6-letter words with O as the 1st letter and L as the 5th letter

The pattern pins O at the start and L in slot five, leaving four positions open for a clue solver. OPENLY and OVERLY read naturally, while ORACLE and OCCULT show different letter shapes; among 28 tournament-dictionary matches, just 5 meet the common-word cutoff and 23 have definitions. Average score is 9.6 points, so OOZILY’s 18-point lead is an outlier rather than a typical result for the group.

6-letter words with O as the 1st letter and L as the 5th letter

• All 28 matches start with O and put L in fifth place; the other four letters vary.
• OPENLY, OVERLY, ORACLE, OCCULT, and ORALLY are among the recognizable examples.
• OOZILY leads the score ranking at 18, ahead of OUZELS at 15 and OXGALL at 14.
• Only 5 matches meet the common-word cutoff, while 23 have definitions.

Which O-first entries score most?

OOZILY is the scoring standout at 18 points, followed by OUZELS at 15 and OXGALL at 14. OPENLY scores 11, a lower total but a more familiar option for ordinary play. A strong base score still needs a good board placement to pay off.

Recognition and fit pull in different directions. OPENLY, OVERLY, and ORALLY look familiar, while OORALI, ORMOLU, and OSMOLS are less everyday choices. Start with the fixed letter positions, then test the less familiar candidates one by one.

How to work the O___L pattern

Treat O___L_ as a position constraint, not a request for any word containing O and L. OPENLY, ORACLE, and OCCULT all put L fifth, followed by Y, E, and T respectively. A tempting O-word with L elsewhere will not fit this clue.

Dictionary coverage differs: ENABLE includes 22 matches, Collins includes 27, and NWL2023 includes 23. The total counts words present in at least one of those tournament lists, so don’t assume every game accepts all 28; check your game’s word list when a rare option decides the move.

The final letter is not concentrated in one ending: S and Y tie at 8 examples each, while E closes 4. Once O and L are fixed, use your known final letter to narrow the remaining candidates.