5-letter words with M as the 2nd letter and A as the 4th letter

The pattern is _M_A_: M sits in the second slot, and A sits in the fourth. Across the combined tournament lists, 17 words fit, but only one is classed as common. That makes SMEAR the clearest everyday match; words such as UMIAQ and UMMAH are more notable for their letter scores than for ordinary conversation.

5-letter words with M as the 2nd letter and A as the 4th letter

• The combined tournament-dictionary count is 17 words.
• Five matches start with U, while four start with A.
• Four matches end in S; H and R each finish three.
• SMEAR is the sole common match and the sole matching Wordle answer.
• UMIAQ tops the Scrabble scoring list at 16 points.

Which of these pattern words fit Wordle?

SMEAR is the one answer-list match for this pattern, and all 17 words are recorded as allowed guesses. If your board shows _M_A_, SMEAR is the obvious everyday candidate; the other matches are far less familiar.

The starting-letter spread can narrow a clue quickly: U leads with five options, A follows with four, and E contributes three. At the other end, S is the most frequent final letter, appearing in four matches. Use those patterns to cut candidates, then check your game's accepted list.

What do the scores and dictionary counts show?

UMIAQ scores 16 points, ahead of UMMAH and EMBAY at 12 each. UMIAK and SMAAK each score 11. The top scorer is a specialist word, so a large face-value total does not make it the likeliest solution to a familiar-word clue.

The 17-word total combines entries from Collins, NWL2023 and ENABLE; their individual counts are 15, 9 and 7. Those counts overlap, so they are not three separate piles to add together. SMEAR offers the recognizable option, while UMIAQ is the scoring standout.

Compared with nearby patterns, M in the second slot pairs with E in the fourth in 23 words and with R in the fourth in 22. The A-fourth group is smaller, leaving fewer candidates when both positions are known.