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

The pattern is _P___E: P is fixed in the second slot, and every match ends in E. UPDATE and SPONGE are familiar options, while OPAQUE and SPHERE offer different letter combinations. Only 14 matches count as common words, so expect plenty of less familiar tournament entries alongside everyday vocabulary.

What stands out in this letter pattern?

• The pattern contains 66 six-letter matches, all ending in E.
• S starts 30 matches, making it the most frequent opening letter; U follows with 19.
• A and O each begin six matches, while E begins five.
• UPGAZE scores 18 points, ahead of OPAQUE and UPSIZE at 17 each.
• Collins lists 66 matches; NWL2023 lists 49 and ENABLE lists 48.

Which first letters fit _P___E?

S dominates the opening slot: SPHERE, SPONGE, SPRUCE, SPARSE, and SPLICE all fit, and the facts count 30 S-openers. U is the clear runner-up with 19, including UPDATE, UPSIDE, UPTAKE, and UPTIME.

A and O contribute six words apiece, including APACHE, APIECE, OPIATE, and OPP OSE? The spelling is OPPOSE: it has P in both the second and third positions, so the fixed second-letter clue still fits. E begins five matches. When the first tile is unknown, test S and U before the smaller groups.

6-letter words with P second and E last: score picks

UPGAZE leads the scoring list at 18 points. OPAQUE and UPSIZE each score 17, while APACHE and EPHEBE score 13. The average score across the pattern is 10, so the top entries stand well above the typical result.

The strongest scores often come from less ordinary words, not the familiar starters: UPGAZE tops UPDATE, and OPAQUE outpoints SPHERE. Only 43 matches have definitions, and just 14 are classed as common. Collins includes all 66, compared with 49 in NWL2023 and 48 in ENABLE; check your game's word list before playing a less familiar entry.