5-letter words with D as the 3rd letter and A as the 4th letter

Two fixed tiles, D third and A fourth, still allow 31 tournament words because the DA pair proves productive. Ten count as common, and nine double as Wordle answers, among them CEDAR, RADAR, MEDAL, and PEDAL. Endings cluster hard: L and S each close nine matches.

Nine of these 31 matches are Wordle answers

• 31 matches carry D in slot three and A in slot four.
• CEDAR, MADAM, MEDAL, MODAL, PEDAL, RADAR, SEDAN, TIDAL, and TODAY are Wordle answers.
• MADAM and RADAR read the same forwards and backwards.
• L and S each end nine matches, and D and R close three apiece.
• ZEDAS tops the scoring list at 15 points, ahead of ADDAX at 14.

Why the D-A middle pulls in everyday words

A DA digraph in the middle suits ordinary vocabulary: TODAY, MEDAL, TIDAL, PEDAL, and SEDAN all qualify without strain. Frequency confirms the fit, with ten of the 31 counted as common. The sibling R-third, A-fourth pattern is busier still at 130 matches, so DA is strong rather than unique.

MADAM and RADAR share a rarer property: both are palindromes. They also finish on different letters, RADAR on R and MADAM on M, so the two mirror words never align at the end.

Five first letters tie for the lead with three matches apiece: D, M, N, R, and S. That spread keeps the openings varied, and it means an early guess of a single first letter rarely narrows the DA field by much.

Scoring and dictionary reach for D-A words

ZEDAS leads at 15 on its Z. ADDAX follows at 14 with a double D and an X, then JUDAS at 13. Base scores mislead, though: MADAM, HODAD, and DADAH each reach 10 while staying short of the leaders.

Dictionary coverage splits the group. NWL2023 lists 25 matches, ENABLE 23, and Collins 30 of the 31. Because those totals overlap, the pattern is not a guarantee across every tournament list, so check your game's word list before playing an unfamiliar entry.