5-letter words with K as the 1st letter and E as the 2nd letter

The fixed K-E opening narrows the search to a compact set, but the endings vary: 23 words finish in S, while seven finish in Y. Only three entries rank among the commonest English words, so expect a mix of familiar choices and tournament vocabulary. KEBAB, KETCH, and KEEPS are recognizable starting points.

KE word facts at a glance

• There are 58 five-letter entries with K first and E second.
• S is the most frequent final letter, appearing in 23 matches.
• KEMPY, KERKY, and KEXES each score 16 points in Scrabble.
• Collins includes 57 entries; NWL2023 includes 42 and ENABLE includes 37.
• One word in the pattern is both a Wordle answer and a tournament-dictionary entry.

Which KE words score highest?

KEMPY, KERKY, and KEXES lead at 16 points apiece, with KECKS next at 15. KETCH, KEECH, KENCH, KELPY, and KEDGY each score 14, making the final letters matter as much as the shared opening.

For a quick board scan, check the unusual consonants first: X lifts KEXES, while P and Y give KEMPY its top score. The ending pattern offers another shortcut: nearly two-fifths of the matches end in S, so test that slot early when your rack or crossing letters allow it.

How to use 5-letter words starting KE

KEBAB, KEEPS, and KETCH are easier to recognize than many entries here, but familiarity is not the same as broad game acceptance. Collins lists 57 of these words, compared with 42 in NWL2023; check your game's word list before relying on a less familiar option.

Only three matches count as common by our frequency measure, and the single matching Wordle answer is included in the allowed-guess count. That makes the pattern more useful for narrowing a known clue than for choosing a broad opening guess. For another route, compare five-letter K-A words or keep the K-E start while adding a letter.