5-letter words with R as the 3rd letter and I as the 4th letter

Only nine of the 106 words rank as common, yet ten are Wordle answers, a reminder that the answer list reaches past everyday vocabulary. The endings are unusually spread: 24 close in S, 14 in C, 11 in A and 11 in E. Rare tiles decide the scores, with VARIX, XERIC, ZORIS and ZORIL all reaching 14 or more.

How many five-letter words have R third and I fourth?

• The three dictionaries combine to 106 words.
• Collins has 103 of them, NWL2023 74 and ENABLE 69.
• Only nine rank as common, but ten are Wordle answers.
• The answers include STRIP, MERIT, LYRIC, PERIL and EERIE.
• VARIX is the top scorer at 15 points.

The -IS and -IC endings set the tone

Twenty-four words end in S and 14 end in C, which together account for more than a third of the list. The S group is full of classical forms such as PARIS, SARIS, LORIS and NORIS, while the C group holds the adjectival -IC words: LYRIC, PYRIC, XERIC, DORIC and BORIC.

A further 11 words end in A and 11 in E, and D closes ten. N follows with eight, then G and P with five apiece. That spread means a fixed final letter rarely narrows this list to a handful, unlike tighter R patterns where a single ending dominates.

Rare tiles, not common words, top the table