6-letter words with L as the 2nd letter and M as the 3rd letter

The pattern _LM___ fixes both middle letters, leaving the first, fourth, fifth, and sixth positions open. That still yields just 14 entries across tournament dictionaries, and 12 begin with A. ALMOST and ALMOND give the pattern its most recognizable face; most remaining options are specialist vocabulary, so pattern fit alone does not guarantee a natural play.

Quick facts about the L-M pattern

• Exactly 14 tournament-dictionary entries fit the six-letter pattern _LM___.
• ALMOST and ALMOND are familiar examples; only 2 matches fall in the common-word group.
• ALMAHS, ALMEHS, and ALMERY lead the Scrabble scores at 11 points apiece.
• Six entries end in S, the most frequent final letter among these matches.
• Collins includes all 14; ENABLE and NWL2023 each include 10.

6-letter words with L second and M third

ALMOST is the standout everyday word, while ALMOND is another instantly recognizable match. Both show why a fixed-letter search can still return playable candidates: the opening A plus LM is easy to scan, but you must test the final three letters rather than assume the word ends in a familiar way.

Six of the 14 entries finish in S; E and R appear twice each, while D, N, T, and Y occur once apiece. For an S ending, consider ALMAHS, ALMEHS, ALMOUS, ALMUDS, and ALMUGS, all with the same middle-letter lock.

Scoring changes the order: ALMAHS, ALMEHS, and ALMERY score 11 each, ahead of ALMUCE at 10. ALMOST scores 8 despite being more familiar. On the board, compare premium squares and hooks before choosing by face value; the three leaders are tied, not a single winner.

How does dictionary coverage affect these words?

Only two matches meet the common-word cutoff, so ALMOST and ALMOND are the sensible first checks. Nine of the 14 have definitions; five do not.

Collins includes all 14 matches, while ENABLE and NWL2023 each include 10. That gap matters when switching games, because a specialist spelling accepted in one list can be absent from another.