3 letter words
Three letters is where English starts to look like English. There are 972 of them here, and 822 are words you would use in a sentence without thinking, which makes this list useful for a spelling lesson as well as for a tight board.
Have the letters but not the word?
What are the best three letter words to know?
The ones with awkward letters. ZAX, JEU, PYX and QAT turn a tile nobody wants into a play, and they fit into gaps a longer word cannot reach. Learn the odd ones first: the ordinary three letter words will already be sitting in your head without any effort.
The full list
Alphabetical, grouped by first letter. Every word on this page is in the list, nothing is cut off.
Starting with A 71
- aah
- aal
- aas
- aba
- abo
- abs
- aby
- ace
- act
- add
- ado
- ads
- adz
- aff
- aft
- aga
- age
- ago
- aha
- aid
- ail
- aim
- ain
- air
- ais
- ait
- ala
- alb
- ale
- all
- alp
- als
- alt
- ama
- ami
- amp
- amu
- ana
- and
- ane
- ani
- ant
- any
- ape
- apt
- arb
- arc
- are
- arf
- ark
- arm
- ars
- art
- ash
- ask
- asp
- ass
- ate
- att
- auk
- ava
- ave
- avo
- awa
- awe
- awl
- awn
- axe
- aye
- ays
- azo
Starting with B 52
- baa
- bad
- bag
- bah
- bal
- bam
- ban
- bap
- bar
- bas
- bat
- bay
- bed
- bee
- beg
- bel
- ben
- bet
- bey
- bib
- bid
- big
- bin
- bio
- bis
- bit
- biz
- boa
- bob
- bod
- bog
- boo
- bop
- bos
- bot
- bow
- box
- boy
- bra
- bro
- brr
- bub
- bud
- bug
- bum
- bun
- bur
- bus
- but
- buy
- bye
- bys
Starting with C 37
- cab
- cad
- cam
- can
- cap
- car
- cat
- caw
- cay
- cee
- cel
- cep
- chi
- cis
- cob
- cod
- cog
- col
- con
- coo
- cop
- cor
- cos
- cot
- cow
- cox
- coy
- coz
- cry
- cub
- cud
- cue
- cum
- cup
- cur
- cut
- cwm
Starting with D 47
- dab
- dad
- dag
- dah
- dak
- dal
- dam
- dap
- daw
- day
- deb
- dee
- del
- den
- dev
- dew
- dex
- dey
- dib
- did
- die
- dig
- dim
- din
- dip
- dis
- dit
- doc
- doe
- dog
- dol
- dom
- don
- dor
- dos
- dot
- dow
- dry
- dub
- dud
- due
- dug
- dui
- dun
- duo
- dup
- dye
Starting with E 39
- ear
- eat
- eau
- ebb
- ecu
- edh
- eel
- eff
- efs
- eft
- egg
- ego
- eke
- eld
- elf
- elk
- ell
- elm
- els
- eme
- emf
- ems
- emu
- end
- eng
- ens
- eon
- era
- ere
- erg
- ern
- err
- ers
- ess
- eta
- eth
- eve
- ewe
- eye
Starting with F 48
- fad
- fag
- fan
- far
- fas
- fat
- fax
- fay
- fed
- fee
- feh
- fem
- fen
- fer
- fet
- feu
- few
- fey
- fez
- fib
- fid
- fie
- fig
- fil
- fin
- fir
- fit
- fix
- fiz
- flu
- fly
- fob
- foe
- fog
- foh
- fon
- fop
- for
- fou
- fox
- foy
- fro
- fry
- fub
- fud
- fug
- fun
- fur
Starting with G 44
- gab
- gad
- gae
- gag
- gal
- gam
- gan
- gap
- gar
- gas
- gat
- gay
- ged
- gee
- gel
- gem
- gen
- get
- gey
- ghi
- gib
- gid
- gie
- gig
- gin
- gip
- git
- gnu
- goa
- gob
- god
- goo
- gor
- got
- gox
- goy
- gul
- gum
- gun
- gut
- guv
- guy
- gym
- gyp
Starting with H 49
- had
- hae
- hag
- hah
- haj
- ham
- hao
- hap
- has
- hat
- haw
- hay
- heh
- hem
- hen
- hep
- her
- hes
- het
- hew
- hex
- hey
- hic
- hid
- hie
- him
- hin
- hip
- his
- hit
- hmm
- hob
- hod
- hoe
- hog
- hon
- hop
- hot
- how
- hoy
- hub
- hue
- hug
- huh
- hum
- hun
- hup
- hut
- hyp
Starting with I 19
- ice
- ich
- ick
- icy
- ids
- iff
- ifs
- ilk
- ill
- imp
- ink
- inn
- ins
- ion
- ire
- irk
- ism
- its
- ivy
Starting with J 23
- jab
- jag
- jam
- jar
- jaw
- jay
- jee
- jet
- jeu
- jew
- jib
- jig
- jin
- job
- joe
- jog
- jot
- jow
- joy
- jug
- jun
- jus
- jut
Starting with K 27
- kab
- kae
- kaf
- kas
- kat
- kay
- kea
- kef
- keg
- ken
- kep
- kex
- key
- khi
- kid
- kif
- kin
- kip
- kir
- kit
- koa
- kob
- koi
- kop
- kor
- kos
- kue
Starting with L 44
- lab
- lac
- lad
- lag
- lam
- lap
- lar
- las
- lat
- lav
- law
- lax
- lay
- lea
- led
- lee
- leg
- lei
- lek
- let
- leu
- lev
- lex
- ley
- lez
- lib
- lid
- lie
- lin
- lip
- lis
- lit
- lob
- log
- loo
- lop
- lot
- low
- lox
- lug
- lum
- luv
- lux
- lye
Starting with M 47
