7-letter words with L as the 3rd letter and N as the 5th letter

The fixed pattern is _ _ L _ N _ _, so BALANCE, ISLANDS, and SILENCE all fit. The endings are strikingly uneven: 72 of the 133 words finish in S, while A and E each account for 10. Just eight entries rank among common English words, so expect plenty of specialist vocabulary alongside recognizable choices.

Pattern facts at a glance

• There are 133 tournament-dictionary words with L third and N fifth.
• S is the leading first letter, with 22 matches; M follows with 12.
• S dominates the final position: 72 words end in S.
• BALANCE, ISLANDS, and SILENCE are recognizable examples of the pattern.
• XYLONIC scores 19 points, the highest score among the listed examples.

Why do so many matches end in S?

S endings make up about 54% of this pattern, more than five times the count for either A or E. That helps explain why ISLANDS, BELONGS, TALENTS, and RULINGS appear among the examples: plural nouns and verb forms fit these fixed letters especially well.

The opening letters are less concentrated. S leads with 22 words, but M has 12 and P has 11; B contributes 10. Try those common starts first when your crossing letters leave the first square open, then use the final S as a strong check.

Which pattern matches score most?

XYLONIC tops the scoring examples at 19 points, followed by XYLENES and XYLENOL at 17 each. These are less familiar than BALANCE or SILENCE, but the X makes XYLONIC a standout when a board position supports it. MELINJO and ZELANTS also reach 16.

The 133-word total combines entries found in at least one of ENABLE, Collins, or NWL2023; it does not mean every game accepts every word. Only eight matches are common, although 108 have definitions. Check your game's dictionary before relying on an uncommon play, and treat the high-score names as vocabulary to verify rather than automatic plays.