’re also going to go into some Scrabble rules, a short history of the board game, some of the top strategies, and the best words for winning. We’ll answer any common questions you might have about the classic word game. Solver tools let you unscramble words, finder searches can help you solve specific problems, and all of our information can help you become the ultimate Scrabble champion!
50 Scrabble Words to Win With (Infographic)
You might already be an expert Scrabble word finder, sitting next to your Scrabble dictionary and looking up the definition whenever you come across a word you don’t know, but an essential piece of the game is something unrelated to your vocabulary: the strategy. You have to know the rules, so you don’t accidentally make a big mistake in Scrabble® — you don’t want to cheat or perform an illegal move. You also need to know some of the special tips for getting the most points possible! See a rundown in the next section.
A Short Timeline of the Scrabble Board Game
How, why, when, and where did Scrabble originate? Americans weren’t always obsessed with the question, “What do these letters spell?” A few people with ingenuity in New York in the 1930s and ’40s developed the game we now know and love. Here’s a brief Scrabble timeline:
- 1930s: During the Great Depression, when Scrabble was invented, an unemployed architect from Poughkeepsie, New York, named Alfred Mosher Butts begins designing the popular game, which he imagines as a combination of a board game, number game, and crossword puzzle. As urban legend has it, he chose the frequency of the game’s tiles and their values by counting up the letters on the front page of The New York Times. Funny enough, he reportedly did not like to spell.
- 1948: After selling the game as “Lexiko” and then as “Criss-Cross Words,” Butts hands the reins to a New Yorker named James Brunot to mass-produce the game. Brunot comes up with a new color scheme as well as the now-famous name “Scrabble.” The game is trademarked in this year.
Fun Fact: The word “scrabble” is a real word; it means “to scratch, claw, or grope about clumsily or frantically.” You can play the word scrabble in the game Scrabble if you have the right tiles!
- 1949:Brunot and his family rent an abandoned schoolhouse in Dodgington, Connecticut, to hand-produce the game. They reportedly make 2,400 sets but lose $450.
- 1950s: Scrabble explodes in popularity when Jack Straus of Macy’s goes on vacation and discovers the game, deciding he wants to sell it in Macy’s stores.
- 1952: The game is licensed to and manufactured by the Selchow & Righter Company.
- 1953: Some of the rules, like parallel words and the effects of premium squares, are clarified.
- 1973: The first tournaments begin, unofficially at first.
- 1976: The rules are updated again to make clear who goes first, whether a player can pass their turn, and the final scoring.
- 1978: The first national tournament is held, the North American Invitational.
- 1984: Scrabble becomes a game show on NBC, running until 1990.
- 1986: Selchow & Righter is sold to COLECO Industries.
- 1989: COLECO Industries and its games are sold to today’s owner, Hasbro Inc.
- 1991: The World Scrabble Championship (WSC) officially begins.
- 1999: There is another major rule change, making clear some of the rules around challenges.
- 2003: The first National School Scrabble Championship takes place in Boston.
- 2004: The game is inducted in the National Toy Hall of Fame.
- 2009: The competing online game Words With Friends is released and is an overnight success.
The Basics of the Official Scrabble® Rules: How to Play
One might be surprised that the official Scrabble® rules are fairly sparse. But don’t be fooled: It’s deceptively complex, with special championship or tournament rules and many different examples of creative house rules. What are the Scrabble rules newbies need to know in order to play? Here are some of the absolute basics of how to play Scrabble:
- Which words are officially allowed? There is a sanctioned dictionary produced by Merriam-Webster: the official Scrabble dictionary, online or in print. You can also check the word against the official Hasbro Scrabble page. It’s recommended to officially decide on a game dictionary before the game begins.
- Which words are not allowed? Some types of words are not allowed, like foreign words that do not appear in official English-language dictionaries, abbreviations, suffixes, prefixes, hyphenated words, any word requiring an apostrophe, and proper nouns (or any word ordinarily requiring a capital letter).
- Which Scrabble letter is worth the most? Q and Z are both worth 10 points and are the highest-point letters in Scrabble. Here’s how the rest of the letters rank in terms of Scrabble points:
— 10 Points: Q, Z
— 8 Points: J, X
— 5 Points: K
— 4 Points: F, H, V, W, Y
— 3 Points: B, C, M, P
— 2 Points: D, G
— 1 Points: A, E, I, L, N, O, S, T, R, U - In Scrabble, can you make two words? Yes and no. When putting down new tiles, you must stick to placing tiles in one direction and stick to the row or column you started with. You can add letters both before and after an existing word in a single turn, but it must be going in the same direction to make a single word. But in Scrabble, can you add to a word and end up making more than one word? Yes, you can; the process is colloquially called “hooking” or “parallel words.” With parallel words, you might be able to complete and score points for several words, not just two. Basically, there are three main ways to form new words in Scrabble:
— You can add more letters to a word that’s already been placed on the board.
