5-letter words with Y as the 2nd letter and R as the 3rd letter

The YR pair is rare at five letters, and it behaves like a blend: GYR- and PYR- cover 12 of the 33 words between them. Seven of the S-endings are plain plurals, from AYRES to TYRES. Three entries sit in the Wordle answer list, and they are the most familiar words in the group.

5-letter words with Y as the 2nd letter and R as the 3rd letter

• 33 tournament words fit the frame _ Y R _ _.
• G- and P- open six words each, and T- and E- four each.
• 14 end in S, including seven -RES plurals.
• HYRAX is the top scorer at 18, one clear of PYREX on 17.
• LYRIC, MYRRH and SYRUP are the only Wordle answers.

Which openings and endings do YR words use?

P and G each start six words: PYRES, PYREX, PYRAL, PYRAN, PYRIC and PYROS against GYRAL, GYRED, GYRES, GYRON, GYROS and GYRUS. That shared YR core means a single crossing often leaves you choosing between two spellings rather than two unrelated words.

S closes 14 words, and seven of those are plurals of four-letter words: AYRES, BYRES, EYRES, GYRES, LYRES, PYRES and TYRES. N takes four more, in GYRON, PYRAN, SYREN and TYRAN, and the rest tail off in E, C, D, H, L, X, R and P.

Where do the points come from?

Two words carry the big scores, and both hide the same rare tile: HYRAX reaches 18 and PYREX 17 on an X. Below them the list flattens out, with MYRRH on 13, KYRIE, FYRDS and PYRIC on 12, and a long shelf of 8- and 9-point words that includes most of the plurals.

The three Wordle answers are LYRIC, MYRRH and SYRUP, and unlike the rest of the list they are ordinary vocabulary. Collins lists all 33, NWL2023 lists 27 and ENABLE 25, and 29 of the 33 carry a definition. Only four entries count as common words, so a Y and an R together open up a mostly specialist group.

Read a YR word from its last letter