7-letter words with U as the 1st letter and R as the 5th letter

Here the R sits just before a two-letter close, so the last three letters do most of the sorting. -RED leads with 18, then S-endings such as -RDS and -RLS. The average word scores 10.4, and only five words are everyday English.

The 78 words by ending

• -RED: 18 words, including UTTERED, USHERED, UMPIRED and UMBERED.
• -RDS: 6 words, namely UPWARDS, USWARDS, UNGIRDS, UPGIRDS, UNCORDS and UNLORDS.
• -RLS: 5 words, namely UNCURLS, UPCURLS, UPFURLS, UPHURLS and UNFURLS.
• Dictionaries: Collins 76, NWL2023 43 and ENABLE 38.
• Everyday words: UMPIRES, UNDERGO, UPWARDS, UTTERED and UTTERLY.

Why do 18 of these words end in -RED?

The R in fifth place plus an -ED ending is a natural past-tense shape. UNAIRED, UNBARED, UNFIRED, UNWIRED, UNTIRED and UNCURED are all UN- words that simply reverse a familiar verb.

Others, like USHERED, UMBERED, ULCERED and UTTERED, have no UN- at all and are simply past forms of verbs. S is still bigger, though, closing 27 of the 78 words. That makes it the most common last letter, with plurals like UNCURLS, UNFURLS and UNWORKS.

What are the highest-scoring words?

UPTHREW and UPTHROW tie at 15, helped by the 4-point H and 4-point W, with the UP- prefix carrying a 3-point P as well. UPCURVE, UNHARDY, UNPERCH and UNWORKS follow with 14.

H, W and Y each close four words: UNEARTH, UNWORTH, UNIBROW, UNSCREW, UTTERLY and UNMARRY are examples. A rack with one of those letters and an S is rarely stuck, since the pattern leaves room for several finishes. UTTERLY is the most useful of the Y group, since it is common and accepted everywhere.

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