6-letter words with F as the 3rd letter and N as the 6th letter

The pattern _ _ F _ _ N is one of the thinnest F-third shapes, with 14 matches against 155 for R and 114 for T. Nine double the F across slots three and four, so the -FFIN cluster dominates. MUFFIN, PUFFIN, BOFFIN, COFFIN and TIFFIN make the set unusually readable for a rare pattern.

6-letter words with F as the 3rd letter and N as the 6th letter

• Only 14 matches fit the frame, every one closing on N.
• Nine matches double the F in slots three and four.
• Six words tie at the 14-point ceiling: COFFIN, MUFFIN, PUFFIN, BOFFIN, BIFFIN and CUFFIN.
• F third is rare before N: R leads that slot with 155 matches and T has 114.
• Just three matches are common: COFFIN, MUFFIN and SOFTEN.

Which of the 14 are worth playing?

The six-way tie at 14 points is the headline: COFFIN, MUFFIN, PUFFIN, BOFFIN, BIFFIN and CUFFIN each double the F and end in -IN. KAFTAN follows at 13, then TIFFIN, RUFFIN and NUFFIN at 12. No entry reaches beyond the low teens.

Readability is high for such a small list. MUFFIN, PUFFIN, BOFFIN, TIFFIN, KAFTAN and COFFIN are words most players know, and only three are common by frequency: COFFIN, MUFFIN and SOFTEN. SOFTEN is the odd one out, since it takes a T instead of the doubled F.

Where the pattern gets awkward

Nine of the 14 double the F, so the first guess to make is a word shaped like _ _ F F I N. Only five break that habit: SOFTEN, TEFLON, KAFTAN, CAFTAN and MUFLON. TEFLON misses ENABLE, and MUFLON rests in Collins alone.

Check your word list before you play the rarer entries, because MUFLON, RUFFIN and NUFFIN are narrow. Everyday COFFIN and MUFFIN will carry most clues, with SOFTEN covering the -TEN ending. R, T and N lead the third slot in other frames, so an F here signals a rare find.