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5-letter words with S as the 2nd letter and S as the 3rd letter

The 12 5-letter words with S as the 2nd and 3rd letter include ISSUE, ASSET, and ESSAY; four are Wordle answers.

12 wordsTop pick ISSUEHighest score ASSEZ 14

6 of 12 are everyday words (50%). A friendly list: most players will know the top picks.

  • 3rd 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 S in 2nd place, S is the most common 3rd letter (12 words). The bar under each letter shows the size of its list.

  • Length
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
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Best words to play first 12 · most-used first

Showing the top 11 of 12 words. See every valid word

All valid words 12

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

Letters by positionIn 58% of these words the 1st letter is A.
1st letter
  1. A58%
  2. E17%
  3. I17%
4th letter
  1. E42%
  2. A33%
  3. U8%
5th letter
  1. I17%
  2. Y17%
  3. S17%

Highest-scoring words

Scrabble and Words With Friends points, before board bonuses
WordScrabbleWords With FriendsDictionaries
ASSEZ1414Collins only
ESSAY87All three
ASSAY87All three
ASSAM78Collins only
ISSUE56All three
ASSET55All three
ISSEI55All three
ESSES55All three
ASSAI55All three
OSSIA55All three
ASSOT55Collins only

Two S tiles in the middle narrow the search to a compact set: each answer follows the pattern _SS__. The opening letter does much of the sorting work, since seven entries start with A. ISSUE and ASSET are familiar choices, while the remaining words include less common forms and names, so check the exact pattern before trying a guess.

At a glance: what fits the SS pattern?

  • Exactly 12 tournament-dictionary words have S in both the second and third positions.
  • Six entries are common English words, including ISSUE, ASSET, and ESSAY.
  • Seven answers begin with A; E, I, and O account for the other openings.
  • Four of the words are Wordle answers, and all 12 are allowed guesses.
  • ASSEZ leads the Scrabble scores at 14 points.

Which 5-letter words have S in positions two and three?

The 12 matches are ISSUE, ASSET, ESSAY, ASSAM, ASSAY, ISSEI, ESSES, ASSAI, ASSEZ, OSSIA, ASSOT, and one additional entry. ISSUE, ASSET, and ESSAY are the most recognizable starting points; the pattern stays fixed while the first and last letters change.

Opening letters give you a quick filter: seven words start with A, while E and I each start two. Only one begins with O. At the other end, I, S, T, and Y each appear twice, so a known final letter can narrow the choices without changing the middle pair.

How do scores and Wordle fit this pattern?

ASSEZ is the scoring outlier at 14 points; ESSAY and ASSAY each score 8. ASSAM is next at 7, while ISSUE and ASSET score 5 apiece. Those are base word scores, so a premium square can change the board total.

The average score across the set is 6.4.

Wordle offers a particularly tight match: four answers follow this pattern, and every entry is also an allowed guess. The limitation is dictionary coverage: Collins lists all 12, but ENABLE and NWL2023 each include nine.

Check your game's word list before relying on a less familiar entry. For 5-letter words with S as the 2nd and 3rd letter, the spelling pattern alone does not guarantee acceptance in every game.

Questions people ask

How many five-letter words have SS in the middle?
Twelve tournament-dictionary words have S as both the second and third letters. ISSUE, ASSET, and ESSAY are familiar examples, and seven of the words begin with A. The fixed pattern is _SS__, with the first and last letters providing the remaining clues.
Which word in this pattern scores the most in Scrabble?
ASSEZ is the highest scorer at 14 points before board bonuses. ESSAY and ASSAY are next at 8 points each, followed by ASSAM at 7. Letter premiums and word premiums can raise the final play score.
Are all 12 words accepted in NWL2023?
No. NWL2023 includes nine of the 12 words, while Collins includes all 12. ENABLE also includes nine. The less familiar entries are where a game's dictionary choice matters, so verify the word list used in your match.

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