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

Position five and six lock together here: A followed by W, and nothing else. That single -AW tail is why OUTLAW, SEESAW, and JIGSAW share a list with oddities like GEWGAW and GUFFAW. B and P each open five of the 29 words, and only three count as everyday English.

The A-W pattern at a glance

• 29 tournament words place A fifth and W sixth, and every one ends in -AW.
• B and P each open five words, while G and U add three apiece.
• JIGSAW and POWWAW tie at the top with 17 Scrabble points each.
• Only three of the 29 rank among common English words.
• Definitions cover 26 of the 29 entries.
• Collins lists 28, NWL2023 23, and ENABLE 19.

Which -AW words score best?

JIGSAW and POWWAW top the pattern at 17 points each, with PAWPAW and GUFFAW one behind at 16. YEEHAW and HEEHAW follow at 15, then four words sit on 14: BASHAW, BYELAW, GEWGAW, and CUSHAW.

Doubled letters do most of the scoring work here. POWWAW, PAWPAW, and GEWGAW spend two W tiles on 4 points apiece, which is the whole reason they clear a 12.7 average. Familiar OUTLAW and SEESAW are worth only 9 each.

How the A-W list compares with nearby patterns

A is not the busiest fifth letter before W. O-5th-and-W holds 65 words and E gives 23, so A sits in the middle at 29. Keep W last and swap the vowel in slot five to widen a narrow search.

Definitions cover 26 of the 29, so most entries can answer a meaning clue. The catch is that many are compounds or sound words rather than ordinary vocabulary, which is why just three reach the common list. A clue built on the -AW sound is usually enough to place the whole word.