5-letter words with T as the 2nd letter and N as the 4th letter

The pattern is _T_N_: T is fixed in the second slot, and N in the fourth. Of 26 matches, 22 begin with S, so most candidates follow ST___, as in STAND, STONE, STING, and STUNK. Just four start with another letter: two A words, one C word, and one E word, and that uneven opening is the quickest way to narrow a clue.

At a glance: the pattern's key facts

• The _T_N_ pattern has 26 matches across tournament dictionaries.
• S begins 22 matches; A begins two, while C and E each begin one.
• Eight matches rank as common words by our frequency measure.
• Eleven matches are Wordle answers, while 25 are allowed guesses.
• STINK, STANK, STUNK, and STONK each score 9 Scrabble points.

Which words fit this five-letter pattern?

Recognizable matches cluster around ST___: STAND, STONE, STUNT, STING, STINT, STINK, STONY, STUNG, and STUNS all fit. ATONE is a clear break from the dominant opening, with ATONY as another A-starting option. This is a narrow pattern, not a general list of five-letter words containing T and N; both letters have fixed slots.

Wordle has 11 answer matches but 25 allowed guesses, so its guess pool is larger than its answer pool. Treat an allowed guess as a probe, not proof that the word can be an answer. The final letter remains open: E, G, K, and S each end four matches, making those endings good places to start.

5-letter words with T 2nd and N 4th: scores and limits

STINK, STANK, STUNK, and STONK lead at 9 Scrabble points apiece; STONY and ATONY follow at 8. The pattern's average score is 6.2, so those four are standouts rather than a typical result. Board bonus squares change the total after the tile values are counted.

Dictionary coverage varies: Collins includes 25 matches, NWL2023 includes 19, and ENABLE includes 16. The 26-word total combines entries across those tournament lists, not a guarantee that every game accepts every match. Check your game's list before relying on less familiar forms such as STONG or STONK.