6-letter words with U as the 3rd letter and S as the 5th letter

The fixed pattern is _ _ U _ S _, so the third and fifth tiles are settled while the other four stay open. Familiar matches include COURSE, CRUISE, BRUISE, and MOUSSE; less everyday entries such as BOURSE and CRUISY make the search less obvious. Just five entries rank as common, leaving a small practical core and a larger game-dictionary fringe.

At a glance: the U-third, S-fifth pattern

• The pattern contains 31 words across ENABLE, Collins, and NWL2023.
• Collins admits 30 matches, while NWL2023 has 20 and ENABLE has 17; these dictionary totals overlap.
• B is the most common opening letter, with five words; A, C, and S each open four.
• E closes 12 matches, ahead of H at seven and T at six.

6-letter words with U third and S fifth

COURSE, CRUISE, BRUISE, and MOUSSE are easy anchors: each makes the fixed U-and-S slots simple to check. SQUASH and SQUISH have another useful feature, with S at the start as well as in the required fifth position.

Endings narrow the search sharply. Twelve matches finish in E, including COURSE, CRUISE, and BRUISE; seven finish in H, including SQUASH and SQUISH, while six end in T. If your clue fixes the last tile too, test E, H, and T first rather than scanning all 31 candidates.

Which matches score highest, and what should you check?

SQUASH, SQUISH, and SQUUSH top the Scrabble scoring list at 18 points each. CLUMSY and JAUNSE follow at 13, while FLUISH scores 12. The top tie includes familiar and less common words, so SQUASH may be easier to spot, but it does not score more than SQUUSH.

For 6-letter words with U third and S fifth, treat the 31 matches as a cross-dictionary group, not a promise that every game accepts every entry. Collins includes 30, NWL2023 includes 20, and ENABLE includes 17, with overlap between those sets. Only five entries rank as common; BOURSE, CRUISY, and AGUISE show why a pattern match can still feel unfamiliar.