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

Lock in the pattern _ _ L _ O _ _: the third tile is L and the fifth is O. Familiar results include WELCOME, FOLLOWS, and BALLOON, but only 12 of the 182 count as common English words. The rest range from ordinary inflections to less familiar plays, so checking the exact spelling matters.

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

• This exact letter arrangement yields 182 matches in the tournament dictionaries.
• WELCOME, FOLLOWS, and BALLOON are recognizable examples that fit the fixed positions.
• A striking 93 matches end in S, making S the most frequent final letter by far.
• KOLKOZY leads the high scorers at 27 points before any board bonuses.

Which endings are most common?

S is the clear ending to check first: 93 words finish that way. The next most frequent ending is E, with 16, followed by T with 14. Familiar S-ending examples include FOLLOWS, FELLOWS, and BALLOTS, so a final S can turn a partial pattern into a plural or verb form.

This pattern is narrower than several nearby third-letter choices: R with O fifth has 268 matches, and N has 255. The L pattern still has more results than A with 167 or O with 138. Treat those counts as separate pattern searches, not as interchangeable lists.

Which matches score well, and what should you check?

KOLKOZY scores 27 points, one more than KOLHOZY at 26; both are far above everyday options such as WELCOME. ZELKOVA scores 23, while CALZONE and CALZONI each score 18. These are letter-tile totals before premium squares, so a board can change the final score.

Dictionary coverage is not universal here: Collins accepts 178, NWL2023 147, and ENABLE 136. Those counts overlap, and unusual high scorers may not suit every game. Confirm which list your game uses before you challenge or build around an obscure entry.