7-letter words with G as the 2nd letter and O as the 3rd letter

The fixed pattern is _GO____, but the words vary sharply in how familiar they look. AGONIST and AGONIES are recognizable entries; AGOUTAS and KGOTLAS are less everyday choices. None ranks among the commonest English words, so a pattern match alone does not guarantee an easy-to-recall play.

At a glance: the 17-word pattern

• Exactly 17 tournament-dictionary words match _GO____.
• Nine matches start with A, seven start with E, and one starts with K.
• Eight end in S; E is the next most frequent ending, with four.
• AGONIZE and EGOTIZE tie for the highest Scrabble score at 17.
• Only 11 matches appear in ENABLE, while Collins includes 16.

7-letter words with G as the 2nd letter and O as the 3rd letter

The 17 matches begin almost entirely with A or E: AGONIST, AGONIES, and AGONIZE sit alongside EGOTISM, EGOTIST, and EGOISTS. That split is unusually tight, with just one K-starting entry, KGOTLAS. The first tile is an easy branch to settle: only A, E, and K ever open these words.

S is the most common final letter, appearing on eight words, including AGONIST, EGOTISM, and EGOISTS. Four end in E, such as AGONIZE and EGOTIZE; the remaining endings are M, T, and H. If your pattern ends in S, start by checking the A- and E-starting clusters.

Which matches score highest in Scrabble?

AGONIZE and EGOTIZE lead at 17 points each, more than double AGONIST's score of 8. The less familiar KGOTLAS scores 12, while AGOROTH and AGOGICS each score 11.

• Keep AGONIZE and EGOTIZE in mind when the board gives you room for a scoring play.
• AGONIST is easier to recognize, but its score is lower than the leaders.
• Check the ending before committing: several candidates share the same _GO_ opening.