— You can place a word at a right angle, using one of the letters already on the board or adding a letter to an existing word.
— You can place a complete word parallel to a word already on the board, as long as the adjacent letters all form complete words. - In traditional Scrabble®, how many players can play? The traditional board game is for two to four players.
- In traditional Scrabble®, who goes first? After setting up the board and racks and deciding on a dictionary and any house rules, each player draws one tile from the pouch, and the player with the letter closest to “A” goes first; the second player is the one to that person’s left. Next, put the letters back into the pouch and mix them up. Then, each player draws seven letters to place on their rack. The first player needs to place a word on the board that crosses the square in the middle. That’s how Scrabble starts! Then, they should add up their score and draw tiles to replace the ones they played before the turn passes to the next player.
- How does the game end? There is sometimes confusion about how Scrabble ends. The game ends when all of the letters have been drawn and one of the players uses their last letter (or when all plays possible have been made). When Scrabble ends, players may double-check their scoring, paying attention to the bonuses on the grid itself, and then, they must subtract the values of their unplayed letters from their score. If a player ends the game with an empty rack, they should add the values of everyone else’s unplayed letters to their score. Then, the highest point total decides the winner of the game.
- When you’re playing Scrabble®, when you can’t go, what’s allowed? The official rules allow you to pass your turn and use it to exchange “all, some, or none” of the letters you have. This can slow down gameplay, so some people’s house rules allow the use of an online Scrabble word-maker tool like ours along with some sort of point penalty. (Players will definitely want to agree to this beforehand!) This may be a good idea to speed things along if you’re playing with young or new players who want to learn the game and have fun. For instance, if you’re a parent trying to expand your child’s vocabulary, using a free Scrabble word-builder and then going over what the word is and its definition might be a good idea!
- Could I be playing the game wrong? Firstly, obviously, it’s important to have fun, so if you’re all flustered, consider taking a short break. But one common mistake a lot of players make is not picking a Scrabble word dictionary to use at the beginning of the game. That makes challenges hard later! You might even want to allow it to be used as a reference throughout the same for someone who is new to Scrabble®. Cheat tools like a Scrabble word-checker should definitely not be used without the other players knowing about it, though. Often, casual players are fine with someone new using a Scrabble helper, but absolutely ask permission before looking for a hint: You want to be known as the one who wins, not the one who cheats! And lastly, make sure you understand the rules about parallels. If you make a horizontal word that makes sense but one of the vertical words isn’t a word, you can’t place it.
It’s important to point out that there are several special rules in Scrabble®; for instance, you can get a 50-point bonus if you use all seven of your tiles in one turn (called a “bingo”). You can also get extra points by using bonus squares on the board, including the coveted “triple-triple,” when you play a word covering two triple word score squares. The special squares are double letter (DL), triple letter (TL), double word (DW), and triple word (TW). Bluffing is also allowed; it’s OK to play a fake word if you can get away with it! But your opponents can challenge a word if they think it’s fake, and if you’re caught, you’ll face a penalty. (Maybe don’t risk it if they already have a Scrabble dictionary handy!)
The Highest-Scoring Scrabble Word (and Other Amazing Scrabble Moves)
What Is the Highest-Scoring Scrabble Word in History?
It’s “caziques,” which is a variant of “cacique,” meaning “a native Indian chief in areas dominated primarily by Spanish culture.” It’s also a type of bird. On their own, the letters add up to 28 points, which isn’t too shabby, but in 1982, Karl Khoshnaw landed his Q on the double letter score box, his word landed on a triple-triple, and he got a 50-point bingo bonus, resulting in a total of 392 points.
The game has been full of tricky moves like that; just check the official NASPA records. Here are some of the other best Scrabble words and moves played in the game’s history as well as the latest Scrabble champions!
