{"id":102814,"date":"2023-05-04T10:29:32","date_gmt":"2023-05-04T15:29:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/?p=102814"},"modified":"2023-05-10T10:11:52","modified_gmt":"2023-05-10T15:11:52","slug":"from-aa-to-za-memorize-every-two-letter-scrabble-word-with-these-5-tips-from-the-games-experts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/from-aa-to-za-memorize-every-two-letter-scrabble-word-with-these-5-tips-from-the-games-experts\/","title":{"rendered":"From ‘Aa’ to ‘Za:’ Memorize every two-letter Scrabble word with these 5 tips from the game\u2019s experts"},"content":{"rendered":"

By John Volk<\/strong><\/p>\n

Medill Reports<\/em><\/p>\n

Does your Scrabble rack leave you feeling like Old MacDonald? Don’t worry \u2014 there’s so much you can do with E-I-E-I-O.<\/p>\n

The game accepts 107 two-letter words, and 67 of them contain E, I or O. Learn all 107 and prepare to win your next family game night. These shorties unlock new ways to play multiple words at a time, double-dip on high-scoring words, exploit point-boosting squares and challenge your opponent’s “phonies” off the board.<\/p>\n

“It is crucial to the point where I won’t play anyone who doesn’t have them memorized,” said Doug Shaw, a math professor at the University of Northern Iowa who published a guide on memorizing the two-letter Scrabble words. “If I can use them and you can’t, you really don’t stand a chance.”<\/p>\n

With Scrabble turning 75 this year, here are the five best tips to memorize all 107 two-letter words and take your game to the next level.<\/p>\n

1. You already know a third of them<\/strong><\/p>\n

You’re already ahead of the game. In everyday conversation, the average English speaker uses about 35 of the two-letter words, like “as,” “in” and “so,” Shaw estimates.<\/p>\n

\"Doug
Doug Shaw’s common two-letter words in bold. (John Volk\/MEDILL)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Cross those off your list and you only need to memorize a more manageable 72.<\/p>\n

2. Lock down the heavy-hitters<\/strong><\/p>\n

If you can only memorize a few, make them count.<\/p>\n

John Chew, the chief executive officer of the North American Scrabble Players Association, recommends starting with all the J, Q, X and Z words: ax, ex, jo, ox, qi, xi, xu and za.<\/p>\n

“The easiest thing you can do to improve your skill as a beginning player is not even to learn all of the two-letter words, but just learn the two-letter words with the power tiles in them,” Chew said. “Often there’s an opportunity to play just that word on its own, with the power tile on a bonus square, to give you either 25, 31 points or something like that, and that in a beginning game can make the difference between winning and losing.”<\/p>\n

Take that concept to the next level by using your two-letter word knowledge in two directions. For example, if you find a triple letter score next to an I, place a Q on it and another I next to the Q to spell “qi” for a baseline of 62 points. “That’s going to swing most games in your favor,” Chew said.<\/p>\n

3. Break it into familiar groups<\/strong><\/p>\n

After you’ve eliminated the common words from the big 107, Shaw suggests grouping the remainder in as many ways as you can.<\/p>\n

“I looked at them, and I said, ‘OK, what’s the biggest group I can take out now?'” Shaw said. “I kept looking at what was left and finding a category I could take out, so I didn’t wind up saying, ‘The rest are miscellaneous.'”<\/p>\n

He formed groups like Chew’s power tiles, musical notes, letter names, interjections, Greek letters, Hebrew letters and slang.<\/p>\n

\"Grouped
Grouped two-letter Scrabble words. (John Volk\/MEDILL)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Then you only need to memorize 17 weird words in the miscellaneous category.<\/p>\n

\"Only
Only 17 miscellaneous words remain. (John Volk\/MEDILL)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

4. Quiz, quiz, quiz<\/strong><\/p>\n

Whether you break it up or go straight through the 107, practice is key.<\/p>\n

“Whenever you’re in a boring meeting or just doing something dull, write them out because there aren’t that many,” Shaw said. “Start with ‘aa’ and ‘ab’ and go all the way through ‘za.'”<\/p>\n

Shaw suggests printing out a small copy of the list to always keep on hand.<\/p>\n

A partner can help, said Cooper Komatsu, a top-10 Scrabble player in Illinois and two-time National Adult Spelling Bee champion. When he first learned the two-letter words at 5 years old, he would list them off to his mom in order, and she would check them off down a list, letting him know if he missed any.<\/p>\n

5. Set up your mental journey<\/strong><\/p>\n

The best memorization comes when you:<\/p>\n