Three-letter words are where a Scrabble game is actually won. The 107 two-letter words get you out of trouble; the three-letter words get you points. There are 964 of them in the dictionary that powers this site, and while you do not need to memorise all 964, the ones containing J, Q, X and Z are worth knowing cold — they are how you convert an awkward high-value tile into a double-digit score.
This page has two halves. First, definitions for every three-letter word containing a high-value letter, because those are the ones you will actually look up. Then the complete list grouped A to Z, for scanning when you want to check whether something is playable.
How this list was made: generated directly from the dictionary the Scramblfix search engine uses, so if a word appears here the tool will find it. Point values are Scrabble letter face values and exclude board multipliers. Slurs and terms removed from tournament play have been excluded from the dictionary.
High-value three-letter words
These are the ones to learn. A three-letter word using the J, Q, X or Z can score more on its own than a six-letter word made of common letters — and on a premium square, considerably more.
Words containing X (36)
| Word | Scrabble pts | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| AXE | 10 | to chop with a bladed tool |
| BOX | 12 | a rectangular container |
| COX | 12 | to steer a racing shell |
| DEX | 11 | a stimulant drug |
| FAX | 13 | to send a facsimile |
| FIX | 13 | to repair |
| FOX | 13 | a carnivorous mammal |
| GOX | 11 | gaseous oxygen |
| HEX | 13 | to bewitch |
| KEX | 14 | a dried, hollow plant stalk |
| LAX | 10 | not strict |
| LEX | 10 | a body of law |
| LOX | 10 | smoked salmon |
| LUX | 10 | a unit of illumination |
| MAX | 12 | to reach a maximum |
| MIX | 12 | to combine |
| NIX | 10 | to veto |
| OXO | 10 | containing oxygen |
| OXY | 13 | containing oxygen |
| PAX | 12 | a ceremonial kiss of peace |
| PIX | 12 | a container for the Eucharist |
| POX | 12 | a disease marked by pustules |
| PYX | 15 | a vessel holding the Eucharist |
| RAX | 10 | to stretch |
| REX | 10 | a king |
| SAX | 10 | a saxophone |
| SEX | 10 | either of two divisions of organisms |
| SIX | 10 | one more than five |
| SOX | 10 | socks |
| TAX | 10 | a compulsory contribution to state revenue |
| TUX | 10 | a tuxedo |
| VEX | 13 | to annoy |
| VOX | 13 | voice |
| WAX | 13 | a pliable substance |
| XIS | 10 | plural of xi |
| ZAX | 19 | a tool for cutting roof slate |
The X is the friendliest high-value tile in the game because it sits comfortably in the middle or at the end of short words, which makes it ideal for parallel plays where it counts in two directions at once. AXE, PYX and ZAX are the standouts.
Words containing J (25)
| Word | Scrabble pts | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| HAJ | 13 | a pilgrimage to Mecca |
| JAB | 12 | to poke sharply |
| JAG | 11 | a sharp projection |
| JAM | 12 | to press tightly together |
| JAR | 10 | a cylindrical container |
| JAW | 13 | a bone framing the mouth |
| JAY | 13 | a noisy crested bird |
| JEE | 10 | to turn to the right |
| JET | 10 | a stream of fluid forced from a nozzle |
| JEU | 10 | a game |
| JIB | 12 | a triangular sail |
| JIG | 11 | a lively dance |
| JIN | 10 | a supernatural being in Muslim folklore |
| JOB | 12 | a task performed for pay |
| JOE | 10 | a fellow |
| JOG | 11 | to run at a slow, steady pace |
| JOT | 10 | to write down quickly |
| JOW | 13 | to toll, as a bell |
| JOY | 13 | a feeling of great pleasure |
| JUG | 11 | a vessel with a handle and spout |
| JUN | 10 | a monetary unit of North Korea |
| JUS | 10 | a legal right |
| JUT | 10 | to project outward |
| RAJ | 10 | British rule in India |
| TAJ | 10 | a tall cap worn in Muslim countries |
The J is worth 8 in Scrabble and 10 in Words With Friends. HAJ and RAJ are the two most useful because they place the J at the end, which suits hooking onto an existing word.