Scrabble & Scrabble Go Tips and Tricks: Sneaky Strategies
As you can see from the highest-scoring Scrabble words, a huge vocabulary isn’t necessarily the secret to winning games. Being a master of placement is how to win at Scrabble. Can’t make a word? Chances are decent that you can pluralize one, add a suffix, or do something sneaky instead. Here are some other tips for winning Scrabble every time you play:
Tip #1: Aim to Get a Bingo
It’s 50 points; that’s nothing to sneeze at! You get a Scrabble bingo when you use all seven of the letters on your rack at once. Use our Scrabble word generator to practice figuring out seven-letter words and eight-letter words that will let you get rid of everything at once. This is a great reason to hang onto blank tiles as well.
Tip #2: Become a Master at “Hooking”
In Scrabble®, hooking is the practice of adding a letter to a word already on the board (usually an S) and then using that one letter to build a new word in the opposite direction. For example, you could add an “S” to the end of “hat” to create “hats” and then use the “S” to write out a whole new word, like “shield.” What’s important to remember is that once you pick a direction to drop letters in, you must keep to that same column or row.
Tip #3: Memorize High-Scoring Two-Letter Words for Parallel Words
Those semi-annoying words like aa, qi, xi, xu, ja, and ax are absolutely vital to your late-game performance, when there’s often less space available, especially if you’re planning on doing a parallel play. Parallels in Scrabble are sort of like the practice of hooking gone extreme: You can add a whole word parallel to another word, as long as the combination of letters line up to form words themselves. For example, if the word “zit” is on the board horizontally, you could add the word “at” horizontally underneath it, forming both “za” and “it” vertically. This practice can rake in a bunch of points later in the game!
Tip #4: Have Backup Words in Mind for Tough Situations
If you have a Q, the urge might be to hang onto it forever until you get a U, but it’s important to remember that all unplayed letters are counted against you in the end. A Q tile is worth 10 points, so that would take 10 points off of your score! Sometimes, you need to figure out what to do with a Q quick, and the same goes for Z, which is also worth 10 points. Use our word scramble finder tool to figure out words ahead of time so you’re prepared for tricky situations, like when you have a Q without a U.
Tip #5: Pay Close Attention to the Board Itself
Remember if you’re a Words With Friends fan that the board for Scrabble is very different! Things are arranged differently so you’ll need to develop a strategy. For instance, it’s really important to keep in mind that you can get a “triple-triple.” According to the rules, “If a word is formed that covers two premium word squares, the score is doubled and then re-doubled (4 times the letter count) or tripled and then re-tripled (9 times the letter count).” Combining that with a powerful letter like Z, Q, or J can result in a ton of points, especially if you happen to get a bingo at the same time!
Scrabble FAQs
Here are some more interesting facts about one of America’s favorite board games.
Who Manufactures Scrabble?
Hasbro Inc. manufactures it within the U.S. and Canada, and Mattel manufactures it abroad.
Who Decides Scrabble Words?
Two main word lists exist: the Official Tournament and Club Word List (aka OWL or TWL) for players within North America and Collins Scrabble Words (aka CSW or SOWPODS) for players outside of the U.S. and Canada. There are some small differences. It may be odd, but this is a surprisingly political question, with some offensive words being removed from the OWL and a great deal of stress being caused by new versions.
The OWL is typically based on the Merriam-Webster dictionary, and the CSW is based on the Collins dictionary.
At the end of the day, though, who decides Scrabble words is you, the player: In the rules, it states that players should collectively decide at the start of the game which dictionary they’ll be checking during challenges. If you as a group, prefer the Oxford dictionary, for instance, you simply need to agree beforehand.
How Many Tiles in Scrabble Are There?
There are 100 total tiles in a game of Scrabble. If you feel like you’re missing some, feel free to count them up — there should be 98 letters and two blank tiles.
Here’s how many tiles there are for each letter in Scrabble:
- 12 tiles: E
- 9 tiles: A, I
- 8 tiles: O
- 6 tiles: N, R, T
- 4 tiles: D, L, S, U
- 3 tiles: G
- 2 tiles: B, C, F, H, M, P, V, W, Y, Blanks
- 1 tile: J, K, Q, X, Z
If a few have come up missing, you can often find replacement tiles online on sites like Etsy or Amazon. Also, you can use this list to make your own DIY Scrabble board, like this hardwood version or this magnetic board.
Can You Play Online? What is Scrabble Go?
One of the most popular apps for playing a Scrabble-like game is Words With Friends produced by Zynga, though there are differences between Words With Friends and traditional Scrabble. (For example, there’s no 50-point bonus in Words With Friends, and the board layout is different.) Some prefer the official Scrabble app produced by Scopely. There is also an official Facebook version of the game.
Why Is Scrabble Good for Your Brain?
