7-letter words with H as the 3rd letter and B as the 5th letter

The fixed pattern is _ _ H _ B _ _: only 16 seven-letter entries meet it across the tournament dictionaries. Familiar fits include exhibit, inhibit, and inhabit, while ichabod and ephebes show how quickly the vocabulary turns less everyday. Collins accepts all 16; ENABLE and NWL2023 each include 11, so a Collins-only answer may not work in every game.

At a glance: the H-B pattern

• Six entries begin with E, making it the most common opening.
• Exhibit is the top scorer at 19 points before board bonuses.
• Only 3 matches fall within the top 25,000 English words by frequency.
• Six entries end in T, while S closes four.
• Collins has 16 matches; ENABLE and NWL2023 each have 11.

7-letter words with H third and B fifth

Exhibit is both a familiar-looking answer and the top-scoring entry, at 19 points before board bonuses. Ephebic follows at 16, while ichabod and sahibah each score 15. Cohabit is among the 14-point entries, giving you a more recognizable alternative to the less familiar choices.

The opening letters cluster around E and I: six words start with E and four with I. C and S each start two, while A and U start one apiece. The endings are more varied: six finish in T and four in S, with six other final letters appearing once each.

Exhibit, inhibit, inhabit, and cohabit share the final sequence bit. Their openings differ, but each keeps H in the third slot and B in the fifth, a useful check when you are testing a crossing.

How should you use this letter pattern?

Only 3 entries meet the common-word frequency cutoff, so expect the pattern to produce several obscure answers. Exhibit, inhibit, and inhabit are the most approachable examples; ephebes and ephebic are less familiar choices that still fit the fixed positions.

For 7-letter words with H third and B fifth, test E and I as opening letters first: together they cover 10 of the 16 matches. Then check C, S, A, and U. In a tournament word game, confirm the accepted dictionary before playing; Collins includes more matches than either ENABLE or NWL2023.