6-letter words with E as the 3rd letter and K as the 4th letter

The frame _ _ E K _ _ forces a K into fourth place, and most entries build around EEK: SEEKER, WEEKLY, PEEKED, REEKED, MEEKLY and GEEKED. BREKKY and DREKKY use EKK instead. Only SEEKER and WEEKLY count as common, and eight are Collins-only.

The numbers behind the K column

• 19 matches, 17 defined; Collins takes 18, NWL2023 11 and ENABLE nine.
• 13 contain EEK, from WEEKLY to KEEKER.
• Four end in D, four in R and four in Y.
• Only SEEKER and WEEKLY are common words.
• BREKKY and OZEKIS tie at 19, with DREKKY on 18.

6-letter words with E as the 3rd letter and K as the 4th letter

EEK is the engine. WEEKLY, SEEKER, PEEKED, REEKED, MEEKER, MEEKLY, GEEKED, KEEKED, KEEKER, MEEKEN, REEKER, REEKIE and WEEKES all place those three letters across positions two to four.

The other six go their own way: BREKKY and DREKKY use EKK, KIEKIE uses IEK, and CHEKAS, SHEKEL and OZEKIS put EK in the middle without a double E.

The endings are unusually balanced, with four words closing on D, four on R, four on Y and three on S. No single final letter dominates, so the opening three letters carry the clue.

Why is the average score so high?

BREKKY and OZEKIS share the lead at 19, and DREKKY follows at 18. WEEKLY reaches 16, MEEKLY, KEEKED and CHEKAS 15, and KEEKER and KIEKIE 14.

The average of 13.7 is high because every word carries a K worth five points, and several add a second K or a Y. BREKKY stacks two K tiles, and OZEKIS pairs its K with a Z.

For 6-letter words with E as the 3rd letter and K as the 4th letter, the dictionary split matters more than the scores. Eight entries are Collins-only, BREKKY and OZEKIS among them, so NWL2023 players lose both 19-point leaders but keep DREKKY at 18.