Incredibly, the effects of playing Scrabble have been studied a great deal. Researchers have found that expert Scrabble players use different parts of their brains than non-experts, relying more on visual perception, and scientists hope that these discoveries mean that a fun word game like this one can be helpful to people with neurological degenerative conditions like Alzheimer’s disease. Scrabble® is also praised as a fun word game for kids looking to work on their vocabulary and spelling, increase game skills, and practice thinking critically. But engaging people and bringing them together in a friendly and competitive way is why Scrabble® is important to us.
Win Every Game with the ultimate selection of word lists for the Scrabble to help you master the game! These word lists could also be used as a Words with Friends helper, or for games like Lexulous, Annagrammer, Wordscraper, Scrabulous, and Jumble words.
-
Word Game solvers
- Anagram Solver — An awesome anagram solver.
- Scrabble Help A concise help Scrabble tool to find all the words that can be made from your letters.
- Text Twist — A Text Twist Unscramble tool, helps you cheat at Text Twist!
- Hangman Solver -A hangman solver.
- Jumble Solver — A solver for Jumble words and puzzles.
- Word Unscrambler — Unscramble words. If you find yourself with scrambled words, this will unscramble them!.
-
Words by Length
- 2 Letter Words — All the two letter words for Scrabble, and high-scoring options
- 3 Letter Words — Three Letter Words for Scrabble
- 4 Letter Words — Four Letter words for Words with Friends
- 5 Letter Words — Five Letter Words
- 6 Letter Words — Six Letter Words
- 7 Letter Words — Seven Letter Words
- 8 Letter Words — Eight Letter Words
-
Words starting with, ending with, or containing different letters
- Words that start with…
- Words that end with…
- Words that contain…
-
Words from different letters of the Alphabet
- Q Scrabble Words — All 5, 4, 3, and 2 letter Q words as well as Q scrabble words that don’t require the letter U
- X Words — All Scrabble X words
- Z Words — A list of all the Words with Z, and some high-scoring two letter options
- I Words — Words starting with I
- U Words — Words beginning with U
- Y Words — Scrabble Y Words
- Words with J — A list of all Scrabble J Words
- Words that start with J
- Words that start with Q — Words that start with Q in Scrabble
- Words that start with X — All valid words that start with X
- Words that start with Z — Words Starting with Z
- Words with X and Z — Words containing both X and Z
-
Words ending with useful word endings
- Ing Words — words ending with ‘ING’
-
Words with Vowels or Consonants Only
- Vowel Words for Scrabble — Words you can make with only vowels, very useful!
- Consonant Words for Scrabble — Words you can make using only consonants, very useful!
-
Printable Scrabble Reference Guides
- Letter values for Scrabble — The values of all the letter tiles in the Scrabble!
- Tiles Frequencies — The frequency / count of every tile in the Scrabble. Print it out for reference.
- Bingo Words for Scrabble Bingo Words — Word stems that create bingos with an extra letter
-
Scrabble Cheat in different languages
- Scrabble Triche — French Scrabble Cheat
- Deutsch Wort Finder — German Scrabble Word Finder
- Buscador Palabra — Spanish Scrabble Word Finder
- Italian Scrabble Helper
- Dictionarul Scrabble — Romanian Scrabble Helper
- Svenska Scrabble Fuska — Swedish Scrabble Helper
- Nederlandse Scrabble Word Finder — Dutch Scrabble Helper
To some, SCRABBLE is just a board game to play during family game night or during a casual get-together. Others think of SCRABBLE as a mere hobby. But with any activity, there will always be fanatics—the ones who would rather sell their soul than stop—the ones with a constant yearning for self-improvement—the merciless.
Now, fanaticism isn’t a bad thing. Being obsessed with the betterment of one’s knowledge is actually a great characteristic to have, despite the bad rap «obsession» gets. I’m definitely an «obsessed» individual (although my obsession doesn’t just stop at SCRABBLE—I can be pretty OCD when it comes to things like organization and cleanliness).
So how does a lexical enthusiast improve? How does a word freak expand his/her vocabulary? How do you become the best dang SCRABBLE player in the world?
The answer is: WORD LISTS.
The regular household SCRABBLE fanatic might not ever look at a word list. They’d rather improve their game with simple frequent play. Perhaps they’ll play SCRABBLE on the computer or online, learning new words through artificial intelligence or Facebook friends. But if you ever want to play in a SCRABBLE club or SCRABBLE tournament, you’re going to have to expand your vocabulary beyond that.
