687 words · highest scoring is wiz at 15 points
687Words
3 Letter Word Finder
Three-letter words are where most Scrabble and Words With Friends points quietly come from. They fit almost anywhere, they hook onto longer words, and the high-value ones can post a surprising score for so few tiles. The full list is above; below are the ones worth committing to memory.
High-value three-letter plays
Because points scale with tile values, the 3 letter words that matter most are the ones packing a J, Q, X or Z: ZAX, QAT, FEZ, JEU, WIZ, ZAP, JAB and FIX. Land one of those on a double- or triple-letter square and a three-tile play can outscore a clumsy seven-tile one.
Hooks and extensions
Three-letter words are the glue of a Scrabble board. Learn the front and back hooks — CAT becomes SCAT or CATS, HER becomes HERS or THER-less options nearby — and you can extend existing words for points without ever building something new from scratch.
A worked example
Concrete example: FEZ scores 15 points before any premium squares, and ZAX scores 19. Drop either onto a double-letter tile under the Z and a three-tile play can out-score a sloppy seven-tile one — the reason short, high-value words are worth memorising.
3-letter words worth knowing
Here are a few three-letter words that punch above their weight:
- ZAX — a tool for cutting roofing slate — a rare Z and X in one word.
- QAT — a leafy shrub; another way to play a Q without a U.
- FEZ — the brimless hat; a compact, high-scoring Z word.
- JEU — a game (as in jeu d'esprit) — a tidy home for a stray J.
- WIZ — an expert; three common-ish tiles for a strong score.
How to use this 3 letter word list
Sort the list above by Scrabble points to find your highest-scoring option, or switch to alphabetical order to browse. Use the dictionary filters to match Scrabble and Words With Friends, and toggle Common Words Only to hide the obscure entries when you just want words people actually know.
Word tools that help
Browsing for a puzzle rather than a board game? Get a spoiler-free nudge from today's Wordle hint or Quordle Hint Today, narrow a Wordle grid with the Wordle Solver, or feed a scrambled rack into the Unscramble tool to see every word your letters can make.
3 Letter Words at a Glance
Highest Scoring 3 Letter Words
- wiz15
- biz14
- coz14
- zip14
- fax13
- fix13
- fox13
- hex13
Common 3 Letter Words
- aba5
- bra5
- eff9
- hid7
- lie3
- one3
- rim5
- tho6
3 Letter Words Defined
- abaAbbreviation · 5 points
- (in the UK) Amateur Boxing Association
- coxNoun · 12 points
- a coxswain, especially of a racing boat
- ginNoun · 4 points
- a clear alcoholic spirit distilled from grain or malt and flavoured with juniper berries
- lieVerb · 3 points
- (of a person or animal) be in or assume a horizontal or resting position on a supporting surface
- peeVerb · 5 points
- urinate
- spyNoun · 8 points
- a person employed by a government or other organization to secretly obtain information on an enemy or competitor
3 Letter Words: Questions
How many three letter words are there?
There are 687 three letter words in our dictionary, and 687 of them are common words most players will already know.
What is the highest scoring word among three letter words?
WIZ is the highest scoring option at 15 points, counting tile values only and before any double or triple squares.
What are some common three letter words?
ABA, GIN, PEE are among the most familiar three letter words. Select any word in the list to read its definition.
Are these three letter words valid in Scrabble and Words With Friends?
Every word is drawn from a tournament word list, so most are playable everywhere. Use the dictionary selector to narrow the list to Scrabble US (NWL2023), Scrabble UK (CSW24) or Words With Friends and see only the words that game accepts.