5-letter words with C as the 3rd letter and E as the 4th letter

The pattern is __CE_: C and E stay together near the end, while the first two letters and final letter vary. FACES, FACED, RACES and RACED show familiar forms sharing that frame. Fourteen matches rank among common English words, so the group combines everyday options with less familiar tournament vocabulary.

5-letter words with C as the 3rd letter and E as the 4th letter

• 62 tournament-dictionary words match the __CE_ pattern.
• Collins includes 60; NWL2023 includes 53; ENABLE includes 48.
• FACES, FACED, RACES and RACED are recognizable examples.
• EXCEL and HACEK each score 14 points.
• Only 8 matches are Wordle answers.

Which endings narrow down the pattern?

S is the leading final letter, with 24 matches; R ends 11 and D ends 10. FACES, PACES and LACES illustrate the S group, while FACED, RACED and PACED finish in D.

Check those endings early if __CE_ is all you know. The starting letters offer another route: L begins 8 matches, F and R each begin 7, and D and P each begin 6.

That distribution makes the opening pair worth testing before you abandon the fixed center. Compare LACED, FACED and RACED: each keeps C and E in place but changes the first letters.

How do these words work in Wordle and Scrabble?

The 8 Wordle-answer matches are a small subset of the 62 tournament entries. Use __CE_ to narrow possible answers, rather than treating every playable word as a likely solution.

For 5-letter words with C as the 3rd letter and E as the 4th letter, EXCEL and HACEK lead the tile scores at 14 points each. FYCES scores 13, and PACEY scores 12.

EXCEL is more familiar than HACEK, but an unusual word can still top a score list. Coverage also varies: Collins includes 60 matches, against 53 in NWL2023 and 48 in ENABLE.

That difference matters when you try a less familiar word in a game. Check your game's word list before relying on an entry that may not appear in every dictionary.