There are usually two-types of SCRABBLE diehards, the ones who want to «memorize» the words and those who want to «learn» the words. To be the best SCRABBLE player in the world, memorization is probably the key to success because there is a plethora of acceptable words out there, and learning the meanings, too, could take a lifetime. But then, what’s the point of learning a new word without discovering its definition?
Well, whichever type of SCRABBLE player you are, this webpage is meant to be the ultimate resource of word lists for all you logophiles, philologists, lexicographers, and cruciverbalists. This page will provide links where you can find SCRABBLE word list documents, word books, and improvement strategies.
If there is anything you think I should add to this list, please notify me of it in the comments below.
DOCUMENTS
- Cool Words to Know from the National SCRABBLE Association (NSA) [.pdf]. «Learn the words on this page & watch your score skyrocket!» This download is from the School SCRABBLE Program and gives tips on landing Bingos (7-Letter Words) and lists all of the playable:
- 2- and 3-Letter Words,
- Q without U Words,
- I Dumps (4-Letter Words with 2 I’s),
- U Dumps (3- and 4-Letter Words with 2 U’s),
- Vowel Dumps (for when you have too many vowels),
- Short J Words,
- Short Q Words,
- Short X Words, and
- Short Z Words.
- Important Words to Raise Your Score from the NSA [.pdf]. This 2-page download is a great resource to carry with you everywhere. It includes:
- 2-Letter Words,
- 3-Letter Words,
- Short J Words,
- Short Q Words,
- Short X Words,
- Short Z Words,
- 2-Letter Words and Their Hooks,
- Tips on Bingos,
- U-Less Q Words,
- I Dumps,
- U Dumps, and
- Vowel Dumps.
- Official Long Words List from the NASPA [.txt]. This file includes all of the acceptable 10-15 letter words NOT already in the Official Tournament and Club Word List (OWL or TWL). «The Official Long Words List has been compiled and created by the Dictionary Committee of the National Association. As of June 16, 2003, this list became the ONLY acceptable official long word list for use at sanctioned National Association Clubs and Tournaments.»
- OWL2 Word Lists for Playing Competitive Scrabble from Mike Wolfberg
- All OWL2 Three-Letter Words [.doc] All of the 1,015 3-letter words listed in the OWL2.
- Definitions of New OWL2 Words of Length 2-4 [.doc] All of the new 2-, 3-, and 4-letter words listed in the OWL2, along with their definitions.
- Definitions of New OWL2 Fives [.doc] All of the new 5-letter words listed in the OWL2, along with their definitions.
- Most Likely New OWL2 Sevens, with Anagrams [.doc] Wolfberg lists 553 out of the 920 new 7-letter words listed in the OWL2, along with their appropriate anagrams.
- Definitions of the Most Likely New OWL2 Sevens [.doc] This list goes with the one directly above, but lists the definitions for the 553 more common 7-letter words new to the OWL2, instead of the anagrams.
- Most Likely New OWL2 Eights, with Anagrams [.doc] Wolfberg lists the more common of the new 1,349 8-letter words listed in the OWL2, along with their appropriate anagrams.
- Definitions of the Most Likely New OWL2 Eights [.doc] This list goes with the one directly above, but lists the definitions for the more common 8-letter words new to the OWL2, instead of the anagrams.
- New 2—8 Letter Words in OWL2 with OWL1 Anagrams [.doc] All of the new words listed in the OWL2, along with their OWL1 anagrams.
- All New OWL2 Hooks on OWL1 Words of Length 2 — 8 [.doc] All of the words listed in the OWL1 which you can add one letter to (a hook) to make a newly accepted word in the OWL2.
- All Twos and Their One-Letter Extensions (Large Print) [.doc] This is a nicely made 5-page document that lists all of the 2-letter words and their acceptable hooks, either in front of the word or in back.
- Word Lists from the Seattle SCRABBLE Club #253. This includes the following topics, each with their own huge set of word lists. See their site for a complete list of what they have to offer.
