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6-letter words with X as the 2nd letter and P as the 3rd letter

6-letter words with X as the 2nd and P as the 3rd letter: 11 matches, all beginning with E and forming the pattern EXP___ .

11 wordsTop pick EXPECTHighest score EXPIRY 18

6 of 11 are everyday words (55%). A friendly list: most players will know the top picks.

  • 3rd letter
  • A
  • B
  • C
  • D
  • E
  • F
  • G
  • H
  • I
  • J
  • K
  • L
  • M
  • N
  • O
  • P
  • Q
  • R
  • S
  • T
  • U
  • V
  • W
  • X
  • Y
  • Z

With X in 2nd place, O is the most common 3rd letter (18 words). The bar under each letter shows the size of its list.

  • Length
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
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  • 9
  • 10
  • 11
  • 12
  • 13
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  • 15

Best words to play first 11 · most-used first

All valid words 11

A to Z. Includes rare and Collins-only words. Linked tiles open the word's meaning, score and rhymes.

Highest-scoring words

Scrabble and Words With Friends points, before board bonuses
WordScrabbleWords With FriendsDictionaries
EXPIRY1818All three
EXPECT1719All three
EXPAND1618All three
EXPEND1618All three
EXPUGN1620Collins only
EXPERT1516All three
EXPORT1516All three
EXPOSE1516All three
EXPIRE1516All three
EXPATS1516All three
EXPELS1517All three

This tight pattern produces familiar choices such as EXPECT, EXPERT, and EXPORT, alongside less common EXPUGN. Six of the 11 words rank among the top 25,000 English words by frequency. Endings vary, but T appears most often; the shared opening does more of the narrowing than the final letter.

The pattern at a glance

  • All 11 matches begin EXP, so the first three letters are fixed.
  • Six entries are common by our frequency measure, including EXPECT and EXPOSE.
  • Three words end in T: EXPECT, EXPERT, and EXPORT.
  • EXPIRY scores 18 points, the highest score among these entries.
  • Collins lists all 11; ENABLE and NWL2023 each list 10.

Which words fit the EXP pattern?

The recognizable core includes EXPECT, EXPERT, EXPAND, EXPORT, EXPOSE, and EXPIRE. Each keeps the same EXP opening while changing the last three letters, making those endings the useful part of the clue once X and P are confirmed.

The remaining entries are EXPIRY, EXPATS, EXPEND, EXPELS, and EXPUGN. EXPIRY is a familiar noun, while EXPUGN is the outlier most players are less likely to reach for. Ten of the 11 matches have definitions.

Because every match starts with EXP, the choice comes down to the last three letters. T ends three words (EXPECT, EXPERT, EXPORT), while D, E, and S each end two: EXPAND and EXPEND, EXPOSE and EXPIRE, EXPATS and EXPELS.

Scores and limits for X-second, P-third words

For Scrabble, EXPIRY leads at 18 points, followed by EXPECT at 17. EXPAND, EXPEND, and EXPUGN each score 16; EXPERT, EXPORT, EXPOSE, EXPIRE, and EXPATS each score 15. These scores make the X valuable, but a board square can change the result.

The ending pattern is more varied than the opening: T occurs three times, while D, E, and S occur twice each. N and Y appear once apiece. That makes a confirmed final T a useful narrowing clue.

Questions people ask

How many six-letter words have X second and P third?
There are 11 six-letter matches with X second and P third. Every one starts with EXP, including familiar words such as EXPECT and EXPOSE as well as the rarer EXPUGN. Collins includes all 11, while ENABLE and NWL2023 each include 10.
Which EXP word in this pattern scores the most?
EXPIRY is the highest scorer at 18 Scrabble points. EXPECT follows at 17, and EXPAND, EXPEND, and EXPUGN score 16 each. Those are base letter scores; premiums on the board can raise a play's total.
Are all 11 words accepted in every word-game dictionary?
No. Collins includes all 11 matches, but ENABLE and NWL2023 each include 10, so one match is missing from each of those lists. Confirm the word list used by your game before playing a rare entry such as EXPUGN.

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