6-letter words with C as the 1st letter and E as the 3rd letter

The C _ E _ _ _ shape is largely a CHE, CRE and CLE family: those three pairs sit behind 117 of the 135 matches. That is why so many familiar entries cluster together, including CREATE, CHEESE, CREDIT and CHERRY. Twenty-five matches rank as common English, and the score list has its own surprises.

Three C-E openings carry the list

• CHE supplies 50 matches, CRE supplies 41 and CLE supplies 26.
• Those three openings account for 117 of the 135 matches.
• Forty-one end in S, 20 in Y and 17 in E.
• CREATE, CHEESE, CREDIT, CHERRY and CLEVER all fit the frame.
• CHEQUY tops the score list at 23 points.

How many 6-letter words start with C and have E third?

The total is 135. Nearby versions of the same shape are bigger or smaller: the S-first family holds 277 matches, P-first ties at 135, and T-first sits at 108.

Length moves the figure as well, because the five-letter version has 60 matches and the seven-letter version has 190. Six letters sits in the middle of a frame that grows as words get longer.

The third slot has busier rivals than E here. C with R third reaches 202 matches and C with A third reaches 198, both well clear of the 135 that E collects.

Where do the best scores come from?

CHEQUY leads at 23 points. CHEQUE, CHEFFY and CHECKY each reach 20, and CHEEKY, CHEMMY and CHENIX follow on 18.

Rare tiles, not length, decide these rankings. The Q in CHEQUY and the double F in CHEFFY beat ordinary matches like CREATE on 8 and CHEESE on 11 without any board help.

Seven of the top ten close in Y, from CHEQUY and CHECKY to CHEMMY and CLECKY, so a revealed Y at the end is a useful signal on this pattern.

Which matches should an ordinary player keep?

• Twenty-five of the 135 matches rank as common English words.
• CREATE, CHEESE, CREDIT, CHERRY and CLEVER are the everyday picks.
• CHEFFY appears only in NWL2023, so two of the three main lists miss it.
• CHECKY and CHENIX appear in Collins alone.
• Collins covers 134 matches, NWL2023 covers 98 and ENABLE covers 93.