3-letter words with C as the 2nd letter

This pattern is unusually narrow: only 13 three-letter entries have C in the middle, compared with 261 for A. Six rank among common English words, so familiar choices sit beside less everyday options. The opening letters split mainly between A and I, while H is the most frequent final letter.

How many 3-letter words have C as the 2nd letter?

• There are 13 qualifying words across the tournament dictionaries.
• Six of the 13 are common by English word-frequency ranking.
• A and I each begin 4 entries; E begins 3 and O begins 2.
• H ends 4 words, while E and K each end 2.
• ENABLE includes 8 entries, Collins 12, and NWL2023 11.

Which letters surround the middle C?

A and I tie as the most frequent first letters, with four words apiece. That puts ACT and ACE alongside forms such as ICH and ICK; E contributes three beginnings, and O contributes two. Eleven of the 13 words carry definitions, so most are documented even when they look unfamiliar.

The endings are less balanced. H closes four words, while E and K close two each; A, O, T, U, and Y each appear once at the end. If the final tile is fixed, H gives you the largest group to test.

Which middle-C words score most, and where are they accepted?

ACK and ICK tie for the top Scrabble score at 9 points each. ICY, ICH, ACH, OCH, and ECH score 8, while familiar ACT, ICE, and ACE score 5 apiece. The shorter-looking common options are not the top scorers here.

For 3-letter words with C as the 2nd letter, dictionary coverage is a real constraint: Collins accepts 12 entries, NWL2023 accepts 11, and ENABLE accepts 8. Eleven have definitions, but acceptance still varies by game, so check your game's word list before playing an unfamiliar form.