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

The fixed pattern is _ Y E _ _ _, but its 24 tournament-dictionary matches form an unusually narrow set. Six start with E and four start with H; G and S tie as the most common final letters, with six each. Only one entry is common by our frequency measure, so expect a mix of familiar forms and specialist vocabulary.

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

• Exactly 24 tournament-dictionary words match the Y-second, E-third pattern.
• EYELID, EYEING, and EYEFUL begin with E; six matches start with that letter.
• HYENAS, HYETAL, HYENIC, and HYEING make H another productive first letter, with four matches.
• Six words end in G and six end in S; no other final letter reaches either count.
• Just one match ranks among the top 25,000 English words by frequency.

Which letters start and end these words?

EYELID, EYEING, EYELET, and EYEFUL show the E-Y-E opening; DYEING shifts the first letter while keeping the required middle pair. Those recognizable forms sit beside specialist entries such as CYESIS, GYELDS, and OYEZES, so the pattern does not guarantee that every candidate will feel familiar.

Starting letters cluster around E and H: E leads with six, H follows with four, and P contributes three. C, M, and O each supply two; B and D appear once apiece. At the other end, G and S tie at six, while C, L, and N each close two.

Which matches score most, and what should you check?

OYEZES is the top scorer at 18 points, followed by PYEMIC at 15. BYELAW and HYENIC each score 14, while PYEMIA and EYECUP each reach 13. For a high-value play, compare those less familiar words with your rack and board rather than assuming the longest-looking option scores best.

The dictionary totals differ: Collins includes 24 matches, NWL2023 has 17, and ENABLE has 16. Only 19 matches have definitions, and just one is common by frequency, so many candidates are obscure. Check your game's word list before relying on an unfamiliar entry.