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

Fixing the middle letters gives you the pattern _ _ S T _. The 108 matches range from familiar words such as PASTE and NASTY to the high-scoring ZESTY. Endings are especially revealing: 51 words finish in S, while 21 finish in Y, so the final tile is a strong clue when you have already placed S and T.

At a glance: the S-T middle pattern

• There are 108 tournament-dictionary words with S third and T fourth.
• COSTS, WASTE, TASTE, and TESTS are familiar examples in the set.
• A total of 28 matches rank among the 25,000 most common English words.
• ZESTY leads the listed Scrabble scores at 17 points.

Which 5-letter words have S third and T fourth?

The pattern is _ _ S T _, and examples include PASTE, PASTA, COSTS, HOSTS, and LISTS. Several everyday choices have different endings: TASTE and WASTE finish with E, while NASTY and TASTY finish with Y.

The final S is the biggest group, with 51 matches; Y is next with 21. If your puzzle ends in S, try familiar options such as COSTS, TESTS, POSTS, or LASTS before reaching for a rarer entry.

The first letter is less concentrated: B and M each start 10 matches, while C, F, and P each start 9. Try those openings when your first two tiles are still uncertain.

How does this pattern work in Wordle and Scrabble?

For Wordle, 21 of these words appear in the answer list, and all 108 are recorded as allowed guesses. Treat that distinction seriously: a valid guess is not necessarily a possible answer. Once S and T are fixed, use the last-letter groups to narrow your options.

For Scrabble, ZESTY scores 17 points before board bonuses, while ZESTS scores 14. The unusual high scorers are not automatically the best plays: compare available squares and keep the familiar COSTS or TASTE in mind when they fit your rack.