6-letter words with N as the 4th letter and L as the 5th letter

Sixteen six-letter words place N fourth and L fifth. Four entries are common by frequency, and the endings split sharply: thirteen finish in Y, while three end in E. Familiar forms include MAINLY, OPENLY, EVENLY, and THINLY; all sixteen appear in Collins, while ENABLE and NWL2023 each include nine.

At a glance: the N-L pattern

• Sixteen tournament-dictionary words fit N in fourth and L in fifth.
• Thirteen end in Y; only three end in E.
• MAINLY, OPENLY, EVENLY, and THINLY are familiar examples.
• KEENLY leads the scoring at 13 points.

How many 6-letter words have N fourth and L fifth?

Sixteen match, but access depends on your game’s dictionary: Collins includes all sixteen, whereas ENABLE and NWL2023 each list nine. That split matters in tournament play; a word accepted in Collins isn’t automatically playable in a North American game.

Four entries count as common by word-frequency ranking, so recognizable options are a small slice rather than a promise that every match will feel familiar. MAINLY and OPENLY are natural first checks; KEENLY and EVENLY also show how the fixed N-L pair sits inside a familiar adverb ending. MEANLY, GAINLY, VAINLY, and LEANLY show the pattern isn’t limited to one starting letter, though several candidates are uncommon.

What do the endings and scores tell you?

Thirteen of the sixteen matches end in Y, leaving just three E-final forms. That makes the last tile a useful filter once you know the middle pair. If Y is ruled out, only three E-ending options remain, and the set becomes much narrower.

Scoring gives another angle: KEENLY is highest at 13, with EVENLY, THINLY, VAINLY, FAINLY, and TOWNLY each at 12. Those entries tie for the next-highest value, so the leader wins by one point, not by a huge premium. For a board play, KEENLY stands out, but the fixed sequence limits your flexibility once N and L are committed.

6-letter words with N as the 4th letter and L as the 5th letter have a practical limit: only four count as common. The first letters D, L, M, and T each recur twice, giving you a useful search route after checking the ending. Treat N-L as a middle pair, not a suffix; the final letter is still open.