6-letter words with B as the 1st letter and N as the 3rd letter

The pattern is B _ N _ _ _: the second, fourth, fifth, and sixth letters stay open. BANANA, BINARY, and BUNDLE are recognizable options, while BENZYL and BANJAX suit a different kind of play. Only 18 entries rank among the 25,000 most common English words, so a complete tournament list includes specialist vocabulary, and with N locked in the third slot, vowel-rich BANANA can be easier to spot than an unusual high scorer.

Key facts about the 6-letter B-and-N list

• 130 words match the fixed B _ N _ _ _ pattern.
• BANANA, BANNER, BINARY, and BUNDLE are familiar examples.
• Collins lists 129 matches; NWL2023 has 95, and ENABLE has 85.
• BANJAX scores 22 points, the highest score here; BENZYL scores 20.

Which B-N words score highest in Scrabble?

BANJAX scores 22 points, the top score among these entries; BENZYL follows at 20. BANZAI, BENZIN, BONZER, BENZAL, BENZOL, BENZIL, and BONZES each score 17, while BUNCHY reaches 16. Those X- and Z-heavy spellings stand out against the set's 10.6 average.

A premium square beneath a high-value letter can widen the gap, but don't chase a rare tile if it breaks your rack. BANJAX is the scoring standout, not an everyday choice.

How can you narrow the B _ N _ _ _ pattern?

Most matches finish with S: 33 end in S, compared with 16 each ending in D or E, 15 in R, and 9 in N. Start with those endings when the last tile is known, then test the middle letters against the fixed N. BANANA, BANNER, and BANISH give recognizable routes through the pattern; a final-letter clue can quickly separate them.

Dictionary coverage varies: Collins accepts 129 matches, compared with 95 in NWL2023 and 85 in ENABLE. Only 18 entries fall in the common-word band, although 105 have definitions. Treat obscure candidates as dictionary-dependent and check your game's word list once; tournament-list coverage does not guarantee acceptance in every app.

For a practical solve, keep the two confirmed letters fixed and change only the open slots. That avoids overlooking a familiar word while testing less common possibilities.