5-letter words with E as the 2nd letter and Y as the 3rd letter

The fixed pattern is _ E Y _ _, leaving the first and last letters open. KEYED is the familiar-looking standout, but these 11 entries are far from everyday vocabulary: none falls within the top 25,000 English words by frequency, and only five are defined.

5-letter words with E second and Y third: at a glance

• Eleven tournament-dictionary entries fit the pattern _ E Y _ _.
• F starts three words; G and K start two each, while H, M, P, and S start one apiece.
• D and R are the most common final letters, with three matches each; N ends two.
• FEYLY leads Scrabble scoring at 14 points, ahead of KEYED at 13.
• None ranks among the top 25,000 English words by frequency, and five have definitions.

Which matches score highest?

FEYLY is the top raw-tile scorer at 14 points. KEYED follows at 13, while KEYER, HEYED, and FEYED each score 12. The gap between the leader and the three-way tie is only two points, so the board position can matter more than the tile total.

For a score-minded play, FEYLY is the standout; for a more recognizable entry, KEYED is easier to spot. Those are different advantages: a strong letter total does not guarantee a playable word in every game. Check the board’s premium squares before choosing between them.

What makes this pattern hard to use?

The fixed Y in the third slot leaves only two open positions, and most matches are uncommon. Start by checking the first letter: F accounts for three entries, while G and K account for two each. Then test endings D or R, which lead with three matches apiece.

Dictionary coverage is uneven: Collins includes 10 matches, NWL2023 includes four, and ENABLE includes three. Those counts overlap, so they do not add up to 11 distinct words. If a game rejects an unfamiliar entry, check its word list rather than assuming every dictionary accepts the same set.