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3-letter words with X as the 2nd letter

Just four three-letter words have X as the second letter, and each one scores 10 or more.

4 wordsTop pick AXEHighest score OXY 13

1 of 4 are everyday words (25%). A mix of familiar words and game-only finds.

A is the most common 2nd letter in 3-letter words (261 words); J is the rarest (2). The bar under each letter shows the size of its list.

Best words to play first 4 · most-used first

  • AXE10
  • EXO10
  • OXY13
  • OXO10
All valid words 4

A to Z. Includes rare and Collins-only words. Linked tiles open the word's meaning, score and rhymes.

  • AXE10
  • EXO10
  • OXO10
  • OXY13

Highest-scoring words

Scrabble and Words With Friends points, before board bonuses
WordScrabbleWords With FriendsDictionaries
OXY1312All three
AXE1010All three
EXO1010Collins only
OXO1010All three

axe, exo, oxy and oxo are the whole list, and every one puts the X between two vowels. Only the J slot, on two words, is rarer in the middle of a three-letter word. The X tile alone carries 8 points, so the group averages 10.8 against 6.3 for three-letter words as a whole.

Four X words, at a glance

  • 4 three-letter words have X second: axe, exo, oxy and oxo.
  • Each one begins and ends with a vowel.
  • They average 10.8 points, close to double the 6.3 norm for three letters.
  • OXY leads on 13, while AXE, EXO and OXO tie on 10.
  • Only AXE is common English, and EXO is the one Collins-only entry.

One shape shared by all four

The frame is identical every time: vowel, X, vowel. O opens two of them, oxy and oxo, and the other two begin with A and E. English has no other three-letter word with an X in the middle.

Three of the four are playing words rather than everyday ones. oxy and exo come from Greek combining forms meaning sharp and outside, oxo marks a compound built with oxygen, and axe is the one that predates them all as a tool.

Why X scores so well in the middle

The X tile pays 8 on its own, and the average in this slot is 10.8. At three letters only a middle Z beats that, with 18.3, and a middle J comes next on 10.5.

Dictionary acceptance is the catch. Collins holds all four, NWL2023 and ENABLE hold three each, and exo is the word that fails both. Between them the four words use only three endings, O, E and Y.

Keep OXO spare for a tight board

Tip

oxo and exo look strange next to a real word, and both play in the right dictionary. Among these three-letter words with X second, keep oxo back until you need an X on a crowded board.

Questions people ask

How many three-letter words have X as the second letter?
Four: axe, exo, oxy and oxo. Only J fills the middle slot less often at this length, and every one of the four puts the X between two vowels.
What is the highest-scoring three-letter word with X second?
oxy, on 13 points, because it pairs the 8-point X with a 4-point Y. axe, exo and oxo all tie on 10, still well above the 6.3 average for three-letter words.
Are all four X-second words in every dictionary?
No. Collins takes all four, while NWL2023 and ENABLE take three each, so exo plays in Collins only. axe, oxy and oxo are safe in all three tournament lists.

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