5-letter words with K as the 2nd letter and I as the 3rd letter

The fixed middle letters make this a compact search: the pattern is _KI__. Most entries begin with S, so SKILL, SKIRT, and SKIES are easier to spot than the few A- and E-starting alternatives. Six entries are common, while the full set includes specialist vocabulary and spellings that are less familiar at the board.

At a glance: the SKI pattern

• 25 tournament-dictionary entries have K in position two and I in position three.
• 22 start with S; AKITA and AKING start with A, while EKING starts with E.
• SKILL, SKIRT, SKIES, and SKINS are among the six common words in the set.
• Collins lists all 25; ENABLE has 21, and NWL2023 has 20.
• SKIFF and SKIVY tie for the top base score at 15 points each.

5-letter words with K as the 2nd letter and I as the 3rd letter

S overwhelms the other opening letters: 22 of the 25 entries begin with it. The three exceptions are AKITA, AKING, and EKING. Word endings spread out more; seven finish in S, while E, G, L, R, T, and Y each close two words.

Changing the third letter gives a useful sense of how narrow this pattern is. K in position two with E in position three has 27 matches, just two more than this set; switching to A cuts the count to 14. Keep the I fixed when your known letters point to _KI__.

For points, SKIFF and SKIVY lead at 15 each. SKIMP and SKINK score 13, while SKIVE and SKIEY score 12. SKIFF is the more familiar of the tied leaders, but both can beat the more everyday SKILL or SKIRT on a plain board.

Dictionary coverage is not identical across games: 21 entries appear in ENABLE and 20 in NWL2023, against all 25 in Collins. Only six are common, and 23 have definitions, so obscure entries deserve a quick check against your game’s word list before you commit.