7-letter words with U as the 1st letter and A as the 4th letter

This is a big pattern with a lopsided shape. The prefix UN- opens 98 of the 135 words and UP- opens 23. Endings are just as predictable: S finishes 49 words and D finishes 46, so only 40 words end any other way.

Pattern facts for U_ _A_ _ _

• Dictionary split: Collins 131, NWL2023 92, ENABLE 80.
• Top scores: UMFAZIS 21, then UNFAZED and UPGAZED at 20 each.
• Eight words are common in everyday English, led by UNHAPPY, UPWARDS and UNCANNY.
• The average score is 11.5, helped by Z, X, K and F in the third or fifth slot.

Which endings should you test first?

Start with -ED, which closes 46 words. UNBAKED, UNFADED, UNTAMED, UNNAMED and UPDATED are typical. In most of them a consonant sits third, between the prefix and the A, so the stem is a short verb like BAKE, FADE or TAME.

Plural and verb forms in -ES add 21 more, including UPDATES, UNCAGES and UPTAKES.

Y is the third-largest finish with 10 words. UNHAPPY, UNCANNY and USUALLY are the everyday ones, while UNHARDY and UNMANLY come up less often. The other single-letter finishes are small: R closes 8 words, E closes 7, and H and N close 4 each.

Which words score the most?

UMFAZIS scores 21, but it is a Collins-only word, so it is no use in NWL2023 or ENABLE games. UNFAZED and UPGAZED follow at 20 and are accepted in all three lists.

UNWAXED scores 18 in every list, while UNVAXED also scores 18 but appears in NWL2023 alone. UNHAPPY, at 17, is the best common-word play and needs no dictionary check.

Narrowing a 135-word list