- Basic Word Lists
- Transition to OWL2 Word Lists
- Ken Clark’s Word Lists for OWL2 & Long Words
- Rebecca Slivka’s Theme Word Lists
WEBPAGES
- Scrabble Word Lists from Adam Bozon. This houses «lots of useful word lists for use in Scrabble, Literati, Upwords, Boggle or any other word game.» Lists include:
- Highest Scoring Words,
- 2 Letter Words,
- 3 Letter Words,
- 4 Letter Words,
- 5 Letter Words,
- 6 Letter Words,
- 7 Letter Words,
- 8 Letter Words,
- 9 Letter Words,
- 10 Letter Words,
- 11 Letter Words,
- 12 Letter Words,
- 13 Letter Words,
- 14 Letter Words,
- 15 or More Letter Words,
- Words with All Vowels,
- Words with All Consonants,
- 4 Letter Words with 3 Vowels,
- 5 Letters Words with 4 Vowels,
- Q Words without QU-,
- RETAIN + Blank Bingos,
- Words with AA,
- Words with II,
- Words Starting with DH-,
- Words Starting with IN-,
- Words Starting with OO-,
- Words Starting with OUT-,
- Words Starting with OVER-,
- Words Starting with RE-,
- Words Starting with UN-,
- Words Ending in -IER,
- Words Ending in -IEST,
- Words Ending in -ING, and
- Letters A—Z (Words with 2 or More of Each Letter).
- Word of the Day from the National SCRABBLE Association (NSA). Learn a new word every day! The NSA Word of the Day includes its definition and possible anagrams, hooks, ana-hooks, «typos», blana-grams, extensions, and sub-anagrams. To understand exactly what these terms mean, visit the WOTD Glossary.
- SCRABBLE Word Lists from Hasbro. These lists come straight from the maker of the board game. «Are you at a loss for words? Turn your brain into a SCRABBLE database! The word lists below represent the most useful game words in SCRABBLE. Memorize the lists, and you’ll soon find usable combinations appearing on your rack again and again.»
- Q without U (It’s a high priority to learn these 33 Q-words that don’t use a U)
- Playing the Q (3-, 4-, and 5-letter Q words)
- 3-4 Letter J, X and Z Words (All the 3- and 4-letter words that include a J, X, or Z)
- 2-to-make-3 Word List (Adding one letter before or after a 2-letter word)
- 2-Letter Words (All the playable 2-letter words plus their definitions)
- 3-Letter Words (All the playable 3-letter words)
- Words That Include At Least 66 Percent Vowels (Ranging from 2- to 8-letter words)
- Scrabble’s 2-Letter Words — Defined from Bryan Crow on WonderHowTo. Here you can find all of the 124 acceptable 2-letter words contained in the SOWPODS (international list), along with their definitions. Of these 124 words, 101 are also playable using the Official Tournament and Word List (OWL or TWL) or Official Scrabble Players Dictionary (OSPD) in North America.
- ANUS or ASSHOLE? from tenebrism (yes, me). This list, which will be continually updated, is focused on «dirty» words which can be played in SCRABBLE.
- Legitimate «DIRTY» and Offensive Word Alternatives — This list gives offensive word acceptable alternatives that you can play in any SCRABBLE game, like TRIBADE instead of LESBO or ANUS instead of ASSHOLE. Includes definitions.
- Legitimate «DIRTY» and Offensive Words with Alternate Definitions — This one gives all of the offensive words that you can play in SCRABBLE, albeit, with their polysemic definitions. Examples: DICK equals a detective, JACKASS equals a male donkey, and TITTIES equals sisters.
- Legitimate «DIRTY» and Offensive Words in Tournament Play — These are all of the offensive words excluded from the OSPD4 but included in the OWL2. Includes definitions. Examples: ABO, DICKED, GRINGO, and JISM.
- Possible New SCRABBLE Words? from tenebrism (yep… me again). Here you can find a small list of the rumored new words that will make it into the next SCRABBLE Dictionary (OSPD5), along with some of my «WISHLIST» words.
- Word Lists for Playing Competitive Scrabble from Mike Wolfberg. This page links to some word lists contained within Wolfberg’s website. The lists include:
- All the OWL2 Two-Letter Words, with Meanings,
- All the OSPD4 Two-Letter Words, with Meanings,
- OWL2 Word Lists (see below),
- All TWL98/OSPD3 Two-Letter Words and Their One-Letter Extensions,
- All TWL98/OSPD3 Three-Letter Words and Their One-Letter Extensions,
- TWL98/OSPD3 Words with Q not immediately followed by U,
- TWL98/OSPD3 Words With High-Scoring Letters (J,Q,X,Z),
- TWL98/OSPD3 Words Heavy in Vowels, and
- Brand Names with OWL2 Anagrams.
