7-letter words with K as the 2nd letter and I as the 3rd letter

The fixed pattern is _KI____, but these words are not spread evenly across starting letters: 42 begin with S. Only one each starts with A, E, or O. Just 5 of the 45 are common by frequency, so familiar options such as SKILLED and SKIPPED sit alongside much rarer entries.

At a glance: the SKI pattern

• 45 tournament-dictionary words match the seven-letter pattern _KI____.
• SKILLED, SKIPPED, and SKINNED are recognizable S-starting examples.
• 42 matches begin with S; A, E, and O each start one.
• D is the most frequent final letter, with 13 words ending in D.
• SKIFFED and SKIDWAY lead the score list at 18 points each.

Which endings and scores stand out?

D and R dominate the final position: 13 words end in D and 11 in R. SKIPPED, SKIMMED, and SKIDDED show the D ending; SKIPPER, SKINNER, and SKIMMER show the R ending. The remaining endings are more scattered, with S appearing 4 times and E, O, and T 3 times each.

For Scrabble scoring, SKIFFED and SKIDWAY each reach 18 points before board bonuses. SKIFFLE scores 17, while SKIPPED, SKIMMED, and SKIMPED each score 16. The useful tactical detail is the K: keeping it in the second slot preserves the pattern while you test different final letters.

How many of these words are familiar?

Only 5 matches fall among the most common English words, despite 39 entries having a definition. SKILLED, SKIPPED, SKINNED, and SKILLET are easier to recognize than specialist forms such as SKINKED or SKIDWAY. For a clue-solving shortlist, start with the familiar S words before trying obscure endings.

Dictionary coverage overlaps: Collins accepts 44 matches, NWL2023 accepts 37, and ENABLE accepts 35. Those counts are not separate piles, and the 45-word total includes words accepted by at least one tournament dictionary. Check your game's word list before playing a less familiar form.