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Common 3-letter words
The 60 most common, with their Scrabble points: the 16 most used that have a meaning, with a short one, then the rest, most used first. Every word links to its full meaning.
- new 6existing only a short time
- one 3used of a single unit or thing
- use 3to put into service
- see 3to perceive with the eyes
- web 8an intricate network suggesting something that was formed by weaving or interweaving
- now 6in the historical present
- get 4to obtain or acquire
- top 5the upper part of anything
- day 7the time between sunrise and sunset
- two 6being one more than one
- buy 8to purchase
- add 5to combine or join so as to bring about an increase
- set 3to put in a particular position
- map 7a diagrammatic representation of the earth's surface (or part of it)
- way 9a method of doing something
- car 5an automobile
3 letter words starting with…
3 letter words ending in…
3 letter words with…
The letter anywhere in the word.
Words by length
Highest-scoring 3-letter words
zzz scores the most (30), then ziz and zuz (21 each), then three words on 19, in Scrabble points before bonus squares.
| Word | Scrabble | Words With Friends | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| zzz | 30 | 30 | used to suggest the sound of snoring |
| ziz | 21 | 21 | |
| zuz | 21 | 22 | an ancient Hebrew silver coin |
| zex | 19 | 19 | |
| zax | 19 | 19 | a tool for cutting roof slates |
| jiz | 19 | 21 | |
| zek | 16 | 16 | an inmate in a Soviet labor camp |
| then eight words on 15 | |||
Among everyday words, zip scores the most (14), then five words on 13.
3-letter words by the numbers
- 1,350 3-letter words are in at least one of the three word lists we use: 1,081 in NWL2023 (Scrabble in the US and Canada), 1,345 in Collins Scrabble Words (most other countries) and 965 in ENABLE (the list Words With Friends started from).
- A starts the most of them (97), then S (91) and P (77). E ends the most (110).
- A is in more 3-letter words than any other letter: 402, or 30%.
- 145 words (11%) use a letter twice or more, and 45 have no A, E, I, O or U, 13 of them not even a Y, such as brr, cwm, grr.
Questions
How many 3-letter words are there?
1,350 across the three word lists, 1,081 of them good in North American Scrabble. About 209 are everyday words.
Which letter do most 3-letter words start with?
A, with 97 words. The fewest start with X (2).
Where do the words come from?
From NWL2023, Collins Scrabble Words and ENABLE, as on the rest of Unscramble ME (see How It Works). A word that only one game accepts is still listed; its page shows which games take it.