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

Rare letters explain this list. Six matches end in E, and every entry carries the 5-point K in the fifth slot, which pushes the average to 12.8 even though ALASKA is the only everyday word. Collins keeps all 12, NWL2023 has 8 and ENABLE 7.

At a glance for the A-to-K words

• Only 12 six-letter words put A first and K fifth, among the smallest A-first patterns.
• ADZUKI tops the set on 20 points, with AXLIIKE next on 17.
• AMUCKS and AKEAKE tie on 14, while ASHAKE and ALFAKI each land on 13.
• ALASKA is the only common word, and six matches end in E.
• Collins lists all 12, NWL2023 holds 8 and ENABLE 7.

Where does the scoring come from?

K is a 5-point tile, so every match starts from a solid base. ADZUKI adds a Z for the group's top score of 20, AXLIIKE pairs the K with an X for 17, and AKEAKE reaches 14 by using two K tiles in one word.

The remaining eight sit between 10 and 14. Every match ends in E, I, S or A, so the final tiles rarely surprise, and the second tile is either D, X, M, K, S, L or N depending on the word.

Which of the 12 are safe to play?

ALASKA is the only match inside the 25,000 most frequent words, and even that one usually names the place rather than a common object. Dictionaries treat it as a lower-case form of the state or of baked Alaska.

Four matches appear in Collins but not NWL2023: AKEAKE, ASHAKE, ALECKS and ASLAKE. ENABLE is stricter still, keeping only seven of the twelve. Check your game's word list before you play one of those four.