Words containing Z (19)
| Word | Scrabble pts | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ADZ | 13 | a cutting tool with a curved blade |
| AZO | 12 | containing nitrogen |
| BIZ | 14 | business |
| COZ | 14 | a cousin |
| FEZ | 15 | a brimless, cone-shaped hat |
| FIZ | 15 | to make a hissing sound |
| WIZ | 15 | a highly skilled person |
| ZAG | 13 | to change direction sharply |
| ZAP | 14 | to destroy suddenly |
| ZAX | 19 | a tool for cutting roof slate |
| ZED | 13 | the letter Z |
| ZEE | 12 | the letter Z |
| ZEK | 16 | a prisoner in a Soviet labour camp |
| ZIG | 13 | to turn sharply |
| ZIN | 12 | zinfandel wine |
| ZIP | 14 | to fasten with a zipper |
| ZIT | 12 | a pimple |
| ZOA | 12 | plural of zoon, an animal |
| ZOO | 12 | a place displaying animals |
ZAX is the highest-scoring three-letter word in the game at 19 points before any multiplier — a slate-cutting tool, and worth remembering for exactly that reason. ZEK is next at 16.
Words containing Q (3)
| Word | Scrabble pts | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| QAT | 12 | a shrub whose leaves are chewed as a stimulant |
| QUA | 12 | in the capacity of |
| SUQ | 12 | an open-air marketplace |
Only three three-letter Q words exist, and QAT and SUQ are the two that do not need a U. For the full picture on playing a Q without a U, see the Q-without-U reference.
The fifteen highest-scoring three-letter words
Ranked by letter face value, before board multipliers:
ZAX (19), ZEK (16), FEZ (15), FIZ (15), PYX (15), WIZ (15), BIZ (14), COZ (14), KEX (14), ZAP (14), ZIP (14), ADZ (13), FAX (13), FIX (13), FOX (13)
Words with no vowels at all
These 28 words contain no A, E, I, O or U. When your rack is all consonants, this is the list that saves your turn:
BRR, BYS, CRY, CWM, DRY, FLY, FRY, GYM, HMM, HYP, NTH, PHT, PLY, PRY, PYX, SHH, SHY, SKY, SLY, SPY, STY, SYN, THY, TRY, TSK, WHY, WRY, WYN
BRR, HMM, SHH, PHT and TSK are the genuinely vowel-free ones. The rest lean on Y as a functional vowel — CRY, DRY, FLY, GYM, SKY, SPY, TRY, WHY. CWM (a steep mountain hollow, from Welsh) is the one that reliably gets challenged, and it is valid.
Vowel-heavy words for clearing a clogged rack
180 of the 964 three-letter words contain two or more vowels. Drawing five vowels is one of the most common ways to get stuck, and these are the escape route. EAU — French for water — is the only three-letter word made entirely of vowels.
The two-vowel words that come up most often in play: AIL, AIM, AIR, AVE, BOA, DUE, DUO, EAU, EAR, EAT, EON, ION, OAT, OBI, ODE, OIL, ONE, ORA, ORE, OUR, OVA, PEA, SEA, TEA, TOE, USE, VIA, ZOA.
Why three-letter words matter more than long ones
Beginners chase long words. Strong players chase efficient ones. A three-letter word that places a Z on a double-letter square adjacent to an existing word can score 30 or 40 points while using three tiles, keeping a workable rack and opening no new lanes for your opponent. A seven-letter bingo is worth chasing when it is available, but it is available rarely; a good short play is available almost every turn.
Three-letter words are also the mechanism for parallel plays. Laying a word alongside an existing word rather than perpendicular to it forms a new short word at every point of contact, and you score every one of them. This is the highest-scoring pattern in the game and it depends entirely on knowing short words fluently.
The practical study order: learn the 107 two-letter words first, then the J, Q, X and Z three-letter words on this page, then the no-vowel list. That is roughly 190 words total and it covers the overwhelming majority of the situations where knowing a short word turns a wasted turn into a scoring one.
Complete list, A to Z
All 964 three-letter words in the Scramblfix dictionary. Counts per letter are shown in brackets.
