6-letter words with L as the 1st letter and D as the 3rd letter

The fixed pattern is L-D across the first and third positions: L?D??? for the remaining letters. LADDER, LADIES, and LEDGER are recognizable entries, but only five matches rank among the top 25,000 English words by frequency. Dictionary coverage also varies: Collins accepts all 25, while NWL2023 includes 20 and ENABLE includes 19.

6-letter words with L first and D third at a glance

• The L-D pattern has 25 tournament-dictionary matches across six letters.
• Nine matches end in S, making plural-looking forms the largest final-letter group.
• Five matches end in R, including LADDER, LEDGER, and LODGER.
• Only five matches are common by the top-25,000 English-word frequency measure.

Which words fit the L-D pattern?

Start with the familiar cluster: LADIES, LADDER, LADLES, and LADLED all place D third. LEDGER, LEDGES, LODGED, and LODGES give you another group with the same fixed letters but different vowels.

Repeated letters narrow the choices further. LADDER doubles D, LEDGES repeats E, and LIDDED uses D twice after its second-position I.

The endings are uneven: S leads with nine entries, while R has five and D has four. When a clue fixes the final letter, use that pattern before testing possible vowels.

Which L-D words score well in Scrabble?

LADYFY is the standout scorer at 16 points, followed by LADIFY at 13. Those unusual forms have a clear scoring edge over LADDER and LEDGER, which each score 8 points before board bonuses. Save LADYFY for a rack or premium square that makes its less familiar spelling worth playing.

For 6-letter words with L as the 1st letter and D as the 3rd letter, Collins has five more entries than NWL2023, and ENABLE has six fewer than Collins. LADYFY and LADIFY are listed among the top scorers, but tournament acceptance differs by dictionary. Check your game's word list before relying on either.