5-letter words with L as the 1st letter and A as the 4th letter

The fixed shape is L _ _ A _, with the second, third, and fifth letters open; the shared A fixes only the fourth square. LOCAL, LEGAL, and LOYAL make the pattern easy to spot, while LILAC changes the ending. Only six entries rank among the commonest English words; other matches include less familiar forms such as LIMAN and LORAL.

5-letter words with L first and A fourth at a glance

• Exactly 40 tournament-dictionary entries fit L _ _ A _.
• Collins includes 37, NWL2023 includes 33, and ENABLE includes 29; the dictionaries overlap.
• LOCAL, LEGAL, LOYAL, and LILAC are recognizable matches.
• LAZAR and LIMAX top the tile scores at 14 points apiece.
• Six matches meet the common-word frequency cutoff.

Which 5-letter words have L first and A fourth?

Start with the fixed positions, then test the open middle pair. LOCAL has O-C in the middle, LEGAL uses E-G, and LOYAL uses O-Y; each ends in L. LILAC ends in C, while LAVAS and LAMAS finish in S.

S ends 12 matches, N ends nine, and R ends six. S and N together account for 21 of 40, just over half, so test those endings first when the last square is open. The five L-ending words form a smaller branch; familiar LOCAL and LEGAL can make that ending seem more common than it is.

Which matches score highest in Scrabble?

LAZAR and LIMAX lead the 5-letter words with L first and A fourth, each worth 14 points before premium squares. The next listed group scores eight: LOYAL, LOHAN, LAVAS, LOVAT, LATAH, LAHAR, LOWAN, and LEVAS. The 6.9 average makes those 14-point leaders outliers, and both are less familiar than LOCAL or LEGAL.

Dictionary reach changes across the same fixed pattern: Collins covers 37 entries, NWL2023 33, and ENABLE 29. The counts overlap, so they do not divide the 40 words into separate groups. With only six common matches, expect many candidates to be unfamiliar; check your game's word list before playing one you don't know.