- mac
- mad
- mae
- mag
- man
- map
- mar
- mas
- mat
- maw
- max
- may
- med
- mel
- mem
- men
- met
- mew
- mho
- mib
- mid
- mig
- mil
- mim
- mir
- mis
- mix
- moa
- mob
- moc
- mod
- mog
- mol
- mom
- mon
- moo
- mop
- mor
- mos
- mot
- mow
- mud
- mug
- mum
- mun
- mus
- mut
Starting with N 34
- nab
- nae
- nag
- nah
- nam
- nan
- nap
- naw
- nay
- neb
- nee
- net
- new
- nib
- nil
- nim
- nip
- nit
- nix
- nob
- nod
- nog
- noh
- nom
- noo
- nor
- nos
- not
- now
- nth
- nub
- nun
- nus
- nut
Starting with O 45
- oaf
- oak
- oar
- oat
- obe
- obi
- oca
- odd
- ode
- ods
- oes
- off
- oft
- ohm
- oho
- ohs
- oil
- oka
- oke
- old
- ole
- oms
- one
- ons
- ooh
- oot
- ope
- ops
- opt
- ora
- orb
- orc
- ore
- ors
- ort
- ose
- oud
- our
- out
- ova
- owe
- owl
- own
- oxo
- oxy
Starting with P 62
- pac
- pad
- pah
- pal
- pam
- pan
- pap
- par
- pas
- pat
- paw
- pax
- pay
- pea
- pec
- ped
- pee
- peg
- peh
- pen
- pep
- per
- pes
- pet
- pew
- phi
- pht
- pia
- pic
- pie
- pig
- pin
- pip
- pis
- pit
- piu
- pix
- ply
- pod
- poh
- poi
- pol
- pom
- pop
- pot
- pow
- pox
- pro
- pry
- psi
- pub
- pud
- pug
- pul
- pun
- pup
- pur
- pus
- put
- pya
- pye
- pyx
Starting with Q 2
- qat
- qua
Starting with R 49
- rad
- rag
- rah
- raj
- ram
- ran
- rap
- ras
- rat
- raw
- rax
- ray
- reb
- rec
- red
- ree
- ref
- reg
- rei
- rem
- rep
- res
- ret
- rev
- rex
- rho
- ria
- rib
- rid
- rif
- rig
- rim
- rin
- rip
- rob
- roc
- rod
- roe
- rom
- rot
- row
- rub
- rue
- rug
- rum
- run
- rut
- rya
- rye
Starting with S 62
- sab
- sac
- sad
- sae
- sag
- sal
- sap
- sat
- sau
- saw
- sax
- say
- sea
- sec
- see
- seg
- sei
- sel
- sen
- ser
- set
- sew
- sex
- sha
- she
- shh
- shy
- sib
- sic
- sim
- sin
- sip
- sir
- sis
- sit
- six
- ska
- ski
- sky
- sly
- sob
- sod
- sol
- son
- sop
- sos
- sot
- sou
- sow
- sox
- soy
- spa
- spy
- sri
- sty
- sub
- sue
- sum
- sun
- sup
- suq
- syn
Starting with T 57
- tab
- tad
- tae
- tag
- taj
- tam
- tan
- tao
- tap
- tar
- tas
- tat
- tau
- tav
- taw
- tax
- tea
- ted
- tee
- teg
- tel
- ten
- tet
- tew
- the
- tho
- thy
- tic
- tie
- til
- tin
- tip
- tis
- tit
- tod
- toe
- tog
- tom
- ton
- too
- top
- tor
- tot
- tow
- toy
- try
- tsk
- tub
- tug
- tui
- tun
- tup
- tut
- tux
- twa
- two
- tye
Starting with U 15
- udo
- ugh
- uke
- ulu
- umm
- ump
- uns
- upo
- ups
- urb
- urd
- urn
- use
- uta
- uts
Starting with V 21
- vac
- van
- var
- vas
- vat
- vau
- vav
- vaw
- vee
- veg
- vet
- vex
- via
- vie
- vig
- vim
- vis
- voe
- vow
- vox
- vug
Starting with W 38
- wab
- wad
- wae
- wag
- wan
- wap
- war
- was
- wat
- waw
- wax
- way
- web
- wed
- wee
- wen
- wet
- wha
- who
- why
- wig
- win
- wis
- wit
- wiz
- woe
- wog
- wok
- won
- woo
- wop
- wos
- wot
- wow
- wry
- wud
- wye
- wyn
Starting with X 1
- xis
Starting with Y 27
- yah
- yak
- yam
- yap
- yar
- yaw
- yay
- yea
- yeh
- yen
- yep
- yes
- yet
- yew
- yid
- yin
- yip
- yob
- yod
- yok
- yom
- yon
- you
- yow
- yuk
- yum
- yup
Starting with Z 12
- zag
- zap
- zax
- zed
- zee
- zek
- zig
- zin
- zip
- zit
- zoa
- zoo
822 of these are common enough to be in everyday use. Turn on the filter above to hide the rest.
Three letter words carry most of the traffic in a word game. They fit in the gaps, they hook onto words already down, and they let you dump a letter that is blocking your rack without giving up your position. A player who knows this list will beat a player who only knows long words.
For anyone teaching reading rather than playing, the three letter list is the classic phonics set: consonant, vowel, consonant, one sound each. Filter to the common words above and what is left is close to the vocabulary a five year old is expected to sound out.
Other word lengths
The same complete list treatment for every length from 2 to 15 letters.
Five letter words by starting letter
Each letter has its own page with the full list and notes on how that letter behaves at five letters.