6-letter words with D as the 3rd letter and U as the 4th letter

The fixed pattern is __DU__: D and U sit side by side in the middle, leaving two letters to choose at each end. Six of the 46 matches rank among common English words, so familiar options such as reduce, endure, and induce stand out from rarer game entries. Dictionary coverage varies: Collins includes 45, while ENABLE includes 32.

At a glance: the __DU__ pattern

• The pattern has 46 matches across tournament dictionaries.
• Six matches are common English words; reduce and endure are recognizable examples.
• Collins lists 45 matches, compared with 34 in NWL2023 and 32 in ENABLE.
• Twelve words end in E, making E the most frequent final letter.
• BEDUCK scores 15 points, the highest score among the examples ranked here.

Which 6-letter words have D third and U fourth?

The strongest everyday answers include reduce, module, endure, induce, seduce, and deduce. Each fits the same central DU pair, but the surrounding letters change the word family and meaning. Abduct and deduct are other familiar choices when your first two letters begin with A or D.

Starting letters are spread across the list rather than dominated by one choice: I leads with 6 words, while B and M each begin 5. At the other end, E is most common with 12 endings; T and S follow with 8 and 7. Use those patterns to narrow a clue, not as a substitute for checking every letter.

Which matches score well, and what should you check?

For a score-minded play, BEDUCK is the standout at 15 points; PODUNK and BEDUMB each score 13. More familiar choices such as ABDUCT and DEDUCT score 11 and 10 respectively. The average score across the matches is 9.3, so the rare high scorer is not typical.

Pattern matches are not a guarantee that every entry appears in your game’s dictionary. Thirty-nine matches have definitions, but tournament coverage differs across Collins, NWL2023, and ENABLE; check your game’s word list before playing an unfamiliar form.