6-letter words with A as the 1st letter and A as the 5th letter

Both A tiles are cheap at 1 point each, so this set tops out lower than most. Collins lists 119 matches, NWL2023 has 97 and ENABLE 85. Fifteen of the entries are everyday words, and 100 carry a definition, leaving a long tail of obscure loanwords.

At a glance for the A-A shape

• 126 six-letter words carry A in the first and fifth slots, third among the A-first endings.
• The list ends in S 39 times and in L 29 times, so two letters cover 68 of the matches.
• AJIVAS and AJOWAN are the joint top scorers at 16 points, with ANYWAY next on 15.
• Fifteen matches are everyday words, among them ANNUAL, ANYWAY, ACTUAL, APPEAL and ASTRAL.
• Collins lists 119 matches, NWL2023 has 97 and ENABLE 85.

Where do the 126 matches end?

S is the busiest final tile with 39 matches, and ARENAS is the only common word among them. L is close behind on 29, and every one of those closes in -AL, from AERIAL and ANIMAL to AVOWAL and AXONAL.

N takes 17 matches, including AFGHAN and ACHKAN, and R adds 10 more such as APPEAR and AVATAR. The rest trail away: five end in E and four each in D and Y.

How does this pattern compare across lengths?

The same two fixed A tiles give 47 matches at five letters and 153 at seven, so this sits in the middle of a rising curve. Among six-letter words that open with A, the A-E shape leads at 223 and A-N follows at 131, which puts this list third.

Scoring stays modest because A is a 1-point tile twice over. ANYWAY and AFFRAY reach 15 by carrying a Y and a doubled F, while the 16-point leaders AJIVAS and AJOWAN each hide a J.

Twenty-nine matches appear in Collins but not NWL2023, including ASQUAT and AMYTAL. Before a tournament, confirm which word list the event runs.