7-letter words with D as the 1st letter and T as the 3rd letter

The fixed pattern is D-T across positions one and three, with any letter allowed in the other five slots. Only 4 of these 63 entries rank among the top 25,000 English words by frequency, so familiar options like DETAILS sit beside much rarer plays. The Collins list has the broadest coverage among the three tournament dictionaries counted here.

At a glance: count, common words and top score

• There are 63 seven-letter matches in Collins, 48 in NWL2023 and 45 in ENABLE.
• Only 4 matches rank among the top 25,000 English words by frequency.
• DITZIER scores 17 points, the highest score among these words.
• The most frequent final letter is S, found in 31 entries.
• The average score is 9.8 points.

Which words fit D in position one and T in position three?

DET- is a productive start in the examples: DETAILS, DETECTS, DETRACT, DETOURS, DETENTE and DETAINS all fit. The second letter stays E, while the fourth letter changes, giving you several distinct shapes to test against a board or a clue.

DIT- supplies another visible cluster, including DITCHED, DITCHES, DITTIES and DITHERS. DOT turns up in DOTTING, while DATABLE and DATINGS show that the pattern is not limited to DET- and DIT-.

The final letter gives a quick extra filter: 31 words end in S, while D and E each close 6. If your known tiles rule out S, check those smaller D- and E-ending groups before abandoning the pattern.

How should you choose a playable match?

• For a high tile score, compare DITZIER at 17 with DETOXED at 16; both outrank the 9.8-point average.
• DETOXES scores 15, while DITCHED scores 14, so the best rack play depends on which letters you hold.
• Collins includes all 63 matches, but NWL2023 includes 48 and ENABLE includes 45; check your game's dictionary before playing a less familiar entry.
• For 7-letter words with D as the 1st letter and T as the 3rd letter, the pattern narrows the search, but it does not make every match familiar or legal in every game.