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

Every word here closes on AY, so the sixth tile is decided before you start. That tail is productive: SUBWAY, RUNWAY, and MIDWAY are ordinary English, while SKYWAY, KEYWAY, and JETWAY lean on rare first letters. M opens ten words and P six, and 13 of the 68 rank as common.

What defines the A-Y group

• 68 tournament words fit the frame _ _ _ A Y, all closing on -AY.
• M opens ten words, more than any other first letter.
• SKYWAY, KEYWAY, JETWAY, and VEEJAY tie at 19 points.
• 13 of the 68 count as common English words.
• MIDWAY, PAYDAY, DISMAY, and BETRAY keep the everyday side of the list full.
• Collins accepts 67, NWL2023 51, and ENABLE 44.

Which -AY words score highest?

Four words tie at the top on 19 points: SKYWAY, KEYWAY, JETWAY, and VEEJAY. FLYWAY follows at 18, then DEEJAY, HEYDAY, BYPLAY, TOWKAY, and POCHAY bunch between 16 and 17. Every leader carries a K, J, or W, so the score table rewards rack luck.

Face value averages 13 points, a little above a typical six-letter set. SUBWAY and PAYDAY land on 14, near the middle, while REPLAY slips to 11 despite being one of the most familiar entries.

How the -AY ending compares with other A-fifth endings

A is one of the most flexible fifth letters, and Y is one of its rarer partners. Send the sixth letter to S instead and the count jumps to 536; L gives 321 and N 242. Keep the Y and change the vowel: L-5th-and-Y reaches 390 words and R-5th-and-Y 181, so 68 is a modest slice.

Definitions cover 53 of the 68. That leaves 15 entries best confirmed by spelling rather than by meaning, which matters when a clue describes a sound or a compound such as HURRAY.