7-letter words with T as the 3rd letter and D as the 5th letter

Both fixed letters sit inside the word, giving the shape _ _ T _ D _ _. Only 16 words fit, and just one of them ranks as common by frequency. CITADEL, MATADOR, and KATYDID are the names most players will recognise, so the rest of the list is worth reading once in full.

The T-and-D pattern at a glance

• Sixteen words match _ _ T _ D _ _ in at least one tournament dictionary.
• Collins accepts all 16, while ENABLE and NWL2023 accept 13 each.
• Y ends four of them: FETIDLY, MUTEDLY, DATEDLY, and NOTEDLY.
• C, F, and O each open three words; B and M open two apiece.
• KATYDID leads the scores at 16 points, and the average is 11.5.

Which of these words will you actually meet?

CITADEL, MATADOR, and KATYDID are the ones that turn up outside word lists. BETIDES and BETIDED come from the old verb betide, while NOTEDLY and MUTEDLY are adverbs built on everyday adjectives.

DATEDLY, MUTEDLY, and NOTEDLY share the -EDLY ending, and FETIDLY is a close cousin. Y is the commonest last letter at four words, ahead of S with three, and C, D, L, and R each close two. When you hold a T and a D, try the four -LY adverbs first.

Which words score the most?

KATYDID scores 16 points, the best of the set, with FETIDLY next at 14. FATIDIC, MUTEDLY, and CYTODES each reach 13, and DATEDLY and OCTADIC score 12. The average is 11.5, so the leaders sit only a little above the middle of the pack.

Where this list falls short

With one common word out of 16, this pattern rarely hands you an everyday answer. Ten of the words have definitions, so six are bare dictionary entries such as OUTADDS and OCTADIC. Collins takes all 16 but ENABLE and NWL2023 take 13, so check your game's word list before playing one of the odd ones.