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7-letter words with E as the 2nd letter and L as the 3rd letter

7-letter words with E as the 2nd letter and L as the 3rd letter number 380, including BELIEVE, RELEASE, and WELCOME.

380 wordsTop pick BELIEVEHighest score ZELKOVA 23

37 of 380 are everyday words (10%). Mostly rare words: great for Scrabble, tough for daily puzzles.

With E in 2nd place, R is the most common 3rd letter (564 words). The bar under each letter shows the size of its list.

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Common words 37 · most-used first

All valid words 380

A to Z. Includes rare and Collins-only words. Linked tiles open the word's meaning, score and rhymes.

  • BELABOR11
  • BELACED12
  • BELACES11
  • BELATED10
  • BELATES9
  • BELAUDS10
  • BELAYED13
  • BELAYER12
  • BELCHED15
  • BELCHER14
  • BELCHES14
  • BELDAME12
  • BELDAMS12
  • BELEAPS11
  • BELEAPT11
  • BELGARD11
  • BELIEFS12
  • BELIERS9
  • BELIEVE12
  • BELLBOY14
  • BELLEEK13
  • BELLHOP14
  • BELLIED10
  • BELLIES9
  • BELLING10
  • BELLMAN11
  • BELLMEN11
  • BELLOCK15
  • BELLOWS12
  • BELONGS10
  • BELOVED13
  • BELOVES12
  • BELTERS9
  • BELTING10
  • BELTMAN11
  • BELTMEN11
  • BELTWAY15
  • BELUGAS10
  • BELYING13
  • CELADON10
  • CELESTA9
  • CELESTE9
  • CELIACS11
  • CELLARS9
  • CELLIES9
  • CELLING10
  • CELLIST9
  • CELLOSE9
  • CELLULE9
  • CELOMIC13
  • CELOSIA9
  • CELOTEX16
  • DELAINE8
  • DELAPSE10
  • DELATED9
  • DELATES8
  • DELATOR8
  • DELAYED12
  • DELAYER11
  • DELEADS9
  • DELEAFS11
  • DELEAVE11
  • DELEBLE10
  • DELEING9
  • DELENDA9
  • DELETED9
  • DELETES8
  • DELIBLE10
  • DELICES10
  • DELICTS10
  • DELIGHT12
  • DELIMED11
  • DELIMES10
  • DELIMIT10
  • DELINKS12
  • DELIRIA8
  • DELISTS8
  • DELIVER11
  • DELLIES8
  • DELOPED11
  • DELOPES10
  • DELOUSE8
  • DELPHIC15
  • DELPHIN13
  • DELTAIC10
  • DELTOID9
  • DELUDED10
  • DELUDER9
  • DELUDES9
  • DELUGED10
  • DELUGES9
  • DELVERS11
  • DELVING12
  • EELFARE10
  • EELIEST7
  • EELINGS8
  • EELLIKE11
  • EELPOUT9
  • EELWORM12
  • FELAFEL13
  • FELICIA12
  • FELINES10
  • FELLAHS13
  • FELLATE10
  • FELLERS10
  • FELLEST10
  • FELLIES10
  • FELLING11
  • FELLOES10
  • FELLOWS13
  • FELONRY13
  • FELSITE10
  • FELSPAR12
  • FELTERS10
  • FELTIER10
  • FELTING11
  • FELUCCA14
  • FELWORT13
  • GELABLE10
  • GELADAS9
  • GELANDE9
  • GELANTS8
  • GELATED9
  • GELATES8
  • GELATIN8
  • GELATIS8
  • GELATOS8
  • GELCAPS12
  • GELCOAT10
  • GELDERS9
  • GELDING10
  • GELIDER9
  • GELIDLY12
  • GELLANT8
  • GELLIES8
  • GELLING9
  • HELCOID13
  • HELIAST10
  • HELIBUS12
  • HELICAL12
  • HELICES12
  • HELICON12
  • HELIMAN12
  • HELIMEN12
  • HELIPAD13
  • HELISKI14
  • HELIUMS12
  • HELIXES17
  • HELLBOX19
  • HELLCAT12
  • HELLERI10
  • HELLERS10
  • HELLERY13
  • HELLIER10
  • HELLING11
  • HELLION10
  • HELLISH13
  • HELLOED11
  • HELLOES10
  • HELLOVA13
  • HELLUVA13
  • HELMERS12
  • HELMETS12
  • HELMING13
  • HELOTRY13
  • HELPERS12
  • HELPFUL15
  • HELPING13
  • HELVING14
  • JELLABA16
  • JELLIED15
  • JELLIES14
  • JELLIFY20
