5-letter words with T as the 1st letter and A as the 2nd letter

The T-A opening has 26 common words, but its full tournament pool reaches far beyond everyday vocabulary. TAKEN, TAKES, TABLE, TASTE, and TASTY are familiar choices; TAZZA and TAZZE are better known as high-value tile plays than ordinary clue answers. The last-letter pattern gives another way to cut candidates.

Pattern facts at a glance

• The pattern has 163 tournament-dictionary entries.
• Collins includes 158, NWL2023 includes 117, and ENABLE includes 103.
• A total of 26 entries qualify as common words by frequency.
• Final S leads with 56 words; final Y follows with 17.

Which examples and endings narrow the set?

Final S is the clear leader: 56 of the 163 words end in S, compared with 17 ending in Y. A and R tie at 16 each, then E appears 12 times. That drop after S makes the last tile a strong clue when you have already fixed T and A.

The contrast between everyday forms and the 24-point ceiling matters in different games. A rack with familiar consonants can still support several endings, while premium-score candidates rely on less routine spelling. Sort by known positions before spending a turn on a long shot.

Taking and target are easy to scan because their opening is fixed, but the list also includes tablet, tackle, and tavern. A clue may distinguish an action from an object before the final letter is known. When it does not, the ending counts offer a better filter than guessing from the initial pair alone. The broad 269-word pool rewards checking every revealed square.

A practical clue check

Yes: 23 matches appear in the Wordle answer list, and 162 are allowed guesses. The two counts describe different pools, so don’t assume every tournament entry is available as a guess. When solving, use the familiar examples TAKEN, TABLE, or TASTE to think through likely letter placements without treating them as confirmed answers.

For Scrabble scoring, TAZZA and TAZZE lead at 23 points apiece. TACKY, TAFFY, and TALAQ each score 14, well above the 7.7 average for this pattern. The double-Z words are striking score plays; everyday words such as TAKEN are easier to recognize but do not top the scoring list.

The unusual high scorers also show a limitation: a word can be valuable on a score sheet and still be unfamiliar in a clue. Check your game's word list before relying on TAZZA or TAZZE, and use a known word such as TABLE when your priority is a recognizable candidate.