5-letter words with T as the 1st letter and N as the 3rd letter

The fixed pattern is T _ N _ _, so the second, fourth, and fifth letters do all the changing. You’ll see everyday choices such as TENSE, TENTH, and TUNED alongside less familiar entries. Fourteen words in the group rank among the most common English words, giving you a practical shortlist when the full set feels too broad.

The T-first, N-third pattern at a glance

• 67 tournament-dictionary words match T _ N _ _.
• TENDS, TENSE, TENTH, and TONIC are recognizable examples.
• Fourteen matches are among the commonest English words.
• S is the most frequent final letter, appearing in 21 words.
• TANKY is the top tile scorer at 12 points, with TENCH next at 10.
• Longer lists grow fast: 131 six-letter matches and 189 at seven letters.

Which letters finish the most T _ N _ _ words?

S leads by a clear margin: 21 of the 67 matches end in S. Y follows with 9, while A and E each finish 7 words. If your last tile is known, testing S first narrows this pattern faster than starting with the less common endings.

The examples show why the middle letters matter as much as the edges. TANKS and TENTS use different second letters, while TONES and TUNES keep the pattern but shift the vowel. Try those familiar forms before spending guesses on obscure possibilities.

How does this pattern work in Wordle and word games?

Ten words in this pattern appear among Wordle’s answer entries, and all 67 matches are listed as allowed guesses in the answer-and-guess data. That makes the pattern broader than the answer set: a word can fit the blanks and still be a guess rather than a possible solution.

Dictionary coverage also changes by game. Collins includes all 67 matches, while NWL2023 includes 52 and ENABLE includes 46. Check your game’s word list before relying on a less familiar entry; shared letter positions do not guarantee shared acceptance.