6-letter words with N as the 5th letter and K as the 6th letter

This clue fixes the final two tiles as N-K, leaving four letters to sort out. The matches range from the familiar verb forms SHRINK, SHRANK and SHRUNK to less common entries such as ENLINK and ZEDONK. Only two of the 17 rank among the top 25,000 English words by frequency, so recognizing the pattern matters more than expecting every answer to feel familiar.

The N-K pattern at a glance

• There are 17 tournament-dictionary matches with N fifth and K sixth.
• SHRINK, SHRANK and SHRUNK are three recognizable options in the group.
• Only 2 matches fall within the top 25,000 English words by frequency.
• ZEDONK leads the scoring list at 20 points; SHRINK scores 13.

Which 6-letter words have N fifth and K sixth?

The 17 matches share the ending _ _ _ _ N K, but their openings vary. UPLINK, UNLINK, RELINK and DELINK put a link-related word family in the mix; DEBUNK offers a more everyday alternative.

SHRINK, SHRANK and SHRUNK are especially easy to connect: they are forms of the same verb, with different vowel patterns before the fixed N-K ending. That cluster is a good first check when you know the clue but have not solved the first four letters.

The list is broader than familiar vocabulary. Twelve matches are defined, while the frequency measure places just 2 in the top 25,000. Treat rarer entries as dictionary-dependent and check your game's word list before relying on one.

How does this ending compare with other N patterns?

Changing the fifth letter from N to C while keeping K last gives 67 matches, compared with 17 here. Keep N fifth but switch the final K to G, and the count rises to 585. The last tile sharply narrows this particular pattern.

For a rack or crossword clue, lock in the final N-K first, then test common-looking sequences such as SHR- and -LINK. If those fail, the 17-word set includes less familiar possibilities like EMBANK, ENRANK and ZEDONK. ZEDONK scores 20, but its rarity makes it a poor first guess when ordinary vocabulary is more likely.