6-letter words with K as the 4th letter and S as the 6th letter

The pattern is fixed: five letters lead the word, K sits in position four, and S closes it. STAKES, BRAKES, SNAKES, and SHAKES make the shape easy to spot, but everyday vocabulary is a small slice: only 8 of the 109 entries count as common. The rest broaden your options for word games, especially when a rack or crossing letters narrows your choices.

At a glance on the K-and-S pattern

• There are 109 six-letter entries with K fourth and S last.
• STAKES, BRAKES, SNAKES, and SHAKES are familiar examples.
• Only 8 entries fall in the common-word group.
• The average score is 12.8 points.
• QUIKES, JOCKOS, AZUKIS, OZEKIS, and ZINKES each score 19.

Which words fit, and how rare are they?

The opening letters vary widely even though every word shares the same K-and-S frame. P and S lead the largest groups, with 15 words each; B follows with 14. That makes STAKES and SNAKES part of a busy starting-letter group, while BRAKES represents another sizeable cluster.

Familiar options include STOKES, SPIKES, SMOKES, FLAKES, EVOKES, and SPOKES. The common-word count is just 8 out of 109, so don’t assume a word will be accepted simply because it looks plausible. The list draws from overlapping tournament dictionaries: Collins includes 101 matches, NWL2023 has 65, and ENABLE has 44.

There’s a sharp gap between everyday recognition and game-list coverage: 94 entries have definitions, but only 8 are classed as common. Check your game’s word list before committing to an unfamiliar choice, particularly when a dictionary-specific entry is at stake.

Five words tie at 19 points: QUIKES, JOCKOS, AZUKIS, OZEKIS, and ZINKES. Those score leaders are less familiar than STAKES or BRAKES, so the common-word count is the better guide to recognition.

Scoring and limits for K-fourth, S-last words