# Aphabetic letter pairs in words **URL:** \ **Category:** Thread Games\ **Created:** [November 17, 2016, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aphabetic-letter-pairs-in-words/772271 "2016-11-17T17:32:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 35
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2016, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aphabetic-letter-pairs-in-words/772271/681 "2016-12-03T04:31:03Z")
ZW: zweiback ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2016, 8:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aphabetic-letter-pairs-in-words/772271/682 "2016-12-03T08:41:54Z")
YT: byte ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2016, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aphabetic-letter-pairs-in-words/772271/683 "2016-12-03T12:57:02Z")
ZX = zzxjoanw a word that has plagued lexicographers for decades. Ostensibly a type of Maori drum (or fife), it’s been labeled a hoax since Dmitri A. Borgmann’s _Language on Vacation_ - 1965. It still shows up as a lexical entry from time to time. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2016, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aphabetic-letter-pairs-in-words/772271/684 "2016-12-03T14:13:54Z")
ZY = fuzzy. The last one is easy. I’ll hand it off. ---
**Author:** ![PrimalEnvy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/85f322/32.png) [@PrimalEnvy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PrimalEnvy)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2016, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aphabetic-letter-pairs-in-words/772271/685 "2016-12-03T14:20:42Z")
ZZ: Zyzzyva. Also, ZY. And that’s the end of the first round! ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2016, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aphabetic-letter-pairs-in-words/772271/686 "2016-12-03T14:22:53Z")
> [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](#): > > ZX = zzxjoanw > > a word that has plagued lexicographers for decades. Ostensibly a type of Maori drum (or fife), it’s been labeled a hoax since Dmitri A. Borgmann’s _Language on Vacation_ - 1965. It still shows up as a lexical entry from time to time. There’s not much left to do here, except to thank you all for your participation… But this word deserves a discussion by itself, as a sort if a post-mortem: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/utQotpAPCOQ/maxresdefault.jpg "How to Pronounce Zzxjoanw") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utQotpAPCOQ) ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2016, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aphabetic-letter-pairs-in-words/772271/687 "2016-12-03T15:38:34Z")
Now let’s do it backwards ZA - zany ---
**Author:** ![PrimalEnvy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/85f322/32.png) [@PrimalEnvy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PrimalEnvy)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2016, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aphabetic-letter-pairs-in-words/772271/688 "2016-12-03T16:01:25Z")
Backwards like ZA-ZZ, YA-YB? ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2016, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aphabetic-letter-pairs-in-words/772271/689 "2016-12-04T03:13:53Z")
Why not backwards like ZZ-ZA, YZ-YA, etc.? Players will get different words than they got in the first round. ---
**Author:** ![Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b487fb/32.png) [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walken_After_Midnight)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2016, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aphabetic-letter-pairs-in-words/772271/690 "2016-12-04T03:48:33Z")
Or first and last letters of the word, as in, AA: armada AB: Ahab AC: almanac Although it may be impossible… 😃 ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2016, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aphabetic-letter-pairs-in-words/772271/691 "2016-12-04T04:53:14Z")
AD: ambled ---
**Author:** ![Ignotus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ecc23a/32.png) [@Ignotus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ignotus)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2016, 10:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aphabetic-letter-pairs-in-words/772271/692 "2016-12-04T10:55:40Z")
AE: age ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2016, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aphabetic-letter-pairs-in-words/772271/693 "2016-12-04T11:26:21Z")
AF: aardwolf ---
**Author:** ![Ignotus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ecc23a/32.png) [@Ignotus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ignotus)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2016, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aphabetic-letter-pairs-in-words/772271/694 "2016-12-04T12:12:54Z")
AG: among ---
**Author:** ![Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b487fb/32.png) [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walken_After_Midnight)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2016, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aphabetic-letter-pairs-in-words/772271/695 "2016-12-04T12:41:35Z")
AH: awash ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2016, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aphabetic-letter-pairs-in-words/772271/696 "2016-12-04T12:43:52Z")
AI = alumni ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2016, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aphabetic-letter-pairs-in-words/772271/697 "2016-12-04T13:49:44Z")
AJ: swaraj ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2016, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aphabetic-letter-pairs-in-words/772271/698 "2016-12-04T13:50:48Z")
AK- Ask ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2016, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aphabetic-letter-pairs-in-words/772271/699 "2016-12-04T13:52:52Z")
AL = autumnal ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2016, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aphabetic-letter-pairs-in-words/772271/700 "2016-12-04T14:13:40Z")
AM: aluminum [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aphabetic-letter-pairs-in-words/772271.md?page=34) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aphabetic-letter-pairs-in-words/772271.md?page=36)