7-letter words with H as the 1st letter and L as the 6th letter

The pattern locks H into the opening slot and L into the sixth, leaving only the final letter to vary. That last position is usually Y or S: together, those endings account for 38 of the 53 entries. Familiar examples include HIMSELF, HERSELF, HEAVILY, HAPPILY, and HOSTILE, while the top scorer is a much less familiar word.

The pattern at a glance

• The H-first, L-sixth pattern has 53 tournament-dictionary entries.
• Only 7 entries rank among the most common English words.
• Definitions are available for 32 of the entries.
• HAZELLY scores 22 points, ahead of HUFFILY and HEXAPLA at 19.
• The combined count spans ENABLE, Collins, and NWL2023, whose individual totals differ.

Which endings appear most often?

Y is the leading final letter, appearing in 20 words; S follows with 18. The remaining 15 entries end in E, A, F, L, I, or T, so checking Y and S first narrows the search quickly.

Many recognizable examples ending in Y are adverbs: HEAVILY, HAPPILY, HASTILY, and HARSHLY. HIMSELF and HERSELF show a different construction, while HOSTELS ends in S. The mix makes the final letter a strong clue, but not a reliable guide to the word’s form.

Which words are familiar, and which score well?

The everyday choices are a small slice of the set: just 7 entries meet the common group. Start with HIMSELF, HERSELF, HEAVILY, HAPPILY, HOSTILE, HASTILY, and HARSHLY when you need a recognizable candidate; the rest include less common forms such as HAZELLY and HEXAPLA.

For a score-focused play, HAZELLY leads at 22, while HUFFILY and HEXAPLA each score 19. HAPPILY, HUSKILY, and HAMMILY each reach 17. A high raw score does not make an entry familiar or accepted in every game, so treat obscure options as dictionary-dependent rather than safe plays.