7-letter words with S as the 3rd letter and E as the 5th letter

332 7-letter words have S as the 3rd letter and E as the 5th, including familiar choices like instead, respect, and western.

332 wordsTop pick INSTEADHighest score JASPERY 19

33 of 332 are everyday words (10%). Mostly rare words: great for Scrabble, tough for daily puzzles.

With S in 3rd place, I is the most common 5th letter (515 words). The bar under each letter shows the size of its list.

  • Length
  • 5
  • 6
  • 7
  • 8
  • 9
  • 10
  • 11
  • 12
  • 13
  • 14
  • 15

Common words 33 · most-used first

All valid words 332

A to Z. Includes rare and Collins-only words. Linked tiles open the word's meaning, score and rhymes.

  • ABSCESS11
  • ANSWERS10
  • ARSHEEN10
  • ARSIEST7
  • ASSIEGE8
  • ASSLESS7
  • AUSTERE7
  • AXSEEDS15
  • BASHERS12
  • BASKETS13
  • BASNETS9
  • BASSEST9
  • BASSETS9
  • BASSETT9
  • BASTERS9
  • BESEECH14
  • BESEEKE13
  • BESEEMS11
  • BESIEGE10
  • BESMEAR11
  • BESPEAK15
  • BESPEED12
  • BESTEAD10
  • BISTERS9
  • BOSKETS13
  • BOSSEST9
  • BOSSETS9
  • BUSHELS12
  • BUSHERS12
  • BUSIEST9
  • BUSKERS13
  • BUSKETS13
  • BUSTEES9
  • BUSTERS9
  • CASHEWS15
  • CASKETS13
  • CASSENA9
  • CASSENE9
  • CASTERS9
  • CESSERS9
  • CISTERN9
  • COSHERS12
  • COSHERY15
  • COSIERS9
  • COSIEST9
  • COSMEAS11
  • COSSETS9
  • COSTEAN9
  • COSTERS9
  • CUSSERS9
  • CYSTEIN12
  • DASHEEN11
  • DASHEKI15
  • DASHERS11
  • DESCEND11
  • DESCENT10
  • DESEEDS9
  • DESSERT8
  • DISCEPT12
  • DISCERN10
  • DISCERP12
  • DISGEST9
  • DISHELM13
  • DISJECT17
  • DISKERS12
  • DISLEAF11
  • DISLEAL8
  • DISNEST8
  • DISPELS10
  • DISPEND11
  • DISSEAT8
  • DISSECT10
  • DISSENT8
  • DISSERT8
  • DISTEND9
  • DISTENT8
  • DOSSELS8
  • DOSSERS8
  • DUSKENS12
  • DUSKEST12
  • DUSTERS8
  • EASIEST7
  • EASTERN7
  • EASTERS7
  • EISWEIN10
  • ENSHELL10
  • ENSTEEP9
  • ENSWEEP12
  • ENSWEPT12
  • EUSTELE7
  • FASHERY16
  • FASTENS10
  • FASTERS10
  • FASTEST10
  • FESTERS10
  • FISHERS13
  • FISHERY16
  • FISHEYE16
  • FOSTERS10
  • FUSSERS10
  • FUSTETS10
  • GASHEST11
  • GASKETS12
  • GASLESS8
  • GASPERS10
  • GASSERS8
  • GASTERS8
  • GOSLETS8
  • GOSPELS10
  • GOSTERS8
  • GUSHERS11
  • GUSSETS8
  • HASLETS10
  • HASSELS10
  • HASTENS10
  • HISSELF13
  • HISSERS10
  • HOSIERS10
  • HOSIERY13
  • HOSTELS10
  • HOSTESS10
  • HUSHERS13
  • HUSKERS14
  • INSEEMS9
  • INSHELL10
  • INSPECT11
  • INSTEAD8
  • INSTEPS9
  • INSWEPT12
  • ISSUERS7
  • JASPERS16
  • JASPERY19
  • JESTEES14
  • JESTERS14
  • JOSHERS17
  • JOSSERS14
  • JUSTERS14
  • JUSTEST14
  • KASHERS14
  • KISMETS13
  • KISSELS11
  • KISSERS11
  • KOSHERS14
  • LASHERS10
  • LASKETS11
  • LASTERS7
  • LESSEES7
  • LESSENS7
  • LISPERS9
