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

Atigi, atilt, atimy, etics and utile are the five entries outside the STI- block. Eight matches are Wordle answers and six are common words, and the two sets overlap neatly: stick, stiff, still, sting, stink and stint are both. The top score is a three-way tie at 11 points.

What the STI- opening hides

• Twenty-three matches open with the STI- string.
• Atigi, atilt, atimy, etics and utile break that block.
• Eight matches serve as Wordle answers, about one in three.
• Stick, stiff and stivy share the top score, 11 points each.
• Six matches end in E, while S, K, T and Y end three apiece.

Which STI- words make the answer list?

Eight matches are Wordle answers: stick, stiff, still, stilt, sting, stink, stint and utile. Six of them are common words too, and utile is the odd one out as well as the only answer starting outside STI-. That is a strong hit rate for such a small group.

Etics is the mirror case in the other direction. It never appears as an answer and, unusually for this group, it is the single match that Collins omits, showing up only in NWL2023.

How do the STI- words score?

Stick, stiff and stivy share first place at 11 points, with stich, stimy and atimy next on 10. The typical word scores 7.2, since the fixed T and I are each worth a single point.

NWL2023 keeps 22 of the 28 matches and ENABLE keeps 19, while Collins holds 27. Etics is the one entry Collins lacks, so it is a poor bet away from North American play. Six matches end in E, and S, K, T and Y end three each, which leaves an even spread of endings to test.

Check your game's word list once before you rely on a rare form.