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

The DU middle is one of the thinnest patterns in five-letter play, with just 16 matches. Six close in S and three in E, and the vocabulary leans Latin: MODUS, REDUX, NIDUS, NODUS, and SEDUM all read like borrowed nouns. Only UNDUE counts as common, so most of the list is specialist material.

A thin Latin-flavoured list with one standout

• 16 matches place D in slot three and U in slot four.
• REDUX leads the group at 13 points, powered by its X.
• MODUS, NIDUS, NODUS, and REDUX are Latin borrowings.
• S ends six matches and E ends three, with the rest spread thin.
• UNDUE is both the only Wordle answer and the only common match.
• HUDUD and KUDUS, both on 10 points, are the closest challengers to REDUX.

Why so few words use D and U together

DU pairs awkwardly in English, which explains the low count. Neighbouring patterns pull far more: O-third, U-fourth reaches 45 matches and R-third, U-fourth reaches 35. The 16 that survive split between borrowed nouns and verbs such as ENDUE, INDUE, and REDUB.

The endings reinforce that split. S closes six matches, E three, and M two, giving forms like NIDUS, UNDUE, and SEDUM. Even S, the busiest ending, covers only six of the 16, so no single final letter dominates.

Scores and entries that cross both tournaments

REDUX stands alone at 13. HUDUD and KUDUS follow at 10, then VODUN and WUDUS at 9, with MODUS, SEDUM, REDUB, LEDUM, and PUDUS at 8. Most leaders depend on a Z, X, K, V, or W, since D and U add only 3 points between them.

Only 13 of the 16 entries carry a dictionary definition, and ENABLE recognises 11 against Collins's full 16 and NWL2023's 12. UNDUE is the familiar one, so check your game's list before you play the rest.