7-letter words with D as the 1st letter and L as the 4th letter

The pattern is D _ _ L _ _ _, so the fourth letter is fixed while the middle and ending still offer room to work. Only 12 of the 124 matches rank among the most common English words, which makes familiar entries such as DOLLARS and DARLING stand out. The list also includes tournament words that are less likely to come to mind during a fast solve.

What stands out in 7-letter words with D first and L fourth?

• There are 124 tournament-dictionary matches for the D _ _ L _ _ _ pattern.
• Only 12 matches are common English words, including DEALING and DECLINE.
• S is the most frequent final letter, ending 39 of these words.
• The list includes 88 ENABLE words, 120 Collins words, and 94 NWL2023 words.
• DARLING, DOLLARS, and DIPLOMA are recognizable examples that fit the pattern.

Which endings and examples should you check first?

Start with S if the final square is open: 39 matches end in S, more than twice the 17 ending in E. DOLLARS and DEALERS show how a familiar plural can fit, while DECLINE and DARLING give you common alternatives with different endings.

The fixed letters leave three unknown positions between D and L, then three after L. DEALING, DECLINE, and DEFLECT are good pattern checks when you know the opening D and fourth-position L but have only partial crossing letters. For comparison, the same pattern has 62 matches at six letters.

Which matching words score highest?

DIALYZE leads the scoring examples at 20 points, followed by DEGLAZE at 18. DUALIZE and DIGLYPH each score 17, so the best-scoring choices are not necessarily the most familiar words. DAYLILY scores 14 and is easier to recognize, but it trails the leaders.

Treat the score as a starting point, not a promise of a winning play: board premiums and your game's dictionary still matter. Dictionary coverage differs across the three lists, and 124 matches does not mean every game accepts every entry. Check your game's word list before building a play around a less familiar choice.