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

A fixed Y at the start and S at the end leaves a compact set, not a broad vocabulary list. YEARS, YOURS, and YARDS are easy to recognize, while YUZUS is the standout for Scrabble points. Only six entries count as common, so expect many less familiar forms among the matches.

The Y…S pattern at a glance

• The full set contains 84 five-letter entries beginning with Y and ending with S.
• Only six entries rank among the top 25,000 English words by frequency.
• Wordle allows 82 matching guesses, but none are in its answer list.
• Collins includes 81 matches, compared with 57 in NWL2023 and 48 in ENABLE.

Which familiar words fit the Y…S pattern?

YEARS, YOURS, and YARDS are familiar examples, with YELLS, YIKES, and YAWNS offering other recognizable choices. These everyday forms sit alongside entries such as YATES, YUKOS, and YONKS, which are less likely to come to mind during a quick solve.

The fixed ending matters: 393 five-letter words start and end with S, far more than the 84 that start with Y and end with S. If the first letter is still uncertain, compare nearby patterns such as words beginning with W or Z and ending in S.

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

YUZUS is the top scorer at 17 points; YAJES and YEXES follow at 15 each. YUCKS, YOCKS, YACKS, and YAFFS each score 14, so a less familiar word can beat an everyday choice on the rack.

The average score is 10.4, but that does not make every entry a safe play. The 84-word total combines entries from several tournament dictionaries, and their coverage differs; check your game's word list before risking an unfamiliar form.