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

E and O bracket a single slot, so the second letter does all the shaping, with X leading on 12 words ahead of P on 8 and L and M on 7 each. The EX group also carries the high scores, from EXONYM at 18 to EXOPOD and EXODIC at 16. Everyday vocabulary is thinner, with only eight entries in the 25,000 most common words.

Where the 57 matches sit

• Twelve of the 57 open with EX, the largest second-letter group by far.
• EXONYM leads at 18 points, and EXOPOD and EXODIC score 16 each.
• Twenty-two entries end in S, more than any other closing letter.
• Collins holds 55 of the 57, NWL2023 40 and ENABLE 36.
• Only eight entries rank among the 25,000 most common English words.

Why do the EX words dominate the scores?

An X earns eight points, and twelve matches open with one. That single letter lifts EXONYM to 18, EXOPOD and EXODIC to 16, and EXOTIC, EXONIC, EXOMIS and EXOMES to 15, leaving EMOJIS as the only non-EX word above 14.

Behind X the groups are ordinary, with P supplying 8 words, L and M seven each, and N and V six. Those families lean on familiar stems such as EPODES, ELOPES, EMOTES, ENOUGH and EVOKES, so their scores sit in the middle of the range.

Seventeen entries appear in Collins alone, including ECONUT, EGOITY, ELOGES and EMOVED, and ENABLE rejects 21 of the 57. Check your game's word list before trying one of the rarer spellings.

Which of the 57 is worth playing first?

EXONYM is the best play here at 18 points, and it needs only the X and Y to carry it. EXOPOD and EXODIC follow on 16, then a five-way tie at 15 among EXOTIC, EXONIC, EXOMIS, EXOMES and EMOJIS.

Familiar words trail the EX group, since ENOUGH manages 10 and EVOLVE 12, yet the everyday options still hold their own. The pattern's average is 10.5 points.