National Scrabble Day: The Two-Letter Words You Need to Know

What a day this is — it’s Friday the 13th, and it’s National Scrabble Day! Whether you’re a die-hard Scrabble junkie or just a casual enthusiast, you’ve probably enjoyed this classic game. And with the popularity of games like Words With Friends, Scrabble is surging once again.

So you’ve probably found yourself staring at the Scrabble board more than once, thinking about how you have nothing that will work. Don’t skip your turn! Instead, check out these two-letter words that will help you fill in the gaps (hey, some points are better than no points, right?). Argue any one of these to your opponent because they can all be found in Merriam-Webster (which is where all of these definitions come from. If someone insists that you play only by the Oxford English Dictionary, stare blankly at them before announcing that it’s just a game! …I kid. Most of these can probably be found there, too). So in honor of National Scrabble Day, I give you…

Scrabble: The Two-Letter Words You Need to Know

Qi: a variant of chi; vital energy that is held to animate the body internally and is of central importance in some Eastern systems of medical treatment (as acupuncture) and of exercise or self-defense (as tai chi)

Jo: chiefly Scottish term of endearment; sweetheart or dear

Za: slang for ‘pizza’

Mu: the twelfth letter of the Greek alphabet

Nu: the thirteenth letter of the Greek alphabet

Xi: the fourteenth letter of the Greek alphabet

Pi: the sixteenth letter of the Greek alphabet; more commonly known as 3.14159265

Xu: a coin formerly minted by South Vietnam, equivalent to the cent

Ae: chiefly Scottish; one

Ar: the letter ‘R’; *I can’t promise that ‘arr’ will work out for you, though (unless your opponent is Captain Long John Silver).

Hopefully these help you out the next time you’ve got to use up some letters. Happy National Scrabble Day!

Definitions all come from Merriam Webster. 

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