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

The pattern is P _ _ Y _ _: P begins each word, and Y sits in the fourth spot. PLAYED, PLAYER, PRAYER, and PRAYED are the four entries classed as common. The rest range from recognizable forms such as PREYED to rarer words such as PROYNE, so use the fixed letters to narrow your search before judging a candidate by familiarity.

What stands out in this P _ _ Y _ _ pattern?

• Nineteen tournament-dictionary words fit the P _ _ Y _ _ pattern.
• PLAYED, PLAYER, PRAYER, and PRAYED are the four common entries.
• Five matches end in S, while four end in D.
• Collins includes 18 matches, NWL2023 includes 15, and ENABLE includes 13.
• The average tile score across the matches is 11.6.

Which familiar words match the pattern?

PLAYED and PLAYER share the opening PLAY, while PRAYER and PRAYED begin with PRAY. These familiar examples make the fourth-letter Y easy to check: the first three letters can vary, but Y stays fixed in every match.

PREYED also fits, though it changes the vowel pattern after P. For a puzzle clue, test known endings as well as beginnings: PLAYED and PRAYED finish in D, while PLAYER and PRAYER finish in R. The position clue alone does not tell you which word form the puzzle needs.

How do endings shape 6-letter words with P first and Y fourth?

S is the most frequent final letter, with five matches; D follows with four, and R ends three words. The remaining endings are E, I, N, and L, with two words each for E, I, and N, and one for L. That spread makes the last letter a strong next clue when several candidates fit.

For tile scoring, POLYPS, PAPYRI, POLYPI, and POLYPE each score 13. The group average is 11.6, but a higher raw score does not guarantee a strong board play; premium squares and available extensions still matter. Dictionary coverage also varies: Collins has more matches than ENABLE, so check your game's list before relying on an unfamiliar candidate.