2-letter words starting with F

F is worth 4 points, so each of these tiny words earns a respectable score for two tiles. They differ in how widely they are accepted, and that decides which of them you can play. Only FA appears in all of ENABLE, NWL2023 and Collins.

The three F words

• FA is valid in Collins, NWL2023 and ENABLE, and scores 5.
• FE is valid in Collins and NWL2023 but not ENABLE, and scores 5.
• FY is valid in Collins only and scores 8, from F at 4 and Y at 4.
• The average score of the trio is 6.
• FA ends in A, FE ends in E and FY ends in Y.

What do FA, FE and FY mean?

FA is the fourth note of the sol-fa scale. FE names a Hebrew letter. FY is an interjection of disgust or disapproval, found in Collins.

None of the three is in everyday use, but all three earn points as short parallel plays beside a longer word. A parallel play scores every word it forms, so a 5-point FA can add to a rack-clearing play elsewhere.

When should you play them?

Two-letter words are best used to score in two directions at once. Dropping an F beside an A or E on the board, for example, builds FA or FE and extends the word that sits across the lane.

FY is the highest scorer at 8 points but the narrowest in acceptance. Use it only where Collins is the agreed dictionary, and confirm that before you commit the tile.

Where do longer F words begin?

The two-letter set is tiny next to the longer ones: 61 three-letter words start with F, 256 four-letter words do, and 583 five-letter words do.

Once FA is on the board, a third letter often opens a larger play. Add an R, a D or an N and you have FAR, FAD or FAN, each worth 6 or 7 points. That is how a two-tile play grows into a longer one without needing a fresh lane.