7-letter words with P as the 2nd letter and T as the 5th letter

The pattern _P__T__ has a strong S bias: 39 matches begin with S, while A, U, and O account for 9, 6, and 5 words. Familiar entries include UPDATED, UPDATES, and SPOTTED. Only 7 matches are classed as common, so the full set reaches well beyond everyday vocabulary.

At a glance: the _P__T__ pattern

• The pattern has 60 seven-letter matches appearing in at least one tournament dictionary.
• S begins 39 matches; A begins 9, U begins 6, and O begins 5.
• D is the most common final letter, ending 12 words; E, R, and S each end 10.
• Collins includes 57 matches, NWL2023 includes 49, and ENABLE includes 44; these dictionary groups overlap.

How many 7-letter words have P second and T fifth?

There are 60 matches for the fixed positions. S starts 39 of them, so it is the strongest first-letter guess when that tile is unknown. SPOTTED, SPARTAN, SPECTRA, and SPECTRE show familiar options; A, U, and O each open smaller groups.

The endings provide another filter. D finishes 12 words, while E, R, and S each finish 10; C ends 7. With D as the last letter, try UPDATED, SPOTTED, or SPORTED.

Dictionary coverage differs: Collins has 57 matches, NWL2023 has 49, and ENABLE has 44. Those totals overlap, so they do not represent separate sets of words. Some candidates will not appear in every game dictionary; check your game's word list before playing an unfamiliar entry.

SPRITZY tops the scoring list at 21 points, followed by UPCATCH at 16. SPLOTCH, APHOTIC, APHETIC, OPHITIC, and SPLATCH each score 14. Those high scorers are less familiar than UPDATED or SPOTTED, so confirm acceptance before building a play around the score.

The average score is 10.6, but that figure does not make every match a practical play. Start with the known positions, test the S-heavy opening group, then use your final letter to narrow the candidates. That approach keeps obscure high scorers from distracting you from a word that fits the clue.