6-letter words with U as the 2nd letter and D as the 3rd letter

With U fixed in the second slot and D in the third, the pattern looks like _UD___, but the first and final letters still leave room for very different words. BUDGET, JUDGES, SUDDEN, CUDDLE, and PUDDLE are recognizable examples. The set mixes everyday vocabulary with tournament entries that are much less familiar, so a clue match is not automatically a playable word.

A quick look at the U-D pattern

• The six-letter pattern is _UD___: U and D occupy positions two and three.
• BUDGET and SUDDEN are familiar examples; CUDDLE and PUDDLE share the fixed pair.
• M is the most frequent first letter, with 15 matches; N follows with 10.
• S is the most frequent final letter, ending 20 words; E ends 15.
• KUDZUS tops the Scrabble scoring group at 20 points, ahead of JUDOKA and JUDGEY at 18.

How many 6-letter words have U second and D third?

There are 101 six-letter words with U second and D third across the tournament dictionaries. Only 11 meet the common-word frequency threshold, so this pattern mixes everyday words such as BUDGET and SUDDEN with less familiar entries.

The first letter is not dominated by one cluster: M starts 15 words, N starts 10, and B, P, R, and S each start nine. At the other end, S closes 20 entries, E closes 15, and R closes 13; D and Y each finish 10 words.

Which U-D words score well in Scrabble?

KUDZUS leads at 20 points, while JUDOKA and JUDGEY each score 18. JUDGED reaches 16, and JUDGES, JUDDER, JUDGER, JUDOGI, and KUDLIK each score 15. JUD- words show how a high-value J can lift a familiar-looking pattern.

KUDZUS pairs K and Z with the fixed middle letters. A premium square changes the board total, so its 20-point rack score does not guarantee the best play. Dictionary coverage also varies: 94 entries appear in Collins, 75 in NWL2023, and 61 in ENABLE.