6-letter words with D as the 1st letter and F as the 4th letter

The pattern is D??F??: D opens each word, and F must occupy the fourth slot. Collins includes all 28 matches, while ENABLE includes 20 and NWL2023 includes 22. Only two entries meet the common-word cutoff, so familiar examples such as DIFFER and DRAFTS are a small part of a specialized group.

At a glance: the D??F?? Pattern

• Every match has D in position one and F in position four.
• Collins lists 28 matches; ENABLE has 20, and NWL2023 has 22.
• Only two matches meet our common-word cutoff.
• R is the most frequent final letter, with 7 matches; Y follows with 6 and S with 5.
• Twenty of the 28 entries have definitions.

6-letter words with D as the 1st letter and F as the 4th letter

Recognizable matches include DIFFER, DRAFTS, DRIFTS, DUFFEL and DOOFUS. In DIFFER, the F in the third slot can distract you; the fourth character is still the required match. DRAFTS and DRIFTS are simpler visual checks because each has one F in the target position.

Final letters narrow the search. R closes 7 matches, Y closes 6, and S closes 5. Try those endings before looking for the single matches ending in C, E or N; D and L each close 3 words.

The arrangement is selective even among words with F fourth: switching the first letter to S gives 55 matches, compared with 28 for D. Keeping D but changing the fourth letter produces 139 matches with I and 111 with A. When a clue is uncertain, relaxing the fourth-letter constraint opens a much larger search.

Which matches score highest?

Scrabble values put DOGFOX at the top with 18 points. DAYFLY, DEFFLY and DRAFFY each score 16, while DOFFED scores 14; DIFFER and DUFFEL each score 13. High tile value makes these candidates worth checking against your rack and board, but the total alone does not decide whether a play fits.

Dictionary coverage is the catch: Collins has 28 matches, compared with 20 in ENABLE and 22 in NWL2023. Check your game's word list before committing, since a word accepted in one list can fail in another.