6-letter words with S as the 4th letter and L as the 5th letter

The pattern is __SL__: S and L sit side by side in the fourth and fifth slots, leaving four letters to distinguish each entry. HASSLE and TUSSLE are familiar, but only one match falls within the top 25,000 English words by frequency; 14 have definitions available. Treat the count as a tournament-word-list union, not a guarantee for every game.

The pattern and its standouts

• Exactly 22 tournament-list words fit the fixed __SL__ pattern.
• Fourteen end in E and six end in Y; A and I appear as final letters once each.
• Only one match ranks among the top 25,000 English words by frequency.
• VIZSLA leads the listed Scrabble scores at 18 points; JEESLY follows at 16.
• Coverage varies: Collins has 21 matches, NWL2023 has 16, and ENABLE has 15.

How many 6-letter words have S fourth and L fifth?

There are 22 matches, and their final letters narrow the search quickly. E appears in 14 words, including HASSLE, TUSSLE, TOUSLE, and MEASLE. Y closes six, among them GRISLY, MEASLY, and THUSLY.

A and I each finish one entry, so check those endings only after testing E and Y. This split also shows why the pattern can feel familiar while still producing a short, unusual set: everyday-looking examples share space with less common forms such as VIZSLA and MUESLI.

When should you play 6-letter words with S as the 4th letter and L as the 5th letter?

For Scrabble scoring, VIZSLA is the standout at 18 points, with JEESLY next at 16. THUSLY scores 12, while MEASLY, BASSLY, and PUSSLY each score 11. Those values make the less familiar spellings worth checking when a rack offers the right letters.

The limitation is vocabulary: only one of these words is common by the frequency measure, and the tournament lists do not agree on every entry. Use familiar options such as HASSLE when they fit, and check your game's word list before relying on an obscure match.