Menu
Find words

5-letter words with P as the 1st letter and X as the 3rd letter

5-letter words with P as the 1st letter and X as the 3rd letter have 10 tournament-dictionary matches, including PIXEL and PYXED.

10 wordsTop pick PIXELHighest score PYXED 18

2 of 10 are everyday words (20%). A mix of familiar words and game-only finds.

  • 1st letter
  • A
  • B
  • C
  • D
  • E
  • F
  • G
  • H
  • I
  • J
  • K
  • L
  • M
  • N
  • O
  • P
  • Q
  • R
  • S
  • T
  • U
  • V
  • W
  • X
  • Y
  • Z

With P in 1st place, R is the most common 3rd letter (98 words). The bar under each letter shows the size of its list.

  • Length
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6
  • 7
  • 8
  • 9
  • 10
  • 11
  • 12
  • 13
  • 14
  • 15

Best words to play first 10 · most-used first

  • PIXEL14
  • PIXIE14
  • PYXIS17
  • POXED15
  • POXES14
  • PAXES14
  • PIXES14
  • PYXED18
  • PYXES17
  • PYXIE17
All valid words 10

A to Z. Includes rare and Collins-only words. Linked tiles open the word's meaning, score and rhymes.

  • PAXES14
  • PIXEL14
  • PIXES14
  • PIXIE14
  • POXED15
  • POXES14
  • PYXED18
  • PYXES17
  • PYXIE17
  • PYXIS17

Highest-scoring words

Scrabble and Words With Friends points, before board bonuses
WordScrabbleWords With FriendsDictionaries
PYXED1818Collins only
PYXIS1717All three
PYXES1717All three
PYXIE1717All three
POXED1516All three
PIXEL1416All three
PIXIE1415All three
POXES1415All three
PAXES1415All three
PIXES1415All three

The pattern P-X-__ narrows the search to a compact set, but it mixes familiar words with less common plays. PIXEL and PIXIE are the clearest everyday entries; PYXIS and PYXED are worth spotting when a rack or board makes unusual letters pay. Five of the ten matches end in S, so check the final square before settling on a guess.

5-letter words with P as the 1st letter and X as the 3rd letter

  • Ten words match the P-X-__ pattern across the tournament dictionaries.
  • Collins lists all ten matches; ENABLE and NWL2023 each list nine.
  • PIXEL and PIXIE are the two entries counted as common.
  • Five matches end in S; two end in D, two in E, and one in L.

Which P-X words score highest?

PYXED leads the score list at 18 points, followed by PYXIS, PYXES, and PYXIE at 17 each. Those spellings put the valuable X to work, so they stand out when you can place the letter on a premium square.

POXED scores 15, while PIXEL, PIXIE, POXES, PAXES, and PIXES each score 14. PIXEL and PIXIE are easier to recognize, but the less familiar PYX forms outrank them on a plain-board score.

For Wordle, two of these words appear among the answers, and all ten are allowed guesses. That makes the pattern a narrow fit for a known clue, not a broad opener: the answer pool here is much smaller than the guess pool.

When should you use this P-and-X pattern?

Tip

PYXED scores 18, but a premium letter square can change the play. Check the board before choosing a word for its base score alone.

Questions people ask

How many five-letter words start with P and have X third?
There are 10 tournament-dictionary matches for P-X-__. PIXEL and PIXIE are the two common entries, while PYXED, PYXIS, and PYXES are among the higher-scoring options.
What is the highest-scoring P-X word?
PYXED is the highest scorer at 18 points. PYXIS, PYXES, and PYXIE follow at 17 points each, before any bonuses from premium board squares in a game.
Can you use these words as Wordle guesses?
All 10 pattern matches are allowed guesses, but only two also appear in the answer list. Treat the answer count and guess count separately when narrowing a Wordle clue.

Keep going