6-letter words with O as the 1st letter and A as the 6th letter

The pattern O _ _ _ _ A produces a compact, unusually specialized set. Familiar-looking OPTIMA and OMERTA sit alongside less everyday entries such as OZAENA, ONYCHA, and OUGIYA. None of the 16 meets the common-word frequency threshold, so this is more of a clue-solving list than a vocabulary starter.

How many 6-letter words have O first and A last?

• Sixteen tournament-dictionary entries match the fixed pattern O _ _ _ _ A.
• Collins includes 15 matches, NWL2023 includes 12, and ENABLE includes 8; the dictionaries overlap.
• Fourteen of the 16 entries have definitions in the word reference.
• OZAENA scores 15 points, ahead of ONYCHA at 14 and OCHREA at 11.

Why is the O-to-A pattern so short?

The count is strikingly low beside nearby six-letter patterns: 90 words start with C and end in A, while 78 start with S and end in A. The same O-first pattern has 149 matches when the final letter is S, rather than A. That makes the final A the tighter constraint.

The examples also lean toward specialized vocabulary rather than common everyday words. OPTIMA, ORISHA, and OED ​​EMA are among the more recognizable-looking forms, while OSET​RA and ONYCHA are less likely to come to mind during a quick puzzle. Check your game's word list before relying on an unfamiliar entry.

The difference reinforces the need to validate rare forms such as OCHREA or OUTRED in the game you are playing. OVERLY and OVERDO are more approachable candidates, but the six Y endings mean the final clue alone will not identify one answer.

Which O-first, A-last words score best?

OZAENA leads the Scrabble scores at 15 points, with ONYCHA close behind at 14. OCHREA earns 11, while OPTIMA and OUGIYA each score 10. Those values are base tile totals; a premium square can change the result on the board.

The average score across the set is 9.1, so the rarest-looking word is not automatically the highest scorer. OZAENA beats ONYCHA by only one point, but both outrank the more familiar OPTIMA. For a clue, use the fixed first and last letters to narrow the answer before weighing score.