6-letter words with P as the 2nd letter and A as the 4th letter

The pattern is _P_A__, so the first and last letters do much of the sorting. SPEAKS and SPLASH show the S-starting group, while UPDATE and UPWARD show the U-starting group. Only eight matches are common by English frequency, leaving plenty of less familiar options among the 50.

At a glance: the shape of this P-A pattern

• There are 50 six-letter matches with P second and A fourth.
• S leads with 21 matches; U follows with 18, while A begins seven.
• S is the most frequent final letter, ending 17 matches; D ends eight and E ends seven.
• UPDATE, SPEAKS, SPLASH, and UPWARD are recognizable examples.
• UPGAZE scores 18 points, the highest-scoring match; the average score is 10.6.

What stands out in 6-letter words with P second and A fourth?

The first letter splits this group sharply: S begins 21 words and U begins 18. Look at SPEAKS, SPRAYS, or SPRAWL for the S branch; UPDATE, UPTAKE, and UPLAND cover the U branch. The smaller A group has seven matches, including APIARY and APPALL.

Endings provide another strong clue. Seventeen matches finish in S, including SPEAKS, SPEARS, and SPLATS. Eight end in D, with UPWARD as a clear example, while seven end in E, including UPDATE and UPTAKE.

The neighboring patterns change the size of the search: replacing P with N gives 134 matches, while O gives 224. Keeping P but changing the fourth letter to I produces 62. The 50-word P-and-A group is comparatively compact.

Which 6-letter words with P second and A fourth score well?

• UPGAZE leads at 18 points, 7.4 points above the group’s 10.6 average.
• EPHAHS, UPMAKE, APPAYD, SPRACK, and UPWAFT each score 14 points.
• SPEAKS, UPWARD, and UPTAKE each score 12 points.
• Collins contains all 50 matches; NWL2023 includes 28 and ENABLE includes 27.
• The set is broader in Collins than in either NWL2023 or ENABLE, so check your game's word list before playing unfamiliar entries.