6-letter words with K as the 1st letter and E as the 3rd letter

The pattern is K?E???: K is fixed at the start, E sits in the third spot, and the other four letters vary. KEEPER and KEENLY are easy to recognize, but many of the 31 matches are specialist or uncommon entries. The endings offer a quick way to narrow your choices when several letters are already known.

At a glance: K?E??? words

• There are 31 six-letter matches for K in position one and E in position three.
• KEEPER is the only entry counted among the most common English words.
• Fourteen matches end in S, making S the leading final letter.
• KVETCH scores 18, ahead of KHEDAH at 17 and KHETHS at 16.
• Collins includes 31 matches; NWL2023 includes 19 and ENABLE includes 16.

6-letter words with K first and E third

KEEPER, KEENLY, and KEENER are among the more recognizable choices. Each fits K?E??? while placing different letters in the second and final positions, so they are worth checking when your clue leaves those slots open.

KNEELS and KNEADS show another shape: the third letter is E, but the second letter is N. KEELED and KEENED keep the K-E-E opening instead. That repeated E is a useful pattern to notice, though it does not describe every match.

The ending counts narrow the field further. Fourteen words finish with S, while E and R each occur at the end of four words. If your final square is fixed, test those endings before scanning every possibility.

Which entries score highest, and where are they accepted?

KVETCH leads the score ranking at 18, with the less familiar KHEDAH next at 17. KHETHS scores 16; KLEPHT and KEEKED each score 15. The high-value choices are not necessarily the easiest words to remember, so keep the familiar options separate from the score plays.

Dictionary coverage is not identical: Collins has all 31 entries, compared with 19 in NWL2023 and 16 in ENABLE. Many matches are uncommon, and only KEEPER falls in the common-word group. Check your game's word list before playing a less familiar form.