6-letter words with S as the 1st letter and P as the 3rd letter

The fixed pattern is S?P???: keep S in the opening slot and P in the third, then check the remaining spaces against your clue. The 46 matches range from familiar words such as SUPPLY and SUPERB to less common entries such as SAPELE and SYPHER. Only 4 are classed as common, so this pattern quickly leads beyond everyday vocabulary.

At a glance for count, coverage and scores

• There are 46 matches across the tournament dictionaries.
• SUPLEX tops the tile scores at 15 points.
• Four matches fall within the common-word group.
• Ten matches end in S; E is next with 7.

6-letter words with S as the 1st letter and P as the 3rd letter

SUPPLY, SUPPER, SUPPLE and SUPERB show how often this pattern starts with the sound “sup.” Other useful examples take a different route: SEPTIC, SEPTUM and SEPALS begin with “sep,” while SIPHON and SIPING use “sip.” Grouping candidates by their first two letters makes a partly filled grid easier to scan.

The last letter gives another quick filter. Ten words finish in S, including SEPSIS, SEPALS and SUPERS, and seven end in E.

N and R each close five matches. If the last square is known, use that clue before testing unfamiliar middle letters.

How can you narrow these matches?

Start with the letters already fixed, then sort the remaining candidates by a known ending or vowel. For a scoring play, SUPLEX is the standout at 15 points; SYPHON and SYPHER each score 14, while SUPPLY scores 13. Those totals make the less familiar forms worth checking when a premium square is available.

The coverage is not identical across word lists: Collins includes all 46 matches, compared with 32 in ENABLE and 33 in NWL2023. Only 40 entries have definitions, and just 4 are common. Treat obscure candidates as a last move and check your game's word list before playing them.