Why This Tiny List Matters More Than A Big One
There are 124 two letter words. That is a list you can learn in an afternoon, and it is the single highest return on effort in the game, because two letter words are what let you play parallel: laying a word alongside one already on the board so every touching pair also has to be valid. One parallel play can score more than a seven letter word on open squares.
The Ones Worth Real Points
Ranked on bare tile value, the best are QI, ZA, ZO, AX, EX, JA, topping out at 11 points before any premium square. QI and ZA are the two that decide games, because they let you dump the two highest value tiles in the bag without needing a U or a long build.
How To Actually Learn Them
Not alphabetically. Learn them grouped by the letter you are trying to get rid of: the four that take a Q, the ones that take a Z, the ones that take an X. That is the order you will need them in. The full list with scores is on the two letter words page, and the three letter list is the next one worth the effort.
More like this in the guides index, or put your own letters into the Word Unscrambler.