  • JELLING15
  • KELLAUT11
  • KELLIES11
  • KELOIDS12
  • KELPERS13
  • KELPIES13
  • KELPING14
  • KELSONS11
  • KELTERS11
  • KELTIES11
  • KELVINS14
  • MELAENA9
  • MELAMED12
  • MELANGE10
  • MELANIC11
  • MELANIN9
  • MELANOS9
  • MELDERS10
  • MELDING11
  • MELENAS9
  • MELICKS15
  • MELILOT9
  • MELINJO16
  • MELISMA11
  • MELLAYS12
  • MELLING10
  • MELLITE9
  • MELLOWS12
  • MELLOWY15
  • MELODIA10
  • MELODIC12
  • MELOIDS10
  • MELTAGE10
  • MELTEMI11
  • MELTERS9
  • MELTIER9
  • MELTING10
  • MELTITH12
  • MELTONS9
  • NELLIES7
  • NELSONS7
  • NELUMBO11
  • PELAGES10
  • PELAGIC12
  • PELHAMS14
  • PELICAN11
  • PELISSE9
  • PELITES9
  • PELITIC11
  • PELLACH14
  • PELLACK15
  • PELLETS9
  • PELLOCK15
  • PELLUMS11
  • PELMETS11
  • PELOIDS10
  • PELORIA9
  • PELORIC11
  • PELORUS9
  • PELOTAS9
  • PELOTON9
  • PELTAST9
  • PELTATE9
  • PELTERS9
  • PELTING10
  • PELVICS14
  • RELABEL9
  • RELACED10
  • RELACES9
  • RELACHE12
  • RELANDS8
  • RELAPSE9
  • RELATED8
  • RELATER7
  • RELATES7
  • RELATOR7
  • RELATUM9
  • RELAXED15
  • RELAXER14
  • RELAXES14
  • RELAXIN14
  • RELAYED11
  • RELEARN7
  • RELEASE7
  • RELENDS8
  • RELENTS7
  • RELEVES10
  • RELIANT7
  • RELICTS9
  • RELIEFS10
  • RELIERS7
  • RELIEVE10
  • RELIEVO10
  • RELIGHT11
  • RELINED8
  • RELINES7
  • RELINKS11
  • RELIQUE16
  • RELISTS7
  • RELIVED11
  • RELIVER10
  • RELIVES10
  • RELLENO7
  • RELLIES7
  • RELLISH10
  • RELOADS8
  • RELOANS7
  • RELOCKS13
  • RELOOKS11
  • RELUCTS9
  • RELUMED10
  • RELUMES9
  • RELYING11
  • SELECTA9
  • SELECTS9
  • SELENIC9
  • SELFDOM13
  • SELFIES10
  • SELFING11
  • SELFISH13
  • SELFISM12
  • SELFIST10
  • SELKIES11
  • SELLERS7
  • SELLING8
  • SELLOFF13
  • SELLOUT7
  • SELSYNS10
  • SELTZER16
  • SELVAGE11
  • TELAMON9
  • TELECOM11
  • TELEDUS8
  • TELEFAX17
  • TELEGAS8
  • TELEMAN9
  • TELEMEN9
  • TELEOST7
  • TELERAN7
  • TELERGY11
  • TELESES7
  • TELESIS7
  • TELESMS9
  • TELETEX14
  • TELEXED15
  • TELEXES14
  • TELFERS10
  • TELFORD11
  • TELLARS7
  • TELLENS7
  • TELLERS7
  • TELLIES7
  • TELLING8
  • TELLINS7
  • TELNETS7
  • TELOGEN8
  • TELOMES9
  • TELOMIC11
  • TELOSES7
  • TELPHER12
  • TELSONS7
  • VELAMEN12
  • VELARIA10
  • VELARIC12
  • VELATED11
  • VELCROS12
  • VELETAS10
  • VELIGER11
  • VELITES10
  • VELLETS10
  • VELLONS10
  • VELLUMS12
  • VELOURS10
  • VELOUTE10
  • VELURED11
  • VELURES10
  • VELVETS13
  • VELVETY16
  • WELAWAY16
  • WELCHED16
  • WELCHER15
  • WELCHES15
  • WELCOME14
  • WELDERS11
  • WELDING12
  • WELDORS11
  • WELFARE13
  • WELKING15
  • WELKINS14
  • WELLIES10
  • WELLING11
  • WELSHED14
  • WELSHER13
  • WELSHES13
  • WELTERS10
  • WELTING11
  • YELLERS10
  • YELLING11
  • YELLOCH15
  • YELLOWS13
  • YELLOWY16
  • YELMING13
  • YELPERS12
  • YELPING13
  • ZELANTS16
  • ZELATOR16
  • ZELKOVA23
Letters by positionIn 39% of these words the 7th letter is S.
1st letter
  1. R12%
  2. D11%
  3. B10%
4th letter
  1. L22%
  2. A15%
  3. I15%
5th letter
  1. I19%
  2. E11%
  3. A9%
6th letter
  1. E28%
  2. N12%
  3. R10%
7th letter
  1. S39%
  2. D9%
  3. E8%

