6-letter words with U as the 2nd letter and M as the 5th letter

The pattern is _U__M_: U takes the second slot, while M sits one place before the end. AUTUMN is the most familiar match, but many entries are less common forms such as QUALMY and JUGUMS. Seven of the 15 matches end in S, making the final letter a useful extra clue when you have it.

At a glance: the U-and-M pattern

• 15 tournament-dictionary words match the six-letter pattern _U__M_.
• AUTUMN is the standout familiar example; only one match is classed as common.
• Seven words end in S, including QUALMS, DUNAMS, and DURUMS.
• QUALMY leads the Scrabble scores at 20 points.
• Collins includes all 15 matches; NWL2023 includes nine and ENABLE includes eight.

Which U-second, M-fifth words score highest?

QUALMY is the scoring leader at 20 points, with QUALMS next among the high scorers. Both begin with the same five letters, so changing only the final tile shifts the score while preserving the fixed U and M positions. JUGUMS is another strong option if your rack allows its less familiar opening.

A strong tile score does not make a word easy to play. QUALMY and JUGUMS are much less recognizable than AUTUMN, and the average score across these matches is 11.1. Check your game’s dictionary before committing to an unfamiliar entry; Collins, NWL2023, and ENABLE do not contain identical sets.

How rare is this letter pattern?

Only one of these 15 matches is tagged as common, so this pattern is better for solving a precise rack or board clue than for guessing an everyday word. AUTUMN is the clear exception most players will recognize. The seven S-ending forms offer a narrower route when the last tile is already known.

For another U-second pattern, the six-letter list with N in the fifth position has 109 matches, far more than this M group. The seven-letter U-second, M-fifth pattern has 38. Compare those neighbors when a crossing tile or an uncertain word length changes the puzzle; 6-letter words with U second and M fifth remain the tighter match.