Short Scrabble Words With Z, X, J and Q
Q and Z are worth 10 points in Scrabble, and J and X are worth 8. Yet many players groan when they draw them, because long words containing these letters are hard to fit on a crowded board. The answer is short words. If you know the two- and three-letter words that use these tiles, you can almost always play them, often on a premium square and often in two directions at once.
Every word below is in our dictionary of about 168,000 English words, which is based on the public-domain ENABLE word list. Points are face value, before premium squares.
The two-letter words
These are the most valuable words to learn in the whole game:
| Letter | Two-letter words | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Q | QI | 11 |
| Z | ZA | 11 |
| J | JO | 9 |
| X | AX, EX, OX, XI, XU | 9 each |
X is the friendliest of the four: it has five two-letter words. That means you can usually place an X next to a vowel already on the board and score with it twice, once across and once down.
Three-letter words with Z
AZO (12), BIZ (14), COZ (14), FEZ (15), WIZ (15), ZAG (13), ZAP (14), ZAX (19), ZED (13), ZEE (12), ZIG (13), ZIN (12), ZIP (14), ZIT (12), ZOO (12).
Three-letter words with J
HAJ (13), JAB (12), JAG (11), JAM (12), JAR (10), JAW (13), JAY (13), JET (10), JIB (12), JIG (11), JOB (12), JOE (10), JOG (11), JOT (10), JOY (13), JUG (11), JUT (10), RAJ (10), TAJ (10).
Three-letter words with X
AXE (10), BOX (12), FAX (13), FIX (13), FOX (13), HEX (13), LAX (10), MAX (12), MIX (12), OXO (10), PAX (12), POX (12), SAX (10), SIX (10), TAX (10), TUX (10), VEX (13), WAX (13), ZAX (19). There are more than thirty in total; these are the most useful.
Three-letter words with Q
Only three, and two of them avoid needing a U: QAT (12), QUA (12), SUQ (12). For more, see our list of Q-without-U words.
How to score big with them
- Aim for the triple-letter square. A Z or Q on a triple-letter square is worth 30 points from that tile alone.
- Play in two directions. Placing the X of AX where it also makes XI going down counts the X twice.
- Use hooks. Many of these words take an S or another letter at the end (ZAP to ZAPS, JAM to JAMS), so you can add to words already on the board.
- Do not hold them too long. A Q or Z left on your rack at the end of the game counts against you.
Our dictionary is not the official tournament word list, and casual apps sometimes use their own lists, so check unusual words before relying on them. Scrabble is a registered trademark of Hasbro in the US and Canada and of Mattel elsewhere. EasyUnscramble is independent and not affiliated with either.
Related reading: Q without U · Scrabble bingo stems
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