7-letter words with M as the 1st letter and C as the 3rd letter

The pattern is M-C- followed by four more letters, so machine and microbe fit while words with C in another position do not. Only four matches are classed as common, making familiar options stand out among a specialized group. For a more competitive choice, machzor leads the scoring list, though its spelling is far less familiar than machine.

Quick facts about the M-C pattern

• 84 tournament-dictionary words begin with M and have C in the third position.
• Machine, machete, and microbe are recognizable examples that fit the pattern.
• Only four matches are classed as common.
• Machzor is the top scorer at 23 points.
• S is the most frequent final letter, appearing on 32 matches.

7-letter words with M first and C third: what stands out?

The 84 matches cover a sharp range of familiarity: machine, machete, and microbe are everyday choices, while macabre and mocking are also easy to recognize. Less familiar examples include machair, macumba, and mycelia. That mix matters when a puzzle gives you the fixed M-C pattern but leaves the remaining letters open.

The final letter offers another useful filter. S closes 32 words, far more than any other ending; E is next with 12, followed by R with 8. If your crossing letters point to a plural or another S-ending form, check that branch first.

An ending in E or R narrows the search too, but less dramatically.

Which M-C word scores the most?

Machzor tops the scoring choices at 23 points, ahead of macaque at 20. Mockery, mickeys, mockney, and muckily each score 18. The standout lesson is that the highest value belongs to an uncommon-looking word, not the familiar machine or microbe; learn the spelling before relying on it over the board.

Dictionary coverage is not identical across games: Collins includes 80 matches, NWL2023 includes 59, and ENABLE includes 53. The overall total counts words accepted by at least one of those tournament lists, so a match here is not automatically valid in every game. Check your game's word list before committing an unfamiliar entry.