6-letter words with F as the 3rd letter and U as the 4th letter

The fixed pattern is __FU__, with two remaining letters at each end to narrow your solve. REFUSE, REFUND, REFUGE, and REFUTE are familiar examples, but the complete set also includes less common forms such as DEFUZE and UPFURL. Only four entries fall among the most frequent 25,000 English words, so the total is broader than an everyday vocabulary list.

At a glance: the F-U pattern

• Exactly 16 six-letter words match these positions across tournament dictionaries.
• Collins includes all 16; NWL2023 has 13, and ENABLE has 11.
• Four entries are common: REFUSE, REFUND, REFUGE, and REFUTE.
• DEFUZE scores 19, the highest; EFFUSE and LYFULL each score 12.
• The average score across the set is 10.5 points.

Which starting and ending letters narrow the list?

R leads the starting letters with five matches, followed by D with four. I, L, and U each start two words, while E starts one. REFUSE, REFUND, REFUGE, REFUTE, and REFUEL make the R group especially easy to scan; DEFUSE and DEFUND are two recognizable D options.

The endings cluster even more tightly: seven words finish in E and six in L. Only two end in D, REFUND and DEFUND, while INFULA is the sole A-ending match. When the final letter is known, sorting by that slot quickly cuts down the choices.

6-letter words with F as the 3rd letter and U as the 4th letter

Keep the F-U pair fixed, then sort the remaining candidates by their first or final letter. With an E ending, try familiar options such as REFUSE, REFUGE, REFUTE, and DEFUSE; with an L ending, check REFUEL or UNFURL. That ending split accounts for 13 of the 16 matches.

For a score-focused play, DEFUZE leads at 19 points. REFUSE scores 9 and is one of the four common entries, while EFFUSE scores 12. The top score belongs to a less familiar word, so weigh the points against how readily you can confirm a word in your game.

Dictionary coverage is not identical: Collins has all 16 matches, compared with 13 in NWL2023 and 11 in ENABLE. Most entries are outside the common group; check your game's word list before playing.