XU is a Vietnamese monetary unit, equal to 1/100 of a dong. It's one of the highest-scoring 2-letter words in Scrabble and a crucial word for using the valuable X tile.
Yes. XU is in the Scrabble-style word list used by our tools and scores 9 points in Scrabble, 10 in Words With Friends and 10 in Wordfeud (base tile values, no board multipliers). Always check the dictionary your game uses (NWL, Collins or the WWF list) before playing.
| Letter | X | U | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scrabble | 8 | 1 | 9 |
| Words With Friends | 8 | 2 | 10 |
| Wordfeud | 8 | 2 | 10 |
XU represents a Vietnamese monetary unit that was historically worth 1/100 of a dong, the primary currency of Vietnam. While xu coins are no longer in circulation due to inflation, the word remains valuable in English word games as one of the highest-scoring two-letter words available.
In the context of Vietnamese currency, xu served a similar function to cents in the US dollar or pence in the British pound. The term entered English dictionaries through increased Western interaction with Vietnam during the 20th century, particularly during and after the Vietnam War.
For word game enthusiasts, XU is a strategic powerhouse. With the X tile worth 8 points in Scrabble, this two-letter word provides an efficient way to deploy one of the game's highest-value tiles. It's particularly useful for creating multiple words through perpendicular plays or for fitting into tight board spaces where longer X words won't work.
The word "xu" comes directly from Vietnamese, where it has been used since the French colonial period. The Vietnamese "xu" itself derived from the French word "sou," a small denomination coin in pre-decimal French currency.
Anagrams: no other word uses exactly the letters of XU.
Hooks: no front hooks; no back hooks.
Words inside XU: 0 shorter words can be made from these letters. See all words from XU.