The two-letter words
The first list every competitive player memorises, and the one that turns a blocked rack into a playable one. Here it is with the part the lists usually leave out: what each word extends into, and how often you can actually play it.
The four letters with nowhere to go are the useful half of that first figure: C, Q, V, Z cannot be dumped in two squares in this list, so a rack holding one is committed to finding it three — though only the V is still stuck at a rated game, which the note at the foot of the page sets out. The 23 reversible pairs are the cheap half — 46 of the 96 words, learned two at a time.
All 96
| Word | Score | Hooks | In an opening rack |
|---|---|---|---|
| AA | 2 | 4 | 12.0% |
| AB↔ BA | 4 | 14 | 6.1% |
| AD | 3 | 17 | 11.5% |
| AE | 2 | 8 | 27.9% |
| AG | 3 | 17 | 8.8% |
| AH↔ HA | 5 | 9 | 6.1% |
| AI | 2 | 7 | 22.6% |
| AL↔ LA | 2 | 13 | 11.5% |
| AM↔ MA | 4 | 16 | 6.1% |
| AN↔ NA | 2 | 17 | 16.3% |
| AR | 2 | 22 | 16.3% |
| AS | 2 | 17 | 11.5% |
| AT↔ TA | 2 | 19 | 16.3% |
| AW | 5 | 18 | 6.1% |
| AX | 9 | 10 | 3.1% |
| AY↔ YA | 5 | 18 | 6.1% |
| BA↔ AB | 4 | 13 | 6.1% |
| BE | 4 | 8 | 7.5% |
| BI | 4 | 9 | 6.1% |
| BO | 4 | 12 | 5.5% |
| BY | 7 | 3 | 1.6% |
| DE↔ ED | 3 | 9 | 14.2% |
| DO↔ OD | 3 | 12 | 10.5% |
| ED↔ DE | 3 | 11 | 14.2% |
| EF | 5 | 5 | 7.5% |
| EH↔ HE | 5 | 4 | 7.5% |
| EL | 2 | 14 | 14.2% |
| EM↔ ME | 4 | 9 | 7.5% |
| EN↔ NE | 2 | 15 | 20.1% |
| ER↔ RE | 2 | 10 | 20.1% |
| ES | 2 | 6 | 14.2% |
| ET | 2 | 17 | 20.1% |
| EX | 9 | 7 | 3.8% |
| FA | 5 | 8 | 6.1% |
| GO | 3 | 10 | 8.1% |
| HA↔ AH | 5 | 15 | 6.1% |
| HE↔ EH | 5 | 12 | 7.5% |
| HI | 5 | 12 | 6.1% |
| HM | 7 | 2 | 1.6% |
| HO↔ OH | 5 | 14 | 5.5% |
| ID | 3 | 12 | 11.5% |
| IF | 5 | 4 | 6.1% |
| IN | 2 | 19 | 16.3% |
| IS↔ SI | 2 | 14 | 11.5% |
| IT↔ TI | 2 | 15 | 16.3% |
| JO | 9 | 6 | 2.8% |
| KA | 6 | 8 | 3.1% |
| LA↔ AL | 2 | 14 | 11.5% |
| LI | 2 | 7 | 11.5% |
| LO | 2 | 7 | 10.5% |
| MA↔ AM | 4 | 13 | 6.1% |
| ME↔ EM | 4 | 7 | 7.5% |
| MI | 4 | 9 | 6.1% |
| MM | 6 | 2 | 0.4% |
| MO↔ OM | 4 | 14 | 5.5% |
| MU↔ UM | 4 | 8 | 3.1% |
| MY | 7 | 0 | 1.6% |
| NA↔ AN | 2 | 10 | 16.3% |
| NE↔ EN | 2 | 6 | 20.1% |
| NO↔ ON | 2 | 10 | 14.9% |
| NU↔ UN | 2 | 5 | 8.3% |
| OD↔ DO | 3 | 14 | 10.5% |
| OE | 2 | 9 | 25.5% |
| OF | 5 | 2 | 5.5% |
| OH↔ HO | 5 | 7 | 5.5% |
| OM↔ MO | 4 | 8 | 5.5% |
| ON↔ NO | 2 | 13 | 14.9% |
| OP | 4 | 14 | 5.5% |
| OR | 2 | 14 | 14.9% |
| OS↔ SO | 2 | 9 | 10.5% |
| OW↔ WO | 5 | 18 | 5.5% |
| OX | 9 | 10 | 2.8% |
| OY↔ YO | 5 | 8 | 5.5% |
| PA | 4 | 14 | 6.1% |
| PE | 4 | 14 | 7.5% |
| PI | 4 | 10 | 6.1% |
| RE↔ ER | 2 | 17 | 20.1% |
| SH | 5 | 5 | 3.1% |
| SI↔ IS | 2 | 10 | 11.5% |
| SO↔ OS | 2 | 11 | 10.5% |
| TA↔ AT | 2 | 18 | 16.3% |
| TI↔ IT | 2 | 7 | 16.3% |
| TO | 2 | 11 | 14.9% |
| UH | 5 | 1 | 3.1% |
| UM↔ MU | 4 | 11 | 3.1% |
| UN↔ NU | 2 | 13 | 8.3% |
| UP | 4 | 9 | 3.1% |
| US | 2 | 6 | 5.8% |
| UT | 2 | 13 | 8.3% |
| WE | 5 | 8 | 7.5% |
| WO↔ OW | 5 | 10 | 5.5% |
| XI | 9 | 1 | 3.1% |
| XU | 9 | 0 | 1.6% |
| YA↔ AY | 5 | 9 | 6.1% |
| YE | 5 | 16 | 7.5% |
| YO↔ OY | 5 | 7 | 5.5% |
Hooks are letters that extend the word into a three-letter word, counted front and back. The last column is the exact chance an opening rack holds the letters, without spending a blank.
Dumping vowels
The commonest reason to reach for this list is not scoring, it is a rack with four vowels on it. Only 4 of the 96 are made of nothing but vowels, which makes them the whole of your options when that is the problem:
The lexicon gap bites here too: OI is a further all-vowel word at a rated game, and it is not in ENABLE.
The dead ends
MY and XU go nowhere. No letter in front and none behind makes a three-letter word out of either, which is worth knowing before you place one somewhere you were hoping to build on. Every other word here gives you at least one way forward.