6-letter words with N as the 2nd letter and S as the 3rd letter

The pattern is _NS___: N occupies the second spot, S the third, and four letters remain open. U starts 40 of the matches, twice the 20 that begin with I. That strong opening-letter split makes the pattern easier to narrow than its total count first suggests.

The N-S pattern at a glance

• 77 qualifying words match the pattern, and 60 have definitions.
• U begins 40 entries; I begins 20, while E begins 12.
• Only 14 entries count as common by our frequency measure.
• UNSEXY tops the score list at 16 points; ANSATZ scores 15.
• Final E is the leading ending, with 12 words; S and T each end 10.

Why do so many matches begin with U?

U is the standout first letter: UNSURE, UNSAFE, UNSEEN, UNSUNG, and UNSOLD all fit. Those examples show how a familiar UN- opening can turn a fixed middle into several distinct answers.

INSIDE, INSIST, INSERT, INSULT, and INSECT make I the other strong opening. E contributes 12 matches, including ENSURE and ENSIGN, while A and O are much less represented.

The everyday vocabulary is a small slice of the 77. INSIDE, ANSWER, and ENSURE are recognizable, but only 14 matches meet the common-word cutoff.

Which N-S words score highest?

UNSEXY leads at 16 points, with ANSATZ close behind at 15. The average score is 7.6, so those two are clear standouts rather than typical plays. ANSWER scores 9, making it a more ordinary scoring example.

Dictionary coverage differs: ENABLE includes 54 matches, Collins includes 73, and NWL2023 includes 60. The overall 77-word count is the union across those tournament lists, so check your game's word list before playing an unfamiliar entry.

For a board play, keep UNSEXY in mind when the premium squares reward its X; otherwise, familiar options such as INSIDE are easier to spot. For fixed-letter clues and broad-dictionary games, the value here is coverage: 60 of the 77 entries come with definitions.