6-letter words with E as the 3rd letter and P as the 5th letter

The pattern looks like __E_P_, and its 32 matches range from familiar words such as CREEPY and SLEEPS to less common entries like TWEEPS and PREOPS. S is the leading first letter, while S is also the most frequent ending. That gives you a useful first guess when the outer letters are still open.

What stands out in this six-letter pattern?

• 32 tournament-dictionary matches fit the fixed E-third, P-fifth frame.
• S opens 12 matches; C is next with 9.
• S ends 18 words, more than any other final letter; Y is next with 8.
• EXEMPT leads the scoring examples at 17 points, followed by CHEAPY at 16.
• Only 6 matches are classed as common by word frequency.
• The 32 matches use 8 starting letters and 6 ending letters.

Which matches are accepted across dictionaries?

Collins carries 31 of the matches, NWL2023 carries 26, and ENABLE carries 22. The three lists overlap, so their totals are not added together. Instead, the full set counts any word at least one dictionary accepts.

For a practical starting point, try CREEPY, SLEEPS, or SWEEPS when the outer letters are still blank. The repeated S endings make a final S likely, though they never prove it. Tiles average 11.9 points per word here, and EXEMPT stands well above that; confirm any uncommon pick against your game's word list.

How should you narrow the remaining letters?

• Test S and C in the first position before trying the less frequent openings.
• If the last letter is known to be Y, consider CREEPY, SLEEPY, or PREPPY.
• For a high-scoring play, look for EXEMPT; CHEAPY is another strong scorer.
• With 18 S-endings and 8 Y-endings, the last letter narrows the field fastest.
• Do not assume every match is a familiar everyday word: only 6 are common.