7-letter words with S as the 3rd letter and R as the 5th letter
7-letter words with S as the 3rd letter and R as the 5th letter: 122 tournament-list entries, including RESERVE, DESTROY and ASSURED.
18 of 122 are everyday words (15%). A mix of familiar words and game-only finds.
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.
Common words
- RESERVE10
- DESERVE11
- DESTROY11
- DESIRED9
- ASSURED8
- OBSERVE12
- DESIRES8
- RESORTS7
- INSURED8
- ENSURES7
- ENSURED8
- INSURER7
- ASSERTS7
- DESERTS8
- GASTRIC10
- ASSURES7
- INSERTS7
- ABSORBS11
All valid words 122
- ABSORBS11
- ABSURDS10
- ADSORBS10
- APSARAS9
- ASSARTS7
- ASSERTS7
- ASSORTS7
- ASSURED8
- ASSURER7
- ASSURES7
- ASSUROR7
- AUSTRAL7
- BESHREW15
- BESORTS9
- BESTREW12
- BESTRID10
- BESTROW12
- BISTRED10
- BISTRES9
- BISTROS9
- BOSTRYX19
- BUSERAS9
- CASERNE9
- CASERNS9
- CASTRAL9
- CESURAE9
- CESURAL9
- CESURAS9
- CESURES9
- CISTRON9
- COSTREL9
- CUSTREL9
- DESERTS8
- DESERVE11
- DESIRED9
- DESIRER8
- DESIRES8
- DESORBS10
- DESTROY11
- DISARMS10
- DISHRAG12
- DISPRAD11
- DISPRED11
- DISTRIX15
- DUSTRAG9
- DYSURIA11
- DYSURIC13
- ENSERFS10
- ENSURED8
- ENSURER7
- ENSURES7
- EXSERTS14
- FUSARIA10
- FUSAROL10
- GASTRAL8
- GASTREA8
- GASTRIC10
- GASTRIN8
- GISARME10
- HISTRIO10
- INSERTS7
- INSURED8
- INSURER7
- INSURES7
- KASHRUS14
- KASHRUT14
- KESTREL11
- LASERED8
- LUSTRAL7
- LUSTRED8
- LUSTRES7
- LUSTRUM9
- MESARCH14
- MISDRAW13
- MISDREW13
- MISERES9
- MISERLY12
- MISGREW13
- MISGROW13
- MISTRAL9
- MISWRIT12
- MUSHRAT12
- MUSKRAT13
- NASARDS8
- NOSTRIL7
- NOSTRUM9
- OBSERVE12
- OESTRAL7
- OESTRIN7
- OESTRUM9
- OESTRUS7
- PUSHROD13
- RASTRUM9
- RASURES7
- RESERVE10
- RESORBS9
- RESORTS7
- RESPRAY12
- RESURGE8
- RISTRAS7
- ROSARIA7
- ROSTRAL7
- ROSTRUM9
- RUSTRED8
- RUSTRES7
- SASTRAS7
- SISTRUM9
- TASERED8
- TESTRIL7
- UNSCREW12
- UNSTRAP9
- UNSTRIP9
- UNSURED8
- UNSURER7
- UPSURGE10
- VESTRAL10
- VISARDS11
- VISORED11
- WASHRAG14
- WASTREL10
- WASTRIE10
- WISARDS11
Highest-scoring words
| Word | Scrabble | Words With Friends | Dictionaries |
|---|---|---|---|
| BOSTRYX | 19 | 19 | Collins only |
| BESHREW | 15 | 15 | All three |
| DISTRIX | 15 | 15 | Collins only |
| KASHRUT | 14 | 14 | All three |
| KASHRUS | 14 | 14 | Collins only |
| WASHRAG | 14 | 14 | All three |
| EXSERTS | 14 | 14 | All three |
| MESARCH | 14 | 15 | All three |
| MUSKRAT | 13 | 15 | All three |
| PUSHROD | 13 | 14 | All three |
| DYSURIC | 13 | 14 | All three |
| MISDRAW | 13 | 14 | All three |
The fixed pattern is __S_R__, with two open positions before S and two between R and the final tile. RESERVE and DESERVE show a familiar -erve route, while DESTROY and NOSTRIL make the same letter slots look very different. Only 18 entries count as common by our frequency measure, so many matches use specialist vocabulary.
At a glance: the pattern and its standouts
- 122 words meet both fixed positions in at least one tournament dictionary.
- Collins includes 120 matches, compared with 95 in NWL2023 and 90 in ENABLE.
- RESERVE, DESERVE, DESTROY, ASSURED and OBSERVE are recognizable examples.
- 37 entries end in S; L is next, with 16.
- The average Scrabble score is 9.6 points before board premiums.
Which endings and starting letters are most common?
Start by testing endings if your rack or clue suggests a plural: 37 matching words finish in S, more than twice the 16 ending in L. DESIRES, RESORTS, ASSERTS and INSERTS show that plural-looking endings recur, but the fifth-letter R stays fixed in every case. Treat a final S as a narrowing clue, not a guarantee of an everyday word.
Starting letters tilt toward D: 15 words begin there, versus 13 with R, 12 with A and 11 with M. DESERVE, DESIRED, DESTROY and DESERTS are productive first checks when the opening tile is known. Keep the fixed slots in view; a less familiar beginning does not rule out a match.
Words such as UPSURGE and MISTRAL fit too.
7-letter words with S as the 3rd letter and R as the 5th letter
7-letter words with S as the 3rd letter and R as the 5th letter include one sharp Scrabble scorer: BOSTRYX earns 19 points before premiums. BESHREW and DISTRIX each score 15. Those are scoring targets, not the most familiar plays; RESERVE and OBSERVE are easier to recognize, while the top scorer is specialist vocabulary.
The 9.6-point average is a reminder that length alone does not make a play score highly.
Coverage changes by dictionary: Collins has 120 matches, while NWL2023 has 95 and ENABLE has 90. Some unusual entries will not be accepted in every game, so check your game's word list before committing a doubtful word. For solving, keep S in position three and R in position five while testing the other tiles.
Questions people ask
How many 7-letter words have S third and R fifth?
What is the highest-scoring word in this pattern?
Are all 122 words accepted in every word game?
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