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

The KO pair in the middle is a distinctive fingerprint, and fourteen words carry it. The best known are PAKORA and ARKOSE. Every one is a Collins word, but NWL2023 takes only half of them, so pick your list before you pick your word.

Quick facts on the KO middle

• 14 words fit the frame, from ALKOXY to YAKOWS.
• ALKOXY scores 20, well clear of KOKOPU, PAKOKO and YAKOWS at 16.
• Six words end in S, the biggest ending group.
• Collins accepts all 14; NWL2023 accepts 7 and ENABLE 6, so half the page is Collins-only for tournament purposes.

Which words use the KO pair twice?

Two entries repeat it: KOKOPU and PAKOKO each hold a second K and a second O. That repeated K, worth 5 points each in Scrabble, is a big part of why both score 16.

A third word, KIKOIS, also uses two Ks, but its second K sits in first place. Otherwise the opening letter does the sorting: A and P start three words each, while K, D, E, H, M and S fill the rest.

How should you choose among the A and P starters?

Take PAKORA first when you need a safe, recognisable answer. It is a food word nearly every player recognises, and it ends in A, one of two words that do. The other A finisher is AIKONA.

ALKOXY is the Scrabble prize, but it only helps you if the board gives you a clean X lane. Watch for the dictionary: ENABLE and NWL2023 accept only part of this page, so check your game's word list before you try MOKORO or HIKOIS. A challenge costs a turn, and a 13-point play is not worth that.

When the fixed letters help most