7-letter words with U as the 1st letter and C as the 5th letter
23 7-letter words have U as the 1st letter and C as the 5th letter, and 11 of them finish in -CKS, from UNPACKS to UPTICKS.
1 of 23 are everyday words (4%). Mostly rare words: great for Scrabble, tough for daily puzzles.
With U in 1st place, I is the most common 5th letter (121 words). The bar under each letter shows the size of its list.
Best words to play first
- UNLUCKY16
- UNLOCKS13
- UPCYCLE16
- UNPACKS15
- UNLACED10
- UNRACED10
- UTRICLE9
- UPTICKS15
- UNCOCKS15
- UNDOCKS14
- USANCES9
- UMIACKS15
- UNDECKS14
- UNFACTS12
- UNLACES9
- UNMACHO14
- UNPACED12
- UNPICKS15
- UNTACKS13
- UNTUCKS13
- UNVOCAL12
- UPLOCKS15
- URTICAS9
All valid words 23
- UMIACKS15
- UNCOCKS15
- UNDECKS14
- UNDOCKS14
- UNFACTS12
- UNLACED10
- UNLACES9
- UNLOCKS13
- UNLUCKY16
- UNMACHO14
- UNPACED12
- UNPACKS15
- UNPICKS15
- UNRACED10
- UNTACKS13
- UNTUCKS13
- UNVOCAL12
- UPCYCLE16
- UPLOCKS15
- UPTICKS15
- URTICAS9
- USANCES9
- UTRICLE9
Highest-scoring words
| Word | Scrabble | Words With Friends | Dictionaries |
|---|---|---|---|
| UNLUCKY | 16 | 20 | All three |
| UPCYCLE | 16 | 20 | NWL only |
| UNPACKS | 15 | 19 | All three |
| UPTICKS | 15 | 18 | All three |
| UNCOCKS | 15 | 19 | All three |
| UMIACKS | 15 | 18 | All three |
| UNPICKS | 15 | 19 | All three |
| UPLOCKS | 15 | 19 | Collins only |
| UNDOCKS | 14 | 17 | All three |
| UNMACHO | 14 | 17 | All three |
| UNDECKS | 14 | 17 | Collins only |
| UNLOCKS | 13 | 17 | All three |
This list is dominated by a single ending. Eleven words close with -CKS, and 15 end in S overall. The average score of 12.8 is high for a U pattern, because C, K and sometimes Y or H sit close together near the end of the word.
The -CKS family and everything else
- -CKS words include UNPACKS, UNPICKS, UNTACKS, UNTUCKS, UNDOCKS, UNDECKS, UPTICKS and UMIACKS.
- -CED words: UNLACED, UNPACED and UNRACED.
- Singles: UNLUCKY, UPCYCLE, UNMACHO, UNVOCAL, UNFACTS, UNLACES, USANCES, UTRICLE and URTICAS.
- Collins accepts 22, NWL2023 accepts 17 and ENABLE accepts 16.
Which word scores the most with U first and C fifth?
UNLUCKY and UPCYCLE share the top at 16 points. Six more words score 15: UNPACKS, UNPICKS, UPTICKS, UMIACKS, UPLOCKS and one more -CKS plural. The C and K together make the -CKS plurals the strongest group.
UNLUCKY is the only common word in the pattern, and it is accepted everywhere. UPCYCLE, on the other hand, is listed in NWL2023 only, so it fails in Collins and ENABLE games. With an average score of 12.8 across the pattern, any of the 16-point plays is a strong result on a normal board.
Which words are limited to one dictionary?
Seven of the 23 words are absent from ENABLE: UNDECKS, UNFACTS, UNPACED, UNRACED, UPLOCKS, URTICAS and UPCYCLE. All but UPCYCLE are Collins words.
The ENABLE-safe core therefore holds 16 words, and every -CKS word except UNDECKS and UPLOCKS lies within it. Pick those first if you do not know the dictionary.
The -CED trio, UNLACED, UNPACED and UNRACED, splits the same way. UNLACED is in all three lists, while UNPACED and UNRACED are Collins words that ENABLE rejects.
Spotting the pattern in a rack
With U, C and K together, play an UN- word first. UN- opens 16 of the 23 words, and UP- opens only 3: UPCYCLE, UPLOCKS and UPTICKS. The four other starts are UMIACKS, USANCES, UTRICLE and URTICAS.
Questions people ask
How many 7-letter words start with U and have C as the fifth letter?
What is the highest-scoring 7-letter word with U first and C fifth?
Which of these words are plural nouns or verb forms ending in S?
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