7-letter words with O as the 2nd letter and U as the 5th letter

That fixed O and U leave five positions open, but the matches cluster around a few starting letters and endings. CONDUCT, FORMULA, FORTUNE, and COSTUME show how varied the pattern can look. Only 23 entries rank among the 25,000 most common English words, so expect a mix of familiar vocabulary and tournament-focused discoveries.

7-letter words with O second and U fifth at a glance

• There are 136 matches across the tournament dictionaries.
• C is the leading first letter, with 43 words; P follows with 12.
• S is the most common final letter: 52 words end in S.
• E and T are next, ending 29 and 15 words respectively.
• JONQUIL tops the Scrabble scores at 23 points.

Which words fit the _O__U__ pattern?

CONDUCT, CONQUER, and CONFUSE make the C-heavy start easy to spot. Together with CONSULT and CONSUME, they show how often this pattern builds familiar words around CON. The other leading starts are less concentrated: M and T each begin 10 matches, while B begins nine.

The final letter narrows the field further. Words ending in S account for 52 matches, including COLOURS, HONOURS, and MOSQUES; 29 end in E, as with FORTUNE and COSTUME. Another 15 finish with T, including CONDUCT and CORRUPT.

A useful solving rule: lock the fifth tile as U, then test likely endings before cycling through first letters. S, E, and T cover the most frequent finishes here, while C gives you the strongest starting-letter bet.

How do scores and dictionary coverage compare?

JONQUIL scores 23 points, ahead of FOXHUNT at 20; TORQUEY, CONJURY, and BOXFULS each score 19. For more recognizable plays, CONQUER and BOUQUET score 18 apiece. Those examples show why checking the rack and board matters as much as chasing a high printed score.

Coverage differs by game list: Collins includes 127 matches, NWL2023 has 116, and ENABLE has 100. The full total counts words appearing in at least one of those lists, so an entry accepted in one dictionary may not work in another. Check your game's word list before committing to an unfamiliar play.

The average match scores 12.1 points. Of the 136 matches, 116 have definitions, but most are not among the most common English words. Treat uncommon options as dictionary-dependent rather than assuming every game accepts them.