A (70)
AAH, AAL, AAS, ABA, ABS, ABY, ACE, ACT, ADD, ADO, ADS, ADZ, AFF, AFT, AGA, AGE, AGO, AHA, AID, AIL, AIM, AIN, AIR, AIS, AIT, ALA, ALB, ALE, ALL, ALP, ALS, ALT, AMA, AMI, AMP, AMU, ANA, AND, ANE, ANI, ANT, ANY, APE, APT, ARB, ARC, ARE, ARF, ARK, ARM, ARS, ART, ASH, ASK, ASP, ASS, ATE, ATT, AUK, AVA, AVE, AVO, AWA, AWE, AWL, AWN, AXE, AYE, AYS, AZO
B (52)
BAA, BAD, BAG, BAH, BAL, BAM, BAN, BAP, BAR, BAS, BAT, BAY, BED, BEE, BEG, BEL, BEN, BET, BEY, BIB, BID, BIG, BIN, BIO, BIS, BIT, BIZ, BOA, BOB, BOD, BOG, BOO, BOP, BOS, BOT, BOW, BOX, BOY, BRA, BRO, BRR, BUB, BUD, BUG, BUM, BUN, BUR, BUS, BUT, BUY, BYE, BYS
C (37)
CAB, CAD, CAM, CAN, CAP, CAR, CAT, CAW, CAY, CEE, CEL, CEP, CHI, CIS, COB, COD, COG, COL, CON, COO, COP, COR, COS, COT, COW, COX, COY, COZ, CRY, CUB, CUD, CUE, CUM, CUP, CUR, CUT, CWM
D (47)
DAB, DAD, DAG, DAH, DAK, DAL, DAM, DAP, DAW, DAY, DEB, DEE, DEL, DEN, DEV, DEW, DEX, DEY, DIB, DID, DIE, DIG, DIM, DIN, DIP, DIS, DIT, DOC, DOE, DOG, DOL, DOM, DON, DOR, DOS, DOT, DOW, DRY, DUB, DUD, DUE, DUG, DUI, DUN, DUO, DUP, DYE
E (39)
EAR, EAT, EAU, EBB, ECU, EDH, EEL, EFF, EFS, EFT, EGG, EGO, EKE, ELD, ELF, ELK, ELL, ELM, ELS, EME, EMF, EMS, EMU, END, ENG, ENS, EON, ERA, ERE, ERG, ERN, ERR, ERS, ESS, ETA, ETH, EVE, EWE, EYE
F (47)
FAD, FAN, FAR, FAS, FAT, FAX, FAY, FED, FEE, FEH, FEM, FEN, FER, FET, FEU, FEW, FEY, FEZ, FIB, FID, FIE, FIG, FIL, FIN, FIR, FIT, FIX, FIZ, FLU, FLY, FOB, FOE, FOG, FOH, FON, FOP, FOR, FOU, FOX, FOY, FRO, FRY, FUB, FUD, FUG, FUN, FUR
G (43)
GAB, GAD, GAE, GAG, GAL, GAM, GAN, GAP, GAR, GAS, GAT, GAY, GED, GEE, GEL, GEM, GEN, GET, GEY, GHI, GIB, GID, GIE, GIG, GIN, GIP, GIT, GNU, GOA, GOB, GOD, GOO, GOR, GOT, GOX, GOY, GUL, GUM, GUN, GUT, GUV, GUY, GYM
H (49)
HAD, HAE, HAG, HAH, HAJ, HAM, HAO, HAP, HAS, HAT, HAW, HAY, HEH, HEM, HEN, HEP, HER, HES, HET, HEW, HEX, HEY, HIC, HID, HIE, HIM, HIN, HIP, HIS, HIT, HMM, HOB, HOD, HOE, HOG, HON, HOP, HOT, HOW, HOY, HUB, HUE, HUG, HUH, HUM, HUN, HUP, HUT, HYP
I (19)
ICE, ICH, ICK, ICY, IDS, IFF, IFS, ILK, ILL, IMP, INK, INN, INS, ION, IRE, IRK, ISM, ITS, IVY
J (22)
JAB, JAG, JAM, JAR, JAW, JAY, JEE, JET, JEU, JIB, JIG, JIN, JOB, JOE, JOG, JOT, JOW, JOY, JUG, JUN, JUS, JUT
K (27)
KAB, KAE, KAF, KAS, KAT, KAY, KEA, KEF, KEG, KEN, KEP, KEX, KEY, KHI, KID, KIF, KIN, KIP, KIR, KIT, KOA, KOB, KOI, KOP, KOR, KOS, KUE
L (43)
LAB, LAC, LAD, LAG, LAM, LAP, LAR, LAS, LAT, LAV, LAW, LAX, LAY, LEA, LED, LEE, LEG, LEI, LEK, LET, LEU, LEV, LEX, LEY, LIB, LID, LIE, LIN, LIP, LIS, LIT, LOB, LOG, LOO, LOP, LOT, LOW, LOX, LUG, LUM, LUV, LUX, LYE
M (47)
MAC, MAD, MAE, MAG, MAN, MAP, MAR, MAS, MAT, MAW, MAX, MAY, MED, MEL, MEM, MEN, MET, MEW, MHO, MIB, MID, MIG, MIL, MIM, MIR, MIS, MIX, MOA, MOB, MOC, MOD, MOG, MOL, MOM, MON, MOO, MOP, MOR, MOS, MOT, MOW, MUD, MUG, MUM, MUN, MUS, MUT
