6-letter words with T as the 2nd letter and A as the 5th letter

The fixed pattern is _T__A_: T sits in slot two, A in slot five, and four letters remain open. That narrow filter returns 23 tournament-dictionary words, but the starting letters cluster sharply: 16 begin with S, six with A, and one with P. STREAM and STREAK stand out among recognizable examples, while many entries call for a word-list check.

The pattern at a glance

• Twenty-three tournament-dictionary entries match the pattern.
• Sixteen start with S, six with A, and PTISAN is the sole P starter.
• The reported end-letter leader is L with six matches; S follows with three.
• STYRAX scores 16 points; STORAX follows at 13.
• Only two entries rank in the top 25,000 English words by frequency.

What starts do the matches share?

Sixteen of the 23 matches begin with S, including STREAM, STREAK, STALAG, and STRIAE. Six begin with A, such as ATRIAL and ATONAL; PTISAN accounts for the lone P starter. Start with the S branch when your clue leaves the first tile unknown, but keep A in play: it supplies six candidates.

The fifth-letter A pattern is tighter than some neighboring T-second patterns. The same-length list with E in slot five has 120 matches, compared with 23 here; I in that slot has 49, and N has 36. Once A is confirmed, keep it fixed rather than broadening your search.

Which matches score highest?

STYRAX leads the scoring group at 16 points, followed by STORAX at 13. STREAK and ATOKAL each score 10, while STREAM scores eight. The most recognizable example is not the top scorer, so check the less familiar high-value options when points matter.

Collins lists all 23 matches, while ENABLE and NWL2023 each list 19. Only two entries rank among the top 25,000 English words by frequency, so much of the group is uncommon. Check your game's word list before playing an unfamiliar entry.

A clue-solving shortcut