6-letter words with T as the 3rd letter and B as the 4th letter

The pattern fixes the middle pair as TB, leaving two letters to choose on either side. Across the 15 matches, no word is classed as common. Six start with O, and every one of those begins with OUT, giving you a strong first group to check when the middle letters are already known.

The pattern and its strongest matches

• 15 entries match the pattern, with T and B locked into positions three and four.
• Six begin with O; each starts with OUT, from OUTBID to OUTBYE.
• HOTBOX and HATBOX tie for the highest score at 18 points.
• OUTBOX follows at 15 points, while HOTBED scores 12.
• Zero matches are classed as common, so expect an unusual vocabulary set.

Which matches are easiest to recognize?

Write the pattern as __TB__. HOTBED is a familiar-looking example, while OUTBID and OUTBOX stand out through their shared OUT opening. Those three give you different first-two-letter combinations without changing the fixed middle pair.

The six O-initial matches are OUTBID, OUTBOX, OUTBAR, OUTBEG, OUTBUY, and OUTBYE. Checking that cluster first is a practical retrieval trick: all six follow the same opening, even though their final two letters vary.

How do scores and dictionary coverage compare?

HOTBOX and HATBOX lead the scoring list at 18 points apiece; OUTBOX scores 15. HOTBED earns 12, while OUTBID earns 9. If you have a choice, compare the whole word rather than assuming every OUT- word scores alike.

Dictionary coverage is not identical: 12 matches appear in ENABLE, while Collins and NWL2023 each include 14. The complete set is a tournament-dictionary match, but not every game accepts the same entries. Check your game's word list before playing an unfamiliar option.

One scoring detail worth noticing: HOTBOX and HATBOX beat OUTBOX despite sharing its final X. The letters before that X affect the total, so compare the full word rather than treating a high-value ending as the whole story.