6-letter words with I as the 2nd letter and S as the 3rd letter

That fixed IS pair leaves four positions open, producing familiar choices such as LISTEN, SISTER and VISION alongside less common plays. The list spans three tournament dictionaries, but their coverage differs: Collins includes 199 matches, while NWL2023 includes 148. Use the opening and ending patterns to narrow a clue before scanning every option.

The IS pattern at a glance

• There are 200 six-letter matches with I second and S third.
• M is the most common first letter, appearing in 42 entries; D follows with 25.
• S is the most common ending, with 47 matches, ahead of D at 39.
• LISTEN, SISTER, MISSED, LISTED and VISION are familiar examples.
• Only 37 matches qualify as common English words.

Which letters make the strongest clue?

Start with the first or last letter you already know. The opening M accounts for 42 options, including MISSED, MISTER and MISERY; D gives you 25, such as DISHES. That makes an M or D clue more selective than a first-letter guess like V, which has 24 matches.

The final letter narrows the field differently. S ends 47 entries, while D ends 39; E, L and R follow with 23, 18 and 17. If your clue fixes a final S, check WISHES, VISITS and KISSES; a final D points toward MISSED, LISTED or KISSED.

What scores well, and where does the list vary?

BISQUE, KISHKE and KISHKA each score 17 points on letter values, the top score among these examples. For a more familiar option, BISHOP scores 13, but it trails those Q- and K-heavy plays.

Dictionary coverage is not identical: Collins lists 199 matches, NWL2023 lists 148, and ENABLE lists 137. Some entries are obscure, with definitions for only 158 of the 200. Check your game's word list before playing an unfamiliar answer; the five-letter version has 82 matches and the seven-letter version 428.