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

The pattern is D??R??, with the fixed letters leaving three slots open. DEGREE and DEBRIS are recognizable entries, but the pool also includes specialist terms such as DZEREN and DERRIS. Only 6 of the 40 entries rank among common English words, so start with familiar candidates when solving a clue and save rarer options for board play.

At a glance: counts, endings, and standouts

• The D??R?? pattern has 40 six-letter matches across the tournament word lists.
• DEGREE, DEBRIS, DECREE, and DEARTH are among the recognizable examples.
• Fourteen matches end in S, making S the most frequent final letter.
• DZEREN leads the scores at 16 points; DWARFS and DEFRAY each score 13.

Which D-starting words score the most?

DZEREN is the top scorer at 16 points before any board premium. Its uncommon Z gives it a sharp scoring edge over familiar DEGREE, while DWARFS and DEFRAY each reach 13.

For a more recognizable play, DWARFS carries the valuable W and ends in the common S cluster. DEFRAY also scores 13, but its Y sits at the end; keep both in mind when the board leaves those letters open.

Dictionary coverage differs: Collins includes 39 matches, NWL2023 includes 26, and ENABLE includes 21. That spread matters in tournament play, so check your game's word list before relying on a less familiar entry.

How 6-letter words with D first and R fourth compare

The final S is a useful filter: 14 of the 40 matches end that way. Other endings are much less frequent, with D appearing 5 times and A and E appearing 4 times each. If a clue also fixes the last letter, try S first.

The same D-and-R positions produce 28 five-letter matches and 87 seven-letter matches. That makes the six-letter set the middle-sized option, not the broadest one; switch lengths if the crossing letters leave too few plausible choices.

Only 30 entries have definitions in the source, and many of the remaining candidates are obscure. Treat familiar words such as DEARLY and DEARTH as solving candidates, while checking specialist plays like DARRAS against your game's dictionary.