5-letter words with U as the 2nd letter and S as the 4th letter

The fixed pattern is _U_S_, so the first and last letters do the remaining work. GUESS and GUEST are familiar options, while NURSE, BURST, CURSE, PULSE, and PURSE show how many everyday words fit. Dictionary coverage differs: Collins accepts 51 matches, while ENABLE includes 35.

5-letter words with U as the 2nd letter and S as the 4th letter

• 53 entries match _U_S_ across the tournament dictionaries counted here.
• GUESS, GUEST, NURSE, QUEST, BURST, CURSE, PULSE, and PURSE are familiar examples.
• G and Q lead as first letters, with 7 matches apiece.
• Y is the most common ending, appearing in 13 matches; E follows with 12.
• QUASH and QURSH each score 17 points, the highest listed total.

Which words fit the _U_S_ pattern?

The openings range from common G words to Q words: GUESS, GUEST, and GUTSY sit alongside QUEST, QUASI, and QUASH. The final letter varies even more. Thirteen matches end in Y, including FUSSY and GUTSY, while GUEST and QUEST show the T ending.

The 12 common entries make this pattern more playable than its full count suggests, but not every match is everyday vocabulary. HURST, TULSI, and QUIST are among the less familiar examples. For a neighboring pattern with U in the same position, changing the fourth letter to E gives 174 matches.

How should you use these words in a game?

For Wordle, 13 answers fit the pattern, and 52 words are allowed guesses. Once U and S are confirmed in their positions, test likely first letters: G and Q tie at 7 matches each. Then use the final-letter spread to weigh Y, E, or T before reaching for rarer endings.

For tile scoring, QUASH and QURSH lead at 17 points, ahead of QUEST, QUASI, and QUESO at 14. The high values come with a caveat: dictionary coverage is uneven. Collins has 51 entries, NWL2023 has 39, and ENABLE has 35, so check your game's word list before relying on an unfamiliar match.