5-letter words with V as the 3rd letter and S as the 5th letter

This fixed pattern leaves just the fourth letter open: every answer ends in S, and V sits in the middle. You’ll recognize LIVES, GIVES, LOVES, MOVES, and WAVES, but the full set reaches well beyond everyday vocabulary. Only 13 entries meet the site’s common-word cutoff, so expect plenty of less familiar plays.

How many 5-letter words with V third and S fifth?

• There are 58 words matching the V-third, S-fifth pattern.
• Collins includes 56, NWL2023 includes 46, and ENABLE includes 42; those dictionary totals overlap.
• The average score is 9.6 points.
• JIVES, JAVAS, and JUVES tie for the highest score at 15 points.
• D and L each begin six matches, the most of any opening letter.

Which familiar words fit the pattern?

LIVES, GIVES, LOVES, MOVES, and WAVES are easy starting points when you’re scanning the set. Their endings make the pattern memorable: the final S can mark a plural, as in LIVES, or a verb form, as in GIVES and WAVES.

Other recognizable options include WIVES, SAVES, CAVES, DIVES, HIVES, and DOVES. Still, common vocabulary is a small slice: 13 of the 58 entries meet the common-word cutoff, leaving 45 outside it. Keep unfamiliar forms in mind when the clue fixes both positions.

Scoring 5-letter words with V third and S fifth

JIVES, JAVAS, and JUVES each score 15 points, the highest value in this group. KIVAS, GYVES, and KAVAS follow at 12, while WAVES, WIVES, HIVES, and FIVES score 11. The familiar choices are solid mid-range plays; the J words lead on raw letter value.

Dictionary coverage is not identical: the set has 58 words across the tournament lists, but the individual totals range from 42 in ENABLE to 56 in Collins. Treat the full set as a cross-dictionary pool, not a promise that every entry works in every game. Check your game’s word list before challenging an unfamiliar play.