5-letter words with Y as the 1st letter and K as the 4th letter

The fixed K splits the 22 words into four shallow groups: five YACK forms, five YELK or YERK forms, six YOLK forms and four YUCK forms, which leaves YIRKS and YLIKE as the odd pair. No entry ranks among the most common English words, so the list rewards players who already know their rare-letter tiles. YUKKY and YUCKY lead the scoring, and both borrow their value from the same letter.

5-letter words with Y as the 1st letter and K as the 4th letter

• 22 tournament words fit the frame Y _ _ K _.
• Fourteen end in -KS, and the other eight end in -KY, -KA, -KO or -KE.
• Every word scores at least 12 points, and the average is 13.5.
• YUKKY tops the list at 19 points on its doubled K.
• Not one of the 22 ranks as a common English word.

Where does the K sit in the ending?

Every word ends in K plus a vowel, and S takes fourteen of them: YACKS, YANKS, YARKS, YELKS, YERKS, YESKS, YEUKS, YIRKS, YOCKS, YOLKS, YONKS, YORKS, YOUKS and YUCKS. The plural tail is the default shape of the pattern, so a Y-K clue usually points to a word you can extend from a four-letter base.

The four -KY entries are all adjectives, YUCKY, YUKKY, YOLKY and YEUKY, which makes them the scoring branch: YUCKY reaches 17 and YUKKY 19. Two words end in -KA, the lookalikes YACKA and YAKKA, and the pattern closes on the singulars YUCKO and YLIKE.

How to play a Y-K word

1. Count your K tiles first. YUKKY needs both of them and turns the pair into 10 of its 19 points.
2. Play YUCKY when the rack holds a single K, since it still reaches 17 points.
3. Pick a -KS ending when the board wants a plural: fourteen of the 22 words end that way.
4. Lean on the opening Y as well. Every word here starts with a tile worth 4 points.

A pattern with no answer-list entries