Highest-scoring words

Scrabble and Words With Friends points, before board bonuses
Score spreadMost of these words score 10 in Scrabble; ZELKOVA tops the list with 23. Scores before board bonuses.
  1. 77 points: 30 words
  2. 8 points: 26 words
  3. 99 points: 62 words
  4. 10 points: 73 words
  5. 1111 points: 58 words
  6. 12 points: 44 words
  7. 1313 points: 33 words
  8. 14 points: 21 words
  9. 1515 points: 17 words
  10. 16 points: 11 words
  11. 1717 points: 2 words
  12. 18 points: 0 words
  13. 1919 points: 1 words
  14. 20 points: 1 words
  15. 2121 points: 0 words
  16. 22 points: 0 words
  17. 2323 points: 1 words
WordScrabbleWords With FriendsDictionaries
ZELKOVA2325All three
JELLIFY2023All three
HELLBOX1921All three
TELEFAX1718Collins · NWL
HELIXES1717All three
SELTZER1617All three
VELVETY1618All three
YELLOWY1616All three
CELOTEX1618Collins · NWL
WELCHED1617All three
JELLABA1621All three
RELIQUE1618All three

The pattern _EL____ narrows seven-letter guesses to 380 tournament-listed words. Familiar examples include BELIEVE, RELEASE, WELCOME, and DELIVER; all keep E and L in the same middle slots. The strongest clue is not a single opening or ending: first letters range widely, while nearly two fifths finish in S.

At a glance: the _EL____ pattern

  • 380 entries match the fixed _EL____ pattern across the supported tournament dictionaries.
  • BELIEVE, RELEASE, WELCOME, and DELIVER are familiar examples.
  • R is the most common first letter, with 47 entries.
  • S closes 149 words, far more than any other final letter.
  • Only 37 entries rank among the top 25,000 English words by frequency.

How many 7-letter words have E as 2nd and L as 3rd?

There are 380 matches for this letter-position clue. Their first letters show a clear lead for R, with 47 words, followed by D with 41 and B with 39. H contributes 33, while T starts 31.

That spread gives you several routes when the opening tile is still unknown.

The final letter is less evenly spread: 149 entries end in S. The next group is much smaller, with 34 ending in D and 31 each ending in E or G. If your board clue points to a plural or verb form, try S first; it is the standout ending for this pattern.

The pattern also has fewer matches than seven-letter words with A in the second slot and L third, which number 552. It is close to the O-and-L pattern, at 375, so E is not an unusually broad choice for this combination.

Scoring 7-letter words with E second and L third

For 7-letter words with E as the 2nd letter and L as the 3rd letter, ZELKOVA is the top base-score play at 23 points. JELLIFY scores 20, and HELLBOX scores 19. Those high values come from less familiar words, so check your game's word list before building a play around one.

The dictionary counts differ: 370 matches appear in Collins, 310 in NWL2023, and 282 in ENABLE. The 380 total combines words found in at least one supported tournament dictionary; it does not mean every game accepts every entry. Common vocabulary is a smaller subset, with just 37 matches among the most frequent English words.

Questions people ask

What are some common 7-letter words with E second and L third?
BELIEVE, RELEASE, WELCOME, and DELIVER are recognizable matches. They all follow the _EL____ pattern, but familiar words are a minority: only 37 of the 380 matches rank among the top 25,000 English words by frequency. The remaining entries include many less common forms.
What is the highest-scoring word in this pattern?
ZELKOVA has the highest score, at 23 points. JELLIFY follows at 20, then HELLBOX at 19. These scores do not include board-square bonuses, and the best choice depends on which letters and premium squares your game gives you.
Are all 380 words accepted in every word game?
No. The matches come from a union of tournament dictionaries, so the full set is not shared by every game. Collins contains 370 matches, NWL2023 has 310, and ENABLE has 282. Check your game's word list when a play depends on a less familiar entry.

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