A big part of getting better at word games is simply recognizing more short words on sight. Below are handy reference lists of common two-, three-, and four-letter words. They are great for any word puzzle — including WordBlockCrush — when a board looks tight and you need a quick, reliable play. Note that the exact words accepted can vary by dictionary; treat these as a study aid rather than a guarantee.
Why short words matter
In a tight spot, a two- or three-letter word keeps your streak going and clears tiles so fresh letters drop in. Two-letter words in particular are easy to overlook, yet knowing a dozen of them turns dead boards into points. Skim these lists a few times and the words start to jump out at you while you play.
Common two-letter words
Short but mighty — perfect when space is limited:
AAABADAEAGAHAIALAMANARASATAWAXAYBABEBIBOBYDADEDOEDEFEHELEMENERESETEXFAFEGOHAHEHIHMHOIDIFINISITJOKAKILALILOMAMEMIMOMUMYNANENONUODOEOFOHOIOKOMONOPOROSOWOXOYPAPEPIQIRESHSISOTATETITOUHUMUNUPUSUTWEWOXIXUYAYEYOZA
Useful three-letter words
The workhorses of word games. Most boards have several of these hiding in plain sight:
ACEAIDAIMAIRALEANTAPEARCARMARTASHATEBADBAGBANBARBATBAYBEDBEEBEGBETBIDBIGBINBITBOABOGBOWBOXBOYBUDBUGBUNBUSBUTBUYCABCANCAPCARCATCOBCODCOGCOTCOWCRYCUBCUECUPCUTDABDAMDAYDENDEWDIGDIMDINDIPDOEDOGDOTDRYDUEDUGDYEEAREATEBBEELEGGEGOELFELKELMENDERAEVEEWEEYEFADFANFARFATFEDFEEFEWFIGFINFIRFITFIXFLYFOEFOGFORFOXFRYFUNFURGAPGASGELGEMGETGIGGINGODGOOGOTGUMGUNGUTGUYHADHAGHAMHASHATHAYHEMHENHERHEWHIDHIMHIPHISHITHOEHOGHOPHOTHOWHUBHUEHUGHUMHUTICEICYILKILLIMPINKINNIONIREIRKITSIVYJABJAGJAMJARJAWJAYJETJIGJOBJOGJOTJOYJUGJUTKEGKEYKIDKINKITLABLADLAGLAPLAWLAXLAYLEDLEGLETLIDLIELIPLITLOBLOGLOTLOWMADMANMAPMARMATMAWMAYMENMETMIDMIXMOBMODMOMMOPMOWMUDMUGMUMNABNAGNAPNAYNETNEWNIBNILNIPNOBNODNORNOTNOWNUBNUNNUTOAFOAKOAROATODDODEOFFOFTOHMOILOLDONEOPTORBOREOUROUTOWEOWLOWNPADPALPANPARPATPAWPAYPEAPEGPENPEPPERPETPEWPIEPIGPINPITPLYPODPOPPOTPOWPROPRYPUBPUGPUNPUPPUSPUTRAGRAMRANRAPRATRAWRAYREDREVRIBRIDRIGRIMRIPROBRODROEROTROWRUBRUERUGRUMRUNRUTRYESADSAGSAPSATSAWSAYSEASEESETSEWSHESHYSINSIPSIRSITSIXSKISKYSLYSOBSODSONSOPSOWSOYSPASPYSTYSUBSUESUMSUNSUPTABTADTAGTANTAPTARTATTAXTEATENTHETHYTICTIETINTIPTOETONTOOTOPTOTTOWTOYTRYTUBTUGTUTTWOUSEVANVATVETVEXVIAVIEVIMVOWWADWAGWANWARWASWAXWAYWEBWEDWEEWETWHOWHYWIGWINWITWOEWOKWONWOOWOWWRYYAKYAMYAPYAWYEAYESYETYEWYOUZAGZAPZEDZIGZIPZITZOO
