6-letter words with H as the 3rd letter and O as the 4th letter

The fixed middle pair is HO, but the words around it vary sharply: SCHOOL and COHORT are familiar examples, while ETHOXY is the top scorer. Just 7 of the 48 entries rank among common English words, so expect a mix of everyday vocabulary and less familiar game words. The final letter offers a quick clue: S is the most frequent ending.

At a glance: the HO pattern

• There are 48 tournament-dictionary words with H third and O fourth.
• Only 7 matches are among the top 25,000 English words by frequency.
• E begins 10 words, narrowly ahead of C, which begins 9.
• S closes 13 words; T is next with 7.
• ETHOXY leads the scoring list at 19 points.

Which 6-letter words have H third and O fourth?

The most recognizable choices include SCHOOL, BEHOLD, ECHOES, ASHORE, UPHOLD and COHORT. Each locks H and O into the middle, while the first two letters and ending do the work of separating one answer from another.

Several entries share a visible word family: ECHOES, ECHOED and ECHOEY all begin ECH-O. Other useful examples start with CO, including COHOST, COHOES, COHOSH and COHORT. Since E and C account for 19 of the 48 starting letters, checking those openings first is a sensible narrowing move.

What do the endings and scores reveal?

S is the strongest ending clue: 13 words finish with it, nearly twice the 7 that end in T. E, D, N and Y each appear as the last letter of 4 or 5 matches. If your known letters leave the final tile open, S deserves an early check.

For board play, ETHOXY scores 19 points, while EXHORT scores 16; ECHOEY, COHOSH and BEHOVE each score 14. That makes an unusual opening worth considering, not just a familiar word such as SCHOOL. The list spans 46 Collins entries, 42 in NWL2023 and 38 in ENABLE, so check your game's word list before playing a less familiar match.