6-letter words with P as the 2nd letter and O as the 5th letter

The pattern is _P__O_: P sits in the second slot, and O sits in the fifth. Just 20 tournament-dictionary words fit, so this is a tight clue rather than a broad word pool. OPTION is an easy starting point; less familiar entries such as UPHROE and EPIZOA show how quickly the list gets specialized.

At a glance: the P-and-O pattern

• Twenty six-letter words match the fixed pattern _P__O_.
• Nine entries begin with U, more than any other first letter.
• OPTION is a recognizable example that fits both fixed positions.
• EPIZOA tops the scoring list at 17 points.
• Collins has 20 matches; ENABLE and NWL2023 each have 14.

How many 6-letter words have P second and O fifth?

There are 20 matches, and their first letters make the pattern unusually lopsided: nine start with U. A, E, and S each account for three, while O begins two. That makes U the most productive opening letter when you already know both internal positions.

The examples show the range. OPTION is a familiar everyday word, while UPSHOT and UPROOT are more recognizable than entries such as APEDOM, UPHROE, and EPIGON. Only one match falls in the common-word group, so expect many results to feel specialized.

Compare that small pool with other six-letter patterns ending in O: P with A in the second slot has 311 matches, and P with O there has 205. Keeping P second while changing the fifth letter to E gives 92. The O constraint is doing substantial filtering.

Which matching word scores highest?

EPIZOA is the top scorer at 17 points, followed by UPFLOW at 14 and UPBLOW at 13. UPGROW, UPLOOK, UPPROP, and UPTOOK each score 12, so those less familiar U-words offer a strong backup when a premium square rewards their letters.

There is a real dictionary split: Collins includes all 20 matches, while ENABLE and NWL2023 include 14 apiece. The average score is 10.6. Treat the longer entries as a clue-solving pool, not a guarantee that every game accepts every word; check your game's word list.