6-letter words with O as the 3rd letter and S as the 5th letter

The pattern is __O_S_: O sits in position three and S in position five. Familiar matches include CHOOSE, SPOUSE, BROWSE, and BLOUSE, while GLOSSY and DROWSY show how much the final letter can vary. Only seven matches rank among the most common English words, so expect everyday vocabulary alongside less familiar options.

At a glance: counts and common endings

• The fixed pattern has 60 matches found in at least one tournament dictionary.
• Collins lists 57 matches, NWL2023 lists 42, and ENABLE lists 36; dictionary totals overlap.
• S is the most common first letter, starting 13 words; B follows with 11.
• E ends 22 matches, Y ends 18, and H ends 10.

Which matches score 15 points?

WHOOSH, FROWSY, BOOKSY, and QUOIST tie for the highest score at 15 points. CHOOSY, BLOWSY, PHOSSY, CHOUSH, CHOWSE, and WHOMSO each score 14. The top scorers rely on less familiar letter combinations, unlike everyday choices such as CHOOSE and SPOUSE.

For a puzzle, hold the O and S in place and test the first, fourth, and sixth tiles. BROWSE and SPOUSE show two recognizable routes through the pattern, and both end in E. Don’t assume the fifth-position S means the word ends in S: 22 matches end in E and 18 end in Y.

6-letter words with O as the 3rd letter and S as the 5th letter

The fifth letter changes the count sharply: putting E there instead of S gives 492 matches, while I gives 171. Keeping O and S but changing the word length gives 266 matches at five letters and 104 at seven.

That contrast makes the fifth tile a strong filter. Of these 60 six-letter matches, 45 have definitions, but the set still includes less familiar forms alongside CHOOSE and BROWSE. For a playable move, check your game’s word list before relying on an unusual entry.