6-letter words with P as the 1st letter and L as the 4th letter

The fixed pattern is P _ _ L _ _: P stays in the first slot, and L must occupy the fourth. Familiar matches include PUBLIC and PILLOW, while PHYLUM leads the score chart at 16 points. Everyday vocabulary is only part of the collection, so lock in the letter positions before checking less familiar candidates.

At a glance: the P _ _ L _ _ pattern

• There are 85 six-letter matches for P _ _ L _ _.
• PUBLIC, PILLOW, PILLAR, and POLLEN are recognizable examples.
• PHYLUM and PHYLIC tie for the top score at 16 points.
• Sixty-nine entries have definitions.
• S is the most common final letter, with 16 words; R follows with 13.

Which six-letter words put L fourth?

The pattern produces words such as PULLED, PALLID, PELLET, and POPLAR, alongside PUBLIC and PILLOW. The final letter can narrow your search: 16 matches end in S, 13 in R, and 12 in D. A known ending is a useful extra filter once P and L are fixed.

Dictionary coverage differs across the collection: all 85 matches appear in Collins, compared with 66 in NWL2023 and 64 in ENABLE. Some entries therefore won't work in every tournament word list, so check your game's dictionary before playing an unfamiliar answer.

How to use the P _ _ L _ _ pattern

• Write down P _ _ L _ _ first; don't mistake the fourth position for the fifth.
• Test familiar words such as PILLAR, PULLED, and PELLET against every revealed letter.
• For a final S, start with PSALMS or POLL... no: use POLL? The pattern must stay exact, so check the full six-letter spelling before settling on a candidate.