Handy four-letter words
Four letters is the sweet spot between easy to find and worth solid points. A selection to widen your vocabulary:
ABLEACIDAEROAGEDAKINALSOAQUAAREAARMYAUNTAUTOAWAYAXISBABYBACKBAKEBALDBALLBANDBANKBAREBARNBASEBASHBEADBEAMBEANBEARBEATBELLBELTBENDBESTBIKEBILLBIRDBITEBLEDBLOBBLOWBLUEBOATBODYBOLDBOLTBONDBONEBOOKBOOMBOOTBOREBORNBOSSBOTHBOWLBRANBRATBRAYBREWBROWBUSYBUZZCAGECAKECALFCALLCALMCAMECAMPCANECARDCARECARTCASECASHCASTCAVECELLCHATCHEWCHINCHIPCITYCLADCLAMCLANCLAPCLAWCLAYCLIPCLOGCLUBCLUECOALCOATCODECOINCOLDCOLTCOMBCOMECONECOOKCOOLCOPECOPYCORDCORECORKCORNCOSTCOVECRABCREWCRIBCROPCROWCUBECURBCURECURLDAREDARKDARTDASHDATADATEDAWNDEAFDEALDEANDEARDEBTDECKDEEDDEEPDEERDESKDIALDICEDIETDIMEDINEDIREDIRTDISHDIVEDOCKDOESDOLLDOMEDONEDOOMDOORDOSEDOVEDOWNDRAGDRAWDREWDRIPDROPDRUMDUCKDUETDUKEDULLDUNEDUSKDUSTEACHEARLEARNEASEEASTEASYEDGEEDITEGGSEPICEVENEVEREVILEXAMEXITFACEFACTFADEFAILFAIRFALLFAMEFARMFASTFATEFEARFEATFEEDFEELFEETFELLFELTFERNFILEFILLFILMFINDFINEFIREFIRMFISHFISTFIVEFLAGFLATFLEDFLEEFLEWFLEXFLIPFLOWFOAMFOLDFOLKFONDFONTFOODFOOLFOOTFORDFORKFORMFORTFOULFOURFOWLFREEFROGFROMFUELFULLFUNDFUSEGAINGALEGAMEGANGGAPEGASPGATEGAVEGAZEGEARGENEGERMGIFTGILDGIRLGIVEGLADGLEEGLOWGLUEGOALGOATGOLDGOLFGONEGOODGOWNGRABGRAYGREWGRIDGRIMGRINGRIPGROWGULFGULLGURUGUSHHACKHAILHAIRHALFHALLHALTHANDHANGHARDHAREHARMHASHHATEHAULHAVEHAWKHAZEHEADHEALHEAPHEARHEATHEEDHEELHEIRHELDHELPHERBHERDHEREHEROHIDEHIGHHIKEHILLHINTHIREHISSHIVEHOLDHOLEHOMEHOODHOOFHOOKHOPEHORNHOSEHOSTHOURHUGEHULLHUNTHURLHURTHUSHHYMNICONIDEAIDLEINCHINTOIRONITCHITEMJADEJAILJAZZJEEPJERKJOKEJOLTJUMPJUNKJURYJUSTKEENKEEPKELPKEPTKICKKILNKINDKINGKISSKITEKNEEKNEWKNITKNOBKNOTKNOWLACELACKLAIDLAKELAMBLAMPLANDLANELARDLASHLASTLATELAVALAWNLAZYLEADLEAFLEAKLEANLEAPLEFTLENDLENSLESSLIARLICELICKLIFELIFTLIKELIMELIMPLINELINKLIONLISTLIVELOADLOAFLOANLOCKLOFTLONELONGLOOKLOOMLOOPLORDLOSELOSSLOSTLOUDLOVELUCKLUMPLUNGLURELUSHLUTEMADEMAIDMAILMAINMAKEMALEMALLMALTMANEMANYMAREMARKMASHMASKMASTMATEMATHMAZEMEALMEANMEATMELTMENDMENUMEREMESHMESSMICEMILDMILEMILKMILLMIMEMINDMINEMINTMISTMOANMOATMOCKMODEMOLDMOLEMONKMOODMOONMOREMOSSMOSTMOTHMOVEMUCHMULEMULLMUTENAILNAMENAPENAVYNEARNEATNECKNEEDNESTNEWSNEXTNICENINENODENOONNOSENOTENOUNNUDENUMBOATHOBEYODDSOGREOILYOKAYOMENONCEONLYONTOOPALOPENORALOUCHOURSOVALOVENOVEROWEDOWESOWLSPACEPACKPACTPAGEPAIDPAILPAINPAIRPALEPALMPANEPANTPARKPARTPASSPASTPATHPAVEPAWNPEAKPEALPEARPEATPECKPEEKPEELPEERPELTPESTPICKPIERPILEPILLPINEPINKPINTPIPEPLANPLAYPLEAPLOTPLOWPLUGPLUMPLUSPOEMPOETPOKEPOLEPOLLPONDPONYPOOLPOORPOREPORKPORTPOSEPOSTPOURPRAYPREPPREYPROPPUFFPULLPULPPUMPPUNKPUREPUSHQUADQUAYQUIDQUIPQUITQUIZRACERACKRAFTRAGERAIDRAILRAINRAKERAMPRANKRANTRARERASHRATERAVEREADREALREAPREARREEDREEFREELRELYRENDRENTRESTRICERICHRIDERIFTRINGRINKRIOTRIPERISERISKROADROAMROARROBEROCKRODEROLEROLLROOFROOMROOTROPEROSEROVERUBYRUDERUINRULERUSHRUSTSACKSAFESAGASAGESAIDSAILSAKESALESALTSAMESANDSANESANGSANKSASHSAVESCABSCANSCARSEALSEAMSEATSEEDSEEKSEEMSEENSEEPSELFSELLSENDSENTSHEDSHINSHIPSHOESHOPSHOTSHOWSHUTSICKSIDESIFTSIGHSIGNSILKSILLSILOSINGSINKSIRESITESIZESKIDSKIMSKINSKIPSLABSLAMSLAPSLEDSLIDSLIMSLIPSLOTSLOWSLUGSLUMSMUGSNAPSNIPSNOWSOAKSOAPSOARSOCKSODASOFASOFTSOILSOLDSOLESOLOSOMESONGSOONSORESORTSOULSOUPSOURSPANSPARSPEDSPINSPITSPOTSPUNSPURSTABSTAGSTARSTAYSTEMSTEPSTEWSTIRSTOPSTUBSTUDSTUNSUCHSUITSUNGSUNKSURESWAMSWANSWAPSWAYSWIMTACKTAILTAKETALETALKTALLTAMETANKTAPETASKTEALTEAMTEARTELLTENDTENTTERMTESTTEXTTHANTHATTHAWTHEMTHENTHEYTHINTHISTHUDTHUSTICKTIDETIDYTIEDTILETILLTILTTIMETINTTINYTIRETOADTOILTOLDTOLLTOMBTONETOOKTOOLTORNTOSSTOURTOWNTRAPTRAYTREETREKTRIMTRIOTRIPTROTTRUETUBETUCKTUNATUNETURFTURNTWIGTWINTYPEUGLYUNDOUNITUNTOUPONURGEUSEDUSERVAINVALEVANEVARYVASEVASTVEALVEILVEINVERBVERYVESTVETOVIALVIBEVICEVIEWVINEVISAVOIDVOLTVOTEWADEWAGEWAILWAITWAKEWALKWALLWANDWANTWARDWARMWARNWARPWARTWASHWASPWAVEWEAKWEARWEEDWEEKWEEPWELDWELLWENTWEREWESTWHATWHENWHIPWHIRWHITWHIZWHOMWICKWIDEWIFEWILDWILLWILTWINDWINEWINGWINKWIPEWIREWISEWISHWITHWOKEWOLFWOODWOOLWORDWOREWORKWORMWORNWRAPWRENYARDYARNYAWNYEARYELLYOGAYOLKYOREYOURZEROZONEZOOM
How to use these lists
- Read a list, then close it and try to recall ten words from memory — recall is what helps mid-game.
- Focus first on two-letter words; they are the easiest to miss and the quickest to play.
- Notice families (CAT, COT, COG / RING, KING, SING) — spotting one often reveals several.
- When you find a short word in-game, check whether an extra letter makes it longer for more points.
Ready to put them to work? Jump back into the game, or read our tips and strategy for more ways to score.