- OWL2 Word Lists for Playing Competitive Scrabble from Mike Wolfberg. This page links to the word lists contained within Wolfberg’s website. The lists include:
- All OWL2 Two-Letter Words, with Definitions,
- All OSPD4 Two-Letter Words, with Definitions,
- All OWL2 Three-Letter Words — First Half,
- All OWL2 Three-Letter Words — Second Half,
- All Twos and Their One-Letter Extensions,
- Words with a J of Length 3 — 5,
- Words with a Q of Length 3 — 5,
- Words with a X of Length 3 — 5,
- Words with a Z of Length 3 — 5,
- Words with a Q not Immediately Followed by a U,
- Words Heavy in Vowels,
- Anamonics Which Are Words, and
- Some more word lists, which can be found in the Documents section above.
- Word Combinations for Scrabble from Melfic. This Scrabble word list webpage lists some common words and tons of possible word combinations, including:
- TWL96 6+2 Unistem Words in Reverse Probability Order,
- SOWPODS96 6+2 Unistem Words in Reverse Probability Order,
- Common Two-, Three- and Four-Letter Words,
- Common Five-Letter Words,
- Common Six-Letter Words,
- Common Seven-Letter Words,
- Common Eight-Letter Words, and
- SOWPODS 2000 4+4 Compounds (Concatenation of two 4-letter words).
- Scrabble Word List from Word Find. On this page, which also has a helpful word finder (up to 12 letters), you’ll get a quick list of useful words to help you master the game of Scrabble, and even Lexulous, Annagrammer and Wordscraper. They include the following:
- Two-Letter Scrabble Words (All the two-letter Scrabble words and high-scoring options)
- Scrabble «Q» Words (All 2-, 3-, 4- and 5-letter Q words, as well as Q words that don’t require the letter U)
- Scrabble «X» Words (All 2-, 3-, 4- and 5-letter X words)
- Scrabble «Z» Words (All 2-, 3-, 4- and 5-letter Z words)
- Scrabble «J» Words (All 2-, 3-, 4- and 5-letter J words)
- Scrabble Vowel Words (Words you can make with only vowels)
- Scrabble Consonant Words (Words you can make using only consonants)
BOOKS
- Official SCRABBLE Players Dictionary, Fourth Edition (OSPD4) by Merriam-Webster. Anyone who plays SCRABBLE in North America should own this dictionary. It’s the most relevant for school and at-home play, and can also be used for competitive play (although the OWL2 contains all the words expurgated from the OSPD4). It can be found in hardcover, paperback, illustrated hardcover, and large print.
- Official Tournament and Club Word List, 2nd Edition (OWL2) by Merriam-Webster. This is the official word source for tournament SCRABBLE players in North America. It includes all of the words listed in the OSPD4, with the addition of 9-letter words, inflections, and expurgated words from the OSPD4. No definitions. 505 pages. Paperback. And don’t purchase one of these books for an outrageous price. Amazon sellers list it anywhere from $100 to $400, but it can be purchased for a mere $15 at Word Gear (link above).
- Official Long Words List from the NSA & Merriam-Webster. «This word source has been compiled and created by the National SCRABBLE Association’s (NSA) Dictionary Committee in conjunction with Merriam- Webster, Inc. The ONLY official word list used to adjudicate words longer than nine letters at sanctioned NSA clubs and tournaments.» But you don’t have to spend money on this book, because you can download an online version for free (found in the Documents section above).
- Everything Scrabble by Joe Edley & John Williams (Pocket Books). «For both the beginner and the seasoned pro, this how-to book from the National Scrabble Association offers all the keys to better play … Featuring a rare interview with the SCRABBLE game inventor, the late Alfred Mosher Butts, this extensively illustrated guidebook covers all facets of the game and worldwide SCRABBLE culture, including the clubs, tournaments, champions and rules, and playing SCRABBLE with children, plus a complete history of the game.» It’s also available on Amazon.
- Bob’s Bible: Words, Anagrams and Hooks by Robert Gillis. «Bob’s Bible is the comprehensive distillation of the word knowledge you need to become a superior Scrabble player. It’s perfect for browsing, reference or all-out study! It’s a must-have for any ardent player of the game of Scrabble, be they beginner or World Champion … All of the National Scrabble Association-acceptable two- to eight-letter words are alphabetically listed and each word is annotated with all of its hooks (one letter extensions) and anagrams (words using exactly the same letters). When you look up HARKENED you’ll find that DAKERHEN is the obscure anagram. You’ll discover that LUNCH and RIOT can be hooked with the letter G to make GLUNCH and GRIOT . PICTURES anagrams to both CUPRITES and the unexpected PIECRUST! And the delightful surprises go on and on!» There’s also a School Edition, Big Print Edition, and Sdrawkcab Edition (Backwards).
