6-letter words with H as the 1st letter and D as the 3rd letter

Holding H first and D third gives the frame H _ D _ _ _. Forty words fit, and they sort neatly by the vowel in the second slot: HADDIE and HADDEN, HEDGES and HEDDLE, HIDDEN and HIDING, HODADS and HODDEN, HUDDLE and HUDDUP, and the HYDRAS branch. Only HIDDEN, HIDING, and HEDGES are common.

The H-D pattern in numbers

• Forty six-letter words keep H first and D third.
• The second letter splits them into HAD 9, HOD 8, HYD 7, HED 6, HID 5, and HUD 5.
• S ends 11 words, N ends nine, and E ends eight.
• HADJEE, HADJES, HADJIS, and HODJAS all score 17.
• Only HIDDEN, HIDING, and HEDGES count as common.
• The 40 matches average 12.2 Scrabble points each.

Six vowel groups behind the H and D

The HAD- branch is the biggest with nine words, led by HADDIE, HADDEN, and HADITH, a term for a recorded saying. The HOD- branch is next at eight, covering HODADS, HODDEN, HODMAN, and the 17-point HODJAS.

The remaining branches thin out: HYD- takes seven, HED- six, and HID- and HUD- five each. HYDRAE, HYDRAS, HYDROS, HYDRIA, HYDRIC, HYDRID, and HYDYNE form the HYD- set, a watery-looking family that also supplies the second-highest score.

The J words lead the score list

HADJEE, HADJES, HADJIS, and HODJAS each reach 17 points, and every one of them carries a J. HYDYNE lands on 16 and HYDRIC on 15, so the HYD- branch is not far behind.

The average of 12.2 is strong for such a narrow pattern, but the group is not forgiving. Collins accepts 39 of the 40 matches, while NWL2023 holds 25 and ENABLE 24, so check your game's word list before you build a play around a J word that one dictionary allows and another may not.