6-letter words with P as the 1st letter and U as the 2nd letter

The PU opening offers a cluster of familiar words: PUBLIC, PURPLE, PURSUE, and PUZZLE all fit. Eighteen entries sit in the common-word group, while the full tournament set is much larger. PUZZLE is the scoring outlier, and its double Z makes the reason visible without calculation.

At a glance key pattern details

• 164 matches, including 160 in Collins and 114 in NWL2023.
• PUBLIC, PURPLE, and PUPILS are familiar anchors.
• PUZZLE and PUZZEL tie at 26 points each.
• Final S leads with 31; D, R, and E each appear 24 or 21 times.

Why does PUZZLE dominate the scores?

PUZZLE and PUZZEL both score 26 points, well above the group average of 10.7. Their Z tiles drive the total, so repeated high-value letters matter more than the pattern’s common opening. PUZZEL is less familiar; PUZZLE is the safer word to recognize.

The next scorer is PUKKAH at 19, followed by PUJAHS and PUTZED at 18. PUBLIC and PURPLE may come to mind faster, but neither is close to the raw score leader. Check your game word list before using a specialist candidate.

PUPILS and PUPPET put repeated consonants around the vowel, while PURELY takes a softer route through the middle. PUNISH is another easy anchor. Keep the doubled letters in PUZZLE visible; overlooking either Z changes both the spelling and the strong tile total.

What can the final letter tell you?

S is the most frequent ending, with 31 matches. D and R each close 24, and E appears at the end of 21. That spread means a PU clue needs more than a guessed suffix; the middle tiles carry much of the sorting work.

The shared initial pair is a strong clue, not a guarantee that the remaining sequence will be obvious.

A practical clue-solving note