5-letter words with N as the 3rd letter and U as the 4th letter

The pattern is _ _ N U _, leaving the first, second and final letters open. BONUS, VENUE and MINUS show how different those slots can look, while the set also reaches less familiar entries such as LINUM and TENUE. Nine words count as common, and nine finish in S, making the ending worth checking when your clue is partial.

At a glance: the N-U pattern

• All 23 words place N third and U fourth.
• Collins accepts 23; NWL2023 accepts 18, while ENABLE accepts 17.
• Nine are common, including BONUS, VENUE and MINUS.
• Nine end in S; M is the most frequent first letter, with four words.
• LINUX leads the Scrabble scores at 12 points, ahead of FANUM at 10.

Which N-U words are most familiar?

BONUS, VENUE, MINUS, MENUS, DONUT and SINUS are recognizable starting points. The less familiar end includes LINUM, TENUE and CONUS, so a valid guess may still feel obscure. Nine of the 23 entries count as common; the rest stretch beyond everyday vocabulary.

For a clue with N and U fixed, use familiar candidates to test the pattern before reaching for unusual entries. BONUS, VENUE and DONUT vary the open letters, while MENUS and MINUS show how a final S appears in several plausible words.

How does this pattern narrow Wordle guesses?

Six words in this set also appear in the Wordle answer list, and all 23 are listed as allowed guesses. With N and U fixed in positions three and four, vary the first two letters and the final letter. BONUS, VENUE and MINUS demonstrate different combinations without moving either known letter.

Nine candidates finish in S, so checking that ending can rule out a large share of the options. But avoid treating S as a sure thing: several matches end in other letters, including VENUE, DONUT and LINUM.

One limitation is dictionary coverage: Collins has all 23 words, while NWL2023 has 18 and ENABLE has 17. Check your game's word list before relying on an unfamiliar guess such as FANUM or TENUE.