7-letter words with L as the 2nd letter and C as the 3rd letter

The pattern is unusually tight: just 17 words qualify across the tournament dictionaries. ALCOHOL and ALCHEMY are the two common entries; most of the rest are uncommon or specialized. Dictionary coverage varies too: Collins includes all 17, while NWL2023 includes 14 and ENABLE includes 12.

The pattern at a glance

• 17 seven-letter words have L second and C third.
• 15 of the 17 begin with A.
• ALCHYMY leads the score list at 20 points.
• Only two matches rank among the common words.
• Five entries end in S; three end in E.

Why do most matches start with A?

A strong opening clue narrows this pattern quickly: 15 of its 17 matches start with A. Familiar examples include ALCOHOL, ALCHEMY, and ALCOVES. The only other starting letters are E and U, with one word apiece, so trying an A first is a sensible filter when your board or puzzle leaves that position open.

The endings are more spread out, though S leads with five words; E appears three times, while A, D, and Y each finish two matches. A known final S removes many possibilities, but an ending in E leaves three candidates; ALCHEMY ends in Y.

Two entries count as common by frequency: ALCOHOL and ALCHEMY. The rest of the set is a reminder that a pattern match is not the same as an everyday word; entries such as ALCAIDE and ALCAYDE are far less familiar.

Which matches score highest?

ALCHYMY tops the score values at 20 points, followed by ALCAZAR and ALCORZA at 18 each. ALCHEMY scores 17, making it the strongest familiar option in that group. For a quick board scan, check the high-value letters in the word before weighing a premium square.

The average score is 12.9, but that does not mean every match is a scoring play. ALCOHOL scores 12, and ALCOVES also scores 12; the unusual high scorers stand out because their letter combinations carry more value. Check your game’s dictionary before playing: the counts differ across Collins, NWL2023, and ENABLE.