X Marks the Spot: Making the Most of 152 Words
Starting a word with X is English at its most borrowed. Nearly every X-starter traces back to Greek: XERIC (dry), XENON (a noble gas), XYLOPHONE, XENOPHOBIA. The entire collection runs just 152 words — the smallest starting-letter group in the dictionary. But scarcity is power in word games. Knowing even ten X-starters puts you ahead of most players because they've never bothered to learn them. In Scrabble, the critical entries are XI (the 14th Greek letter, worth 9 points) and XU (a Vietnamese monetary unit, also 9 points). These two-letter words are your emergency valves when you draw an X tile and the board is cramped. In crosswords, XI shows up regularly as fill, and XYST (an ancient garden walk) appears more often than you'd expect in themed puzzles about architecture or antiquity.
Here's what makes X-starters unusual compared to other rare starting letters: the words tend to be longer than average. Only 8 words are two or three letters long, while 26 are nine letters. That's because Greek scientific and medical vocabulary — XEROGRAPHY, XYLOPHAGOUS, XENOTRANSPLANT — dominates the longer entries. The practical implication for Scrabble is that X-starting plays are rarely your best move; placing X mid-word (AXE, APEX, OXEN, LUXE) almost always scores better. Wordle virtually never uses X as a first letter, so save your X-testing for positions 2 through 5.
Tip: memorize XEBEC (a three-masted Mediterranean sailing vessel). It's six letters, uses common tiles around the X, and is accepted in all major word game dictionaries. It's the kind of word that wins tournament games. For related rare-letter strategies, browse words starting with Z and words starting with Q. Also try words starting with J for another single-tile high-scorer, and see words ending in L where AXIAL and similar X-containing words live.
FAQ
What are the only two-letter words starting with X?
XI and XU are the only two. XI is the 14th letter of the Greek alphabet, and XU is a Vietnamese monetary unit (1/100 of a dong). Both score 9 base points and are critical for tight Scrabble boards. For comparison, words starting with Z has ZA as its key two-letter play.
Is XRAY a valid word in Scrabble or crosswords?
No. Neither XRAY nor X-RAY is accepted in Scrabble dictionaries — hyphenated words are excluded, and the unhyphenated form isn't listed. Crossword puzzles occasionally use XRAY as an entry with a clue like "Medical image," but this varies by constructor and publication. Stick to validated X words like XEBEC, XERIC, and XENON for competitive play.
Should I ever start a word with X in Scrabble?
Rarely. X scores better inside words — AXE, OXEN, APEX, LUXE, EXAM — because you can land the X on a premium square more easily. Start with X only when the board forces it or when XI/XU fits a high-value parallel play. See words starting with Q for a similar situation where placement strategy matters more than the starting letter.