  • LISTEES7
  • LISTELS7
  • LISTENS7
  • LISTERS7
  • LISTETH10
  • LUSHERS10
  • LUSHEST10
  • LUSTERS7
  • MASHERS12
  • MASKEGS14
  • MASKERS13
  • MASSEUR9
  • MASTERS9
  • MASTERY12
  • MESEEMS11
  • MESTEES9
  • MESTERS9
  • MESTESO9
  • MISDEAL10
  • MISDEED11
  • MISDEEM12
  • MISFEED13
  • MISFELL12
  • MISHEAR12
  • MISKEEP15
  • MISKENS13
  • MISKENT13
  • MISKEPT15
  • MISKEYS16
  • MISLEAD10
  • MISMEET11
  • MISPENS11
  • MISREAD10
  • MISRELY12
  • MISSEAT9
  • MISSEEM11
  • MISSEEN9
  • MISSEES9
  • MISSELS9
  • MISSEND10
  • MISSENT9
  • MISSETS9
  • MISTELL9
  • MISTEND10
  • MISTERM11
  • MISTERS9
  • MISTERY12
  • MISTEUK13
  • MISWEEN12
  • MISWEND13
  • MISWENT12
  • MOSHERS12
  • MOSSERS9
  • MOSTEST9
  • MUSHERS12
  • MUSKEGS14
  • MUSKETS13
  • MUSSELS9
  • MUSTEES9
  • MUSTERS9
  • MYSTERY15
  • NASCENT9
  • NESHEST10
  • NESTERS7
  • NOSHERS10
  • NOSHERY13
  • NOSIEST7
  • OBSCENE11
  • ONSTEAD8
  • OOSIEST7
  • OOSPERM11
  • OUSTERS7
  • OYSTERS10
  • PASSELS9
  • PASSERS9
  • PASTELS9
  • PASTERN9
  • PASTERS9
  • PASTEUP11
  • PESTERS9
  • PISHERS12
  • PISSERS9
  • POSHEST12
  • POSIEST9
  • POSNETS9
  • POSSERS9
  • POSSESS9
  • POSSETS9
  • POSTEEN9
  • POSTERN9
  • POSTERS9
  • PUSHERS12
  • PUSLEYS12
  • PUSSELS9
  • PUSSERS9
  • RASHERS10
  • RASHEST10
  • RASPERS9
  • RASTERS7
  • RESEEDS8
  • RESEEKS11
  • RESKEWS14
  • RESMELT9
  • RESPEAK13
  • RESPECT11
  • RESPELL9
  • RESPELT9
  • RESTEMS9
  • RESTERS7
  • RISKERS11
  • ROSIERE7
  • ROSIERS7
  • ROSIEST7
  • ROSSERS7
  • ROSTERS7
  • RUSHEES10
  • RUSHERS10
  • RUSSELS7
  • RUSSETS7
  • RUSSETY10
  • SESTETS7
  • SESTETT7
  • SISTERS7
  • SUSPECT11
  • SUSPEND10
  • SUSPENS9
  • SYSTEMS12
  • TASKERS11
  • TASLETS7
  • TASSELL7
  • TASSELS7
  • TASSETS7
  • TASTERS7
  • TESSERA7
  • TESTEES7
  • TESTERN7
  • TESTERS7
  • TOSHERS10
  • TOSSERS7
  • TUSHERY13
  • TUSKERS11
  • TUSSEHS10
  • TUSSERS7
  • ULSTERS7
  • UNSEELS7
  • UNSEENS7
  • UNSHELL10
  • UNSHENT10
  • UNSHEWN13
  • UNSNECK13
  • UNSPEAK13
  • UNSPELL9
  • UNSPENT9
  • UNSTEEL7
  • UNSTEPS9
  • UNSWEAR10
  • UNSWEET10
  • UNSWEPT12
  • UPSPEAK15
  • UPSPEAR11
  • UPSTEPS11
  • UPSWEEP14
  • UPSWELL12
  • UPSWEPT14
  • VASTEST10
  • VESPERS12
  • VESSELS10
  • VESTEES10
  • VISCERA12
  • VISIERS10
  • WASHERS13
  • WASHERY16
  • WASTELS10
  • WASTERS10
  • WASTERY13
  • WESTERN10
  • WESTERS10
  • WISHERS13
  • WISKETS14
  • XYSTERS17
  • YESTERN10
  • ZESTERS16
  • ZOSTERS16
Letters by positionIn 55% of these words the 7th letter is S.
1st letter
  1. M16%
  2. D9%
  3. B8%
2nd letter
  1. I23%
  2. A20%
  3. O15%
4th letter
  1. T29%
  2. S18%
  3. H14%
6th letter
  1. R38%
  2. L10%
  3. S8%
7th letter
  1. S55%
  2. T16%
  3. N5%

