5-letter words with S as the 3rd letter and O as the 4th letter

The pattern fixes S in slot three and O in slot four, leaving the first, second, and last letters open. Among 27 tournament-listed matches, MASON, ARSON, and BISON are the clearest everyday choices. The less familiar entries still matter in word games, but only four matches rank among common English words.

Quick facts about the S-O pattern

• 27 tournament-dictionary words fit the _ _ S O _ pattern.
• Collins includes all 27; NWL2023 accepts 17 and ENABLE accepts 16.
• Only 4 matches fall in the common-word group; MASON and BISON are familiar anchors.
• Nine entries end in N, more than any other final letter; seven end in S.
• HYSON tops the scoring list at 11 points, ahead of SYSOP at 10.

5-letter words with S as the 3rd letter and O as the 4th letter

HYSON is the score leader at 11 points, with SYSOP next at 10. Both outrank BOSOM and BESOM, each worth 9, so less familiar options beat recognizable words on a plain letter tally.

VISOR, LYSOL, VISON, RESOW, and HUSOS each score 8. The fixed S and O stay constant, while the other letters account for the spread in the scores.

MASON scores 7, while ARSON and BISON are among the familiar examples rather than the high scorers. If you are playing for points, weigh the word's score against whether it is accepted in your game.

Which first and last letters narrow the choices?

Starting letters cluster around B: six words begin there, compared with four beginning M and three beginning A. BOSOM, BESOM, and BISON make B a strong branch to check when the first tile is unknown.

At the other end, N leads with nine matches, and S follows with seven. Those endings account for 16 of the 27 words; D, L, M, and T contribute two each. If you know the last tile, start with N or S.

Dictionary coverage is uneven: Collins has 27 matches, versus 17 in NWL2023 and 16 in ENABLE. The full set is not a universal tournament list, so check your game's word list before treating an obscure answer as playable.