N (34)
NAB, NAE, NAG, NAH, NAM, NAN, NAP, NAW, NAY, NEB, NEE, NET, NEW, NIB, NIL, NIM, NIP, NIT, NIX, NOB, NOD, NOG, NOH, NOM, NOO, NOR, NOS, NOT, NOW, NTH, NUB, NUN, NUS, NUT
O (45)
OAF, OAK, OAR, OAT, OBE, OBI, OCA, ODD, ODE, ODS, OES, OFF, OFT, OHM, OHO, OHS, OIL, OKA, OKE, OLD, OLE, OMS, ONE, ONS, OOH, OOT, OPE, OPS, OPT, ORA, ORB, ORC, ORE, ORS, ORT, OSE, OUD, OUR, OUT, OVA, OWE, OWL, OWN, OXO, OXY
P (62)
PAC, PAD, PAH, PAL, PAM, PAN, PAP, PAR, PAS, PAT, PAW, PAX, PAY, PEA, PEC, PED, PEE, PEG, PEH, PEN, PEP, PER, PES, PET, PEW, PHI, PHT, PIA, PIC, PIE, PIG, PIN, PIP, PIS, PIT, PIU, PIX, PLY, POD, POH, POI, POL, POM, POP, POT, POW, POX, PRO, PRY, PSI, PUB, PUD, PUG, PUL, PUN, PUP, PUR, PUS, PUT, PYA, PYE, PYX
Q (2)
QAT, QUA
R (49)
RAD, RAG, RAH, RAJ, RAM, RAN, RAP, RAS, RAT, RAW, RAX, RAY, REB, REC, RED, REE, REF, REG, REI, REM, REP, RES, RET, REV, REX, RHO, RIA, RIB, RID, RIF, RIG, RIM, RIN, RIP, ROB, ROC, ROD, ROE, ROM, ROT, ROW, RUB, RUE, RUG, RUM, RUN, RUT, RYA, RYE
S (62)
SAB, SAC, SAD, SAE, SAG, SAL, SAP, SAT, SAU, SAW, SAX, SAY, SEA, SEC, SEE, SEG, SEI, SEL, SEN, SER, SET, SEW, SEX, SHA, SHE, SHH, SHY, SIB, SIC, SIM, SIN, SIP, SIR, SIS, SIT, SIX, SKA, SKI, SKY, SLY, SOB, SOD, SOL, SON, SOP, SOS, SOT, SOU, SOW, SOX, SOY, SPA, SPY, SRI, STY, SUB, SUE, SUM, SUN, SUP, SUQ, SYN
T (57)
TAB, TAD, TAE, TAG, TAJ, TAM, TAN, TAO, TAP, TAR, TAS, TAT, TAU, TAV, TAW, TAX, TEA, TED, TEE, TEG, TEL, TEN, TET, TEW, THE, THO, THY, TIC, TIE, TIL, TIN, TIP, TIS, TIT, TOD, TOE, TOG, TOM, TON, TOO, TOP, TOR, TOT, TOW, TOY, TRY, TSK, TUB, TUG, TUI, TUN, TUP, TUT, TUX, TWA, TWO, TYE
U (15)
UDO, UGH, UKE, ULU, UMM, UMP, UNS, UPO, UPS, URB, URD, URN, USE, UTA, UTS
V (21)
VAC, VAN, VAR, VAS, VAT, VAU, VAV, VAW, VEE, VEG, VET, VEX, VIA, VIE, VIG, VIM, VIS, VOE, VOW, VOX, VUG
W (36)
WAB, WAD, WAE, WAG, WAN, WAP, WAR, WAS, WAT, WAW, WAX, WAY, WEB, WED, WEE, WEN, WET, WHA, WHO, WHY, WIG, WIN, WIS, WIT, WIZ, WOE, WOK, WON, WOO, WOS, WOT, WOW, WRY, WUD, WYE, WYN
X (1)
XIS
Y (26)
YAH, YAK, YAM, YAP, YAR, YAW, YAY, YEA, YEH, YEN, YEP, YES, YET, YEW, YIN, YIP, YOB, YOD, YOK, YOM, YON, YOU, YOW, YUK, YUM, YUP
Z (12)
ZAG, ZAP, ZAX, ZED, ZEE, ZEK, ZIG, ZIN, ZIP, ZIT, ZOA, ZOO
A note on dictionaries: this list reflects the lexicon Scramblfix ships, which is based on the ENABLE word list and closely tracks the North American tournament list. Words With Friends and Collins Scrabble Words differ in places. If a word matters in a competitive game, check it against that game’s own word checker — a tool should not be treated as a ruling.
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