Highest-scoring words

Scrabble and Words With Friends points, before board bonuses
Score spreadMost of these words score 9 in Scrabble; JASPERY tops the list with 19. Scores before board bonuses.
  1. 77 points: 47 words
  2. 8 points: 20 words
  3. 99 points: 74 words
  4. 10 points: 60 words
  5. 1111 points: 32 words
  6. 12 points: 35 words
  7. 1313 points: 28 words
  8. 14 points: 15 words
  9. 1515 points: 9 words
  10. 16 points: 8 words
  11. 1717 points: 3 words
  12. 18 points: 0 words
  13. 1919 points: 1 words
WordScrabbleWords With FriendsDictionaries
JASPERY1921All three
DISJECT1720All three
JOSHERS1718All three
XYSTERS1716All three
FISHERY1614All three
FISHEYE1614All three
JASPERS1619All three
WASHERY1614Collins only
ZESTERS1616All three
ZOSTERS1616All three
FASHERY1614Collins only
MISKEYS1616Collins · NWL

The pattern is _ _ S _ E _ _. It has 332 tournament-dictionary matches, but just 33 rank among the top 25,000 English words by frequency. The list is broad across Collins, NWL2023, and ENABLE, yet those dictionaries do not contain identical sets, so check your game’s lexicon before relying on an obscure entry.

At a glance: the S-third, E-fifth pattern

  • Exactly 332 tournament-dictionary words fit the seven-letter pattern.
  • Collins includes 329 matches, compared with 247 in NWL2023 and 233 in ENABLE.
  • Only 33 matches are among the top 25,000 English words by frequency.
  • A final S is especially common: 182 words end in S, while 52 end in T.
  • Instead, respect, western, eastern, and suspect are recognizable examples.

How does this pattern compare with nearby letter clues?

The third-letter S clue has plenty of competition: replacing it with R while keeping E fifth gives 468 seven-letter matches. That is 136 more than the S pattern; choosing T instead gives 285, or 47 fewer.

The fifth letter changes the size of the S pattern even more. Keeping S third but using I fifth yields 515 matches, while A fifth gives 241. E’s 332 sits between those counts, so this fixed pair narrows the search without producing a tiny list.

Endings offer another quick filter. With 182 words ending in S, the plural-looking forms dominate, but the next-largest ending group is T at 52. If your puzzle’s last tile is known, sorting by that letter can cut down the possibilities fast.

Top Scrabble scores for this pattern

JASPERY leads the listed Scrabble scores at 19 points. DISJECT, JOSHERS, and XYSTERS each score 17, while FISHERY and FISHEYE reach 16. These are score-minded plays, not everyday vocabulary, so a high total does not make a word a safe guess in every game.

For a more familiar rack, start with instead, sisters, masters, or dessert and test the remaining letters against your board. The pattern has 332 dictionary matches, but its modest 33-word common group is a reminder that many candidates are specialist or uncommon. Treat the familiar examples as a starting point, not a complete shortlist.

Questions people ask

How many common words fit the S-third, E-fifth pattern?
There are 33 common words in the 332-match set. “Common” here means appearing among the top 25,000 English words by frequency, so many dictionary entries in the larger set are less familiar. Instead, respect, and western are recognizable examples.
Which word in this pattern scores the most in Scrabble?
JASPERY is the highest scorer at 19 points. DISJECT, JOSHERS, and XYSTERS follow at 17 points each, with FISHERY and FISHEYE at 16. These are base word scores; board bonuses can change a play’s total.
Do Collins, NWL2023, and ENABLE contain the same words?
No, their match counts differ: Collins has 329, NWL2023 has 247, and ENABLE has 233. Those totals show that dictionary coverage varies, not which individual entries overlap. Check the word list used by your game before playing an unfamiliar candidate.

Keep going