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

The pattern is _ _ T _ C, with both the third and final tiles fixed. Only two of the 11 words rank among the most common English words, so familiar choices such as OPTIC and ATTIC stand out. Three match Wordle’s answer list, and all 11 appear in its allowed guesses.

What stands out in this T-and-C pattern?

• Exactly 11 tournament-dictionary words fit the _ _ T _ C pattern.
• Every match ends in C; the first two letters have the most variety.
• A begins three words, while L and O begin two each.
• Three entries are Wordle answers, and all 11 are allowed guesses.
• The average word score is 8.1 points.
• Ten of the 11 words have definitions.

Which words fit, and which score highest?

OPTIC, ATTIC, and ANTIC are among the more recognizable matches. The remaining examples include ARTIC, LYTIC, ONTIC, LOTIC, VATIC, METIC, ESTOC, and ICTIC. Together, the 11 words show how a fixed T and C can still leave a varied middle.

For Scrabble scoring, LYTIC and VATIC lead at 10 points each. OPTIC, METIC, and ICTIC score 9, while ATTIC, ARTIC, ANTIC, ONTIC, and LOTIC score 7. The less familiar words are worth checking against your game’s dictionary before you play.

How rare is this pattern in Wordle and dictionaries?

Three words in this group appear in Wordle’s answer list. The full set of 11 is included in its allowed guesses, so a word can be a legal probe without being an answer. Keep that distinction in mind when you are narrowing a puzzle to the final guess.

Collins includes all 11 matches, while ENABLE and NWL2023 each include 8. That dictionary gap matters in tournament play: a Collins-valid entry may not be accepted in an NWL2023 or ENABLE game. The pattern is also far narrower than T-third words ending in S, which number 159.