6-letter words with Y as the 1st letter and A as the 2nd letter

The YA opening is a tight filter: just 62 six-letter entries qualify, and only one ranks among the most common English words. Familiar examples include YACHTS, YANKED, and YAWNED, but many entries are less everyday. The list also changes noticeably across tournament dictionaries, so a word accepted in one game may not work in another.

At a glance: the YA opening

• There are 62 six-letter words with Y first and A second.
• YAKUZA is the top scorer at 22 points.
• Only one entry falls within the top 25,000 English words by frequency.
• S is the most frequent final letter, appearing on 18 words.
• R and D follow as endings, with 13 and 12 words.

Which 6-letter words with YA in positions 1–2 score highest?

YAKUZA leads this group at 22 points, making its K and Z the scoring stars. The next tier is shared by YANQUI, YAKKED, and YAQONA, each worth 18 points.

For a strong board play, look beyond the word’s total: a premium square under K or Z can make YAKUZA especially potent. YAKKER and YAKKAS score 17, while YAPOCK also reaches 17.

The high values come with a practical catch: several leaders, YAKUZA and YAQONA among them, are uncommon words.

How 6-letter words with YA in positions 1–2 finish

S is the leading ending, with 18 entries; R follows at 13, then D at 12. That makes YACHTS a useful example of the largest ending group, while YARDER and YANKED show the next two.

The remaining endings are more scattered: five words end in A and four in E, while K, N, and T each appear twice. When a crossing letter is fixed, start with S, R, or D before testing the rarer endings.

Dictionary coverage is uneven: Collins includes 61 of these words, compared with 43 in NWL2023 and 38 in ENABLE. The full group is not interchangeable across game lists, so confirm the accepted dictionary for your match.