6-letter words with E as the 1st letter and X as the 2nd letter

E followed by X is a tight pairing: every match begins with the EX- pair, so the puzzle is deciding what fills the last four spaces. Except, expect, excuse, expert and extent are everyday shapes; exequy, excamb and exonym are tournament finds. X alone scores 8 points, which is why this pattern averages a high 15.

The EX- opener at a glance

• All 76 matches open EX-, then lean on a third letter: O and T start 12 each and P starts 11.
• 23 matches end in S, 12 in T and 10 in D, so plural and past-tense tails dominate.
• The average tile score is 15, the highest of any E-first pattern, powered by the 8-point X.
• Exequy heads the list at 25; expiry, exhume, exarch and exonym each score 18.
• 23 of the 76 sit among the top 25,000 English words, so plenty are everyday vocabulary.

Which EX- words should you play first?

Reach for the recognisable ones before the rarities: except, expect, excuse, expert and extent all fit, and each reads as ordinary English.

The S-final group is the biggest single family at 23 words, so plurals such as exits, extras and exiles come up often; the -t and -d endings add 22 more. Exodus and exotic show how wide the third letter can spread.

X is worth 8 points and Q 10, so the top scores come from stacking rare tiles. Exequy pairs both for 25, excamb adds M and B for 19, and expiry, exhume, exarch and exonym reach 18.

Two entries pair the rarest tiles outright: exequy and excamb rarely appear in casual play but make the best of a tight rack.

The dictionary gap on EX- words