7-letter words with U as the 2nd letter and B as the 5th letter

A B in fifth place plus a U in second is a small, lopsided group. The suffix -ABLE and its adverb form -ABLY account for more than half the list, and the remaining 15 words are a grab bag from JUKEBOX to AUTOBUS. If you know the sixth letter is L, you are already close.

The 32 words in brief

• NWL2023 and ENABLE both accept 26 words, while Collins accepts all 32.
• Only DURABLE and AUDIBLE are common words.
• JUKEBOX tops the scoring at 27, then JUJUBES at 23 and QUIBBLE at 20.
• The average score is 12.5.
• L is the sixth letter of 17 words, and A is the fourth letter of 14.

Which words end in -BLE or -BLY?

Eleven end in -BLE and six in -BLY, giving 17 of 32. The -BLE group includes DURABLE, AUDIBLE, CURABLE, MUTABLE, TUNABLE, BUYABLE and DUPABLE.

The -BLY adverbs