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7-letter words with F as the 3rd letter and N as the 5th letter

34 seven-letter words have F as the 3rd letter and N as the 5th letter, matching the pattern __F_N__.

34 wordsTop pick DEFENSEHighest score OFFENCE 15

12 of 34 are everyday words (35%). A friendly list: most players will know the top picks.

With F in 3rd place, I is the most common 5th letter (129 words). The bar under each letter shows the size of its list.

  • Length
  • 5
  • 6
  • 7
  • 8
  • 9
  • 10
  • 11
  • 12
  • 13
  • 14
  • 15

Common words 12 · most-used first

All valid words 34

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

  • AFFINAL13
  • AFFINED14
  • AFFINES13
  • BEFANAS12
  • DEFANGS12
  • DEFENCE13
  • DEFENDS12
  • DEFENSE11
  • DEFINED12
  • DEFINER11
  • DEFINES11
  • DEFUNCT13
  • DEFUNDS12
  • EFFENDI14
  • EFFINGS14
  • ENFANTS10
  • INFANCY15
  • INFANTA10
  • INFANTE10
  • INFANTS10
  • MOFONGO13
  • OFFENCE15
  • OFFENDS14
  • OFFENSE13
  • OFFINGS14
  • REFENCE12
  • REFINDS11
  • REFINED11
  • REFINER10
  • REFINES10
  • REFUNDS11
  • UNFANCY15
  • UNFENCE12
  • UNFUNNY13
Letters by positionIn 47% of these words the 2nd letter is E.
1st letter
  1. D26%
  2. R18%
  3. I12%
2nd letter
  1. E47%
  2. F26%
  3. N24%
4th letter
  1. I35%
  2. E26%
  3. A24%
6th letter
  1. E24%
  2. C21%
  3. D18%
7th letter
  1. S41%
  2. E21%
  3. D9%

Highest-scoring words

Scrabble and Words With Friends points, before board bonuses
Score spreadMost of these words score 12 in Scrabble; OFFENCE tops the list with 15. Scores before board bonuses.
  1. 1010 points: 6 words
  2. 11 points: 6 words
  3. 1212 points: 7 words
  4. 13 points: 7 words
  5. 1414 points: 5 words
  6. 15 points: 3 words
WordScrabbleWords With FriendsDictionaries
OFFENCE1517All three
INFANCY1517All three
UNFANCY1518All three
OFFENDS1415All three
EFFENDI1415All three
AFFINED1415All three
OFFINGS1416All three
EFFINGS1416Collins only
DEFENCE1315All three
OFFENSE1314All three
DEFUNCT1316All three
UNFUNNY1317All three

With F fixed in slot three and N in slot five, the pattern is __F_N__. That leaves the first, second, fourth, sixth, and final letters open. The matches include familiar pairs such as DEFENSE and DEFENCE, plus less everyday entries such as MOFONGO and EFFENDI.

7-letter words with F 3rd and N 5th: key facts

  • 34 seven-letter entries fit the exact pattern __F_N__.
  • 12 matches are classed as common.
  • DEFENSE and DEFENCE, and OFFENSE and OFFENCE, are spelling pairs.
  • Fourteen matches end in S; seven end in E.
  • OFFENCE, INFANCY, and UNFANCY top the scoring list at 15 points each.

Which words fit the F-and-N pattern?

DEFENSE is an easy pattern check: D-E-F-E-N-S-E places F third and N fifth. DEFENCE follows the same letter positions, as do OFFENSE and OFFENCE. Those familiar forms give you a solid starting point before you test less common candidates.

Starting letters narrow the search further. D begins nine matches, while R begins six; I and O each begin four. Try those stems when your first two tiles are known, but remember the final letter still varies: S ends 14 matches, and E ends seven.

REFINED, INFANTS, DEFENDS, and REFUNDS show several endings and starting letters without changing the central F-and-N placement. MOFONGO and EFFENDI also match, but the set is not made up entirely of everyday vocabulary.

Which matches score well, and where are they accepted?

OFFENCE, INFANCY, and UNFANCY each score 15 points on a standard letter-value tally before board bonuses. OFFENDS, EFFENDI, AFFINED, OFFINGS, and EFFINGS each score 14. The average score is 12.2, so the top entries stand above the group.

Dictionary coverage differs slightly: Collins accepts 33 matches, NWL2023 accepts 31, and ENABLE accepts 30. Those totals overlap; they are not separate pools to add together. Check your game's word list when a borderline entry matters.

Definitions are available for 27 matches, but a matching pattern alone does not make every entry familiar or a good guess.

Questions people ask

How many 7-letter words have F third and N fifth?
There are 34 matches for the pattern __F_N__. DEFENSE, OFFENSE, INFANTS, and REFUNDS are recognizable examples. The total includes entries accepted by at least one of the tournament dictionaries, so your game's dictionary may allow a slightly different set.
What are the highest-scoring words in this pattern?
OFFENCE, INFANCY, and UNFANCY each score 15 points before board bonuses. OFFENDS and EFFENDI score 14. These are letter-value totals, so a premium square can change the final score during play.
Do both DEFENSE and DEFENCE fit the pattern?
Yes, both have F in the third position and N in the fifth. OFFENSE and OFFENCE follow the same pattern too. Collins lists 33 matches overall, while NWL2023 lists 31, so check the word list used in your game if acceptance matters.

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