- SCRABBLE Wordbook by Mike Baron (Sterling Publishing). «Whether at an official tournament or a home kitchen table, every SCRABBLE player wants to be a winner—and these specially selected words and expert hints are guaranteed to boost scores. Based on the Official Scrabble Players Dictionary, Fourth Edition (currently one of the bestselling games and puzzles books) and with foreword by World SCRABBLE Champion Brian Cappelletto, this is the equivalent of an intensive training course. Complete with winning word lists, such as those that combine high-scoring letters, those that have a preponderance of vowels, and those that allow multiple I and U dumps, it also offers tips on hitting triple-triples and achieving those elusive 7-letter bingos.» Also available on Amazon.
- The Scrabble Word-Building Book by Saleem Ahmed (Pocket Books). This book has been recently revised and updated (finally… after nearly 16 years), and focuses on building off of your opponent’s words. It contains a list of 94 2-letter words, over 800 3-letter words, 8-letter words that can be formed from 7-letter words, and every word up to 7 letters long that you can play. Also available on Amazon. This is a good book, but Bob’s Bible and the SCRABBLE Wordbook offer more for all players, from novice to expert.
- The Official Scrabble Brand Word-Finder: The Ultimate Playing Companion to America’s Favorite Word Game by Robert W. Schachner (Black Dog & Leventhal). This is «designed with one thing in mind: scoring big points. The method is simple—present as many playable words as possible, in one place, for easy reference during a game. Over 60,000 high-scoring words are arranged alphabetically by first letter and by inside letters, providing the widest array of possible word variations.» Also available on Amazon. It sounds good, right? Some players might actually find this helpful, but most will not. It’s outdated and missing obvious words, its 3-letter words from 2-letter words list is clearly incomplete, and it’s extremely hard to navigate. I’d suggest staying away from this one, but I felt it necessary to list anyways, perhaps as a warning.
- The Official Scrabble Puzzle Book by Joe Edley (Pocket Books). This is not a word list book, but a puzzle book to help you get better at building words on the board. There’s «800 puzzles to sharpen your thinking and hone your crossword skills» and you can «discover tips, shortcuts, and special plays in actual game situations, and a battery of increasingly complex puzzles as you learn to play with the pros.» It’s pretty helpful to any player, not to mention fun. Instead of doing your daily crossword puzzle, do one of these SCRABBLE puzzles. Highly recommended. Also available on Amazon
- The Big Book of SCRABBLEgrams (Scrabble Brand Grams) by Sterling Publishing. «Put on your thinking caps and get ready to solve some SCRABBLEgrams: the pen-and-paper reinterpretation of the favorite board game played by more than 100 million people around the world. These innovative puzzles, just like the popular ones syndicated in newspapers nationwide, provide endless fun in an easy-to-understand Scrabble-based format. To play, make a 2 to 7 letter word from the tiles pictured on the page. Then add up your score in the boxes on the right. Compete against your own best scores, or compare your words to the «best answers» given in the solution. Once you’ve started solving SCRABBLEgrams, you’ll never go back to ordinary word games again!» This is a really helpful spiral-bound puzzle book, just like the above mentioned Official Scrabble Puzzle Book. Worth every penny.
- Word Nerd Books by Peter Schwartzman. Schwartman publishes his own SCRABBLE puzzles books, which include tons of great puzzles, like anagrams for 7- and 8-letter words, hooks for 2- and 3-letter words, vowel dumps, and consonant dumps. His books are the Word Nerd Workbook #1 and #2, and the Word Nerd Puzzler #1 and #2. You can purchase these products in print or in an ebook CD.
Keep up with Scrabble World: Like on Facebook and Follow on Twitter!
Want to master Microsoft Excel and take your work-from-home job prospects to the next level? Jump-start your career with our Premium A-to-Z Microsoft Excel Training Bundle from the new Gadget Hacks Shop and get lifetime access to more than 40 hours of Basic to Advanced instruction on functions, formula, tools, and more.
Buy Now (97% off) >
Other worthwhile deals to check out:
- 97% off The Ultimate 2021 White Hat Hacker Certification Bundle
- 98% off The 2021 Accounting Mastery Bootcamp Bundle
- 99% off The 2021 All-in-One Data Scientist Mega Bundle
- 59% off XSplit VCam: Lifetime Subscription (Windows)
- 98% off The 2021 Premium Learn To Code Certification Bundle
- 62% off MindMaster Mind Mapping Software: Perpetual License
- 41% off NetSpot Home Wi-Fi Analyzer: Lifetime Upgrades