5-letter words with H as the 1st letter and D as the 3rd letter

The pattern is H?D??: H is fixed in the first spot, D in the third, and the remaining three letters vary. Collins lists all 17 matches, while ENABLE and NWL2023 each list 14. Only five qualify as common by our word-frequency measure, so expect a mix of familiar words and specialist vocabulary rather than 17 everyday guesses.

H?D?? Words at a glance

• 17 tournament-dictionary words match H?D??.
• Collins lists 17 matches; ENABLE and NWL2023 each list 14.
• Five matches fall in the common-word group.
• Four words end in D, while three end in A.
• HADJI and HODJA lead the scores at 16 points apiece.

Which H-D words are familiar or high-scoring?

HEDGE, HIDES, HYDRO, HYDRA, and HADES are recognizable examples among the 17 matches. The score leaders are less everyday: HADJI and HODJA each score 16, HEDGY scores 13, and HYDRO and HYDRA score 12 apiece. HEDGE scores 10.

Two matches appear in the Wordle answer list, and all 17 match the allowed-guess list. The dictionary totals differ: Collins has 17 entries, compared with 14 each in ENABLE and NWL2023. Check your game's word list before playing an unfamiliar candidate.

How to narrow the H-first, D-third pattern

Keep the frame H?D?? visible while testing letters. The endings give a useful first cut: four matches end in D, three in A, and two each in R and S. If your clue fixes the last letter, those groups quickly reduce the candidates.

Some examples show how much the final letters change the result: HADES ends in S, HEDGE in E, HYDRO in O, and HADST in T. Once you know another position, compare it with the pattern rather than swapping out the fixed H or D. For a larger pool, the six-letter pattern with H first and D third has 40 matches.