6-letter words with Y as the 2nd letter and A as the 3rd letter

The pattern is _YA___, but familiar words are scarce: none of these entries rank among the most common English words. The set includes DYADIC and HYAENA alongside less familiar forms such as NYANZA and KYACKS. Dictionary coverage also varies, so a word accepted in one tournament list may not be accepted in another.

At a glance: the Y-A pattern

• The pattern _YA___ has 21 six-letter matches across the tournament dictionaries.
• KYACKS is the top scorer at 19 Scrabble points; NYANZA follows at 18.
• Eleven entries end in S, making S the most common final letter by a wide margin.
• C and N each start four words; M starts three.
• Collins includes 20 matches, compared with 13 in ENABLE and 14 in NWL2023.

How many 6-letter words have Y second and A third?

There are 21 six-letter words with Y as the 2nd letter and A as the 3rd letter. The opening letters are spread across eight groups: C and N lead with four each, while M has three. Only one entry starts with A.

The endings are less evenly spread. S closes 11 words, while A, C, and N each close two; the remaining endings occur once apiece. That makes a final S a strong next check when your pattern already fixes Y and A.

Which matches score highest in Scrabble?

KYACKS scores 19 points before board bonuses, with NYANZA next at 18 and NYAFFS at 15. CYATHI and KYANGS each score 14. The rare K-heavy options beat more recognizable DYADIC, which scores 13.

Sixteen of the 21 entries are defined, and none are common by the frequency cutoff. These 6-letter words with Y as the 2nd letter and A as the 3rd letter are therefore better for fitting a rack or pattern than for everyday vocabulary. Check your game's word list: Collins has broader coverage here than ENABLE or NWL2023.