The grid

Two-letter words

One hundred and seven of them in NASPA Word List 2023 / NWL2023. Parallel plays, hooks, and tight boards all run through this list. QI is the only Q.

107 words

  • AA

    rough lava

    2
  • AB

    an abdominal muscle

    4
  • AD

    an advertisement

    3
  • AE

    one, in Scots

    2
  • AG

    agriculture

    3
  • AH

    to exclaim ah

    5
  • AI

    a three-toed sloth

    2
  • AL

    an East Indian tree

    2
  • AM

    first person of be

    4
  • AN

    indefinite article

    2
  • AR

    the letter R

    2
  • AS

    to the same degree

    2
  • AT

    in the position of

    2
  • AW

    to express sympathy

    5
  • AX

    a chopping tool

    9
  • AY

    an affirmative vote

    5
  • BA

    the soul, in Egyptian myth

    4
  • BE

    to exist

    4
  • BI

    a bisexual person

    4
  • BO

    a pal

    4
  • BY

    a side issue; near

    7
  • DA

    a heavy Burmese knife

    3
  • DE

    of; from (in names)

    3
  • DO

    to perform

    3
  • ED

    education

    3
  • EF

    the letter F

    5
  • EH

    to express doubt

    5
  • EL

    an elevated railway

    2
  • EM

    a printing measure

    4
  • EN

    a printing measure

    2
  • ER

    used to express hesitation

    2
  • ES

    the letter S

    2
  • ET

    past of eat (dialect)

    2
  • EW

    used to express disgust

    5
  • EX

    a former spouse

    9
  • FA

    a musical note

    5
  • FE

    a Hebrew letter

    5
  • GI

    a martial-arts uniform

    3
  • GO

    to move along

    3
  • HA

    a sound of surprise

    5
  • HE

    a male person

    5
  • HI

    an expression of greeting

    5
  • HM

    used to express thought

    7
  • HO

    to cry ho

    5
  • ID

    a part of the psyche

    3
  • IF

    a condition

    5
  • IN

    to enclose

    2
  • IS

    third person of be

    2
  • IT

    a neuter pronoun

    2
  • JO

    a sweetheart, in Scots

    9
  • KA

    the spirit, in Egyptian myth

    6
  • KI

    the vital force; variant of qi

    6
  • LA

    a musical note

    2
  • LI

    a Chinese unit of distance

    2
  • LO

    look; see

    2
  • MA

    mother

    4
  • ME

    the objective case of I

    4
  • MI

    a musical note

    4
  • MM

    an expression of satisfaction

    6
  • MO

    a moment

    4
  • MU

    a Greek letter

    4
  • MY

    belonging to me

    7
  • NA

    no, in Scots

    2
  • NE

    born with the name of

    2
  • NO

    a negative reply

    2
  • NU

    a Greek letter

    2
  • OD

    a hypothetical force

    3
  • OE

    a whirlwind off the Faroes

    2
  • OF

    coming from

    5
  • OH

    to exclaim oh

    5
  • OI

    a shout to attract attention

    2
  • OK

    all right

    6
  • OM

    a mantra

    4
  • ON

    to go on

    2
  • OP

    a style of abstract art

    4
  • OR

    gold, in heraldry

    2
  • OS

    a bone

    2
  • OW

    used to express pain

    5
  • OX

    a bovine animal

    9
  • OY

    a grandchild, in Scots

    5
  • PA

    father

    4
  • PE

    a Hebrew letter

    4
  • PI

    a Greek letter

    4
  • PO

    a chamber pot

    4
  • QI

    the vital force

    11
  • RE

    a musical note

    2
  • SH

    used to urge silence

    5
  • SI

    a musical note

    2
  • SO

    to the extent that

    2
  • TA

    an expression of thanks

    2
  • TE

    a musical note

    2
  • TI

    a musical note

    2
  • TO

    in the direction of

    2
  • UH

    used to express hesitation

    5
  • UM

    used to express hesitation

    4
  • UN

    one, in dialect

    2
  • UP

    to raise

    4
  • US

    the objective case of we

    2
  • UT

    the musical note do

    2
  • WE

    the first person plural

    5
  • WO

    woe

    5
  • XI

    a Greek letter

    9
  • XU

    a Vietnamese monetary unit

    9
  • YA

    you, in dialect

    5
  • YE

    you, in archaic English

    5
  • YO

    used to attract attention

    5
  • ZA

    a pizza

    11

Power twos

J, Q, X, and Z are the tiles you cannot afford to sit on. These are the only two-letter exits.

A1
X8

a chopping tool

9
E1
X8

a former spouse

9
J8
O1

a sweetheart, in Scots

9
O1
X8

a bovine animal

9
Q10
I1

the vital force

11
X8
I1

a Greek letter

9
X8
U1

a Vietnamese monetary unit

9
Z10
A1

a pizza

11