6-letter words with A as the 5th letter and G as the 6th letter

Every match closes on -AG, so the frame _ _ _ A G works as a catalogue of compounds: 8 end -BAG, 5 end -RAG, 4 end -LAG and 3 each end -TAG, -NAG and -MAG. Not one match ranks as a common word, which makes this specialist ground. ZIGZAG's 26 points sit far above everything else, and the average is only 10.4.

The -AG compounds at a glance

• All 29 matches end -AG, and none of them rank as common words.
• ZIGZAG scores 26, more than double the 10.4 average.
• Eight end -BAG, including AIRBAG, KITBAG, GASBAG and SEABAG.
• R, S, T, B and G each open three or four matches.
• Nine matches appear in Collins alone, including TONNAG, NURHAG and SEPMAG.
• S and R each open 4 matches, the joint busiest initials.

Which families build 6-letter words with A fifth and G sixth?

-BAG is the biggest family at 8 matches. AIRBAG, KITBAG, GASBAG, RAGBAG, SEABAG and RATBAG all follow the same build, and BUMBAG joins them. -RAG adds 5 matches, -LAG 4 and -TAG 3, so a single ending letter tells you most of what you need.

Coverage is the catch. Collins holds 28 of the 29 matches, NWL2023 keeps 20 and ENABLE only 11, so most of this list is unavailable in a North American game. JETLAG, DEFRAG and ZIGZAG are the entries worth remembering: all three are modern compounds, and all three survive on the North American list while older Scots forms fall away.

-NAG and -MAG are the odd corners: PADNAG, TONNAG and UNSNAG sit with CAGMAG, MALMAG and SEPMAG, and only two of those six appear on North American lists.

Testing a -AG guess in four moves

1. Fill the two known tiles first, A in slot five and G in slot six, then work backwards.
2. Try S or R as the opening letter; each begins 4 matches, the most in this pattern.
3. Guess a compound rather than a root word, because every match here fuses two shorter words.
4. Keep ZIGZAG for a scoring turn: 26 points, and nothing else in the set passes 14.
5. Check the modern compounds against your word list before playing them, since NWL2023 keeps 20 of the 29 matches and ENABLE 11.

Why ZIGZAG stands alone