6-letter words with S as the 3rd letter and O as the 4th letter

Lock in the pattern _ _ S O _ _ and the options narrow quickly: only two matches count as common. RESORT and ABSORB are familiar choices, while DESOXY leads the score list. The dictionary totals also differ sharply, so a word accepted in one tournament list may not work in another.

At a glance: the S-O pattern

• Exactly 53 tournament-listed words fit the six-letter pattern.
• Collins includes 52 matches; ENABLE includes 36.
• NWL2023 accepts 39 words with S third and O fourth.
• Only two matches rank as common.
• DESOXY scores 17 points, ahead of BOSOMY at 13.

How many words fit this letter pattern?

There are 53 matches, and their openings are spread across several letters: A and B each start nine, while R and U each start eight. That makes RESORT, ABSORB, and UNSOLD good examples of how much the first two positions can change around the fixed S-O pair.

The endings are less evenly distributed. Nineteen words finish in S, including MASONS, VISORS, and BOSOMS; E, N, and T each appear at the end of six words. If your clue also fixes the final letter, start with the S-ending group.

Using 6-letter words with S as the 3rd letter and O as the 4th letter

For a familiar candidate, try RESORT, ABSORB, or DISOWN; each keeps the required middle letters while testing different surrounding letters. RESOLD and INSOLE offer other recognizable shapes. The small common-word count is a warning: many matches are specialist vocabulary rather than everyday guesses.

For scoring, DESOXY is the standout at 17 points, but BOSOMY reaches 13 and HYSONS and DISOMY each score 12. Check your game's word list before relying on a high scorer: Collins has 52 matches, but NWL2023 has only 39. The lists overlap, yet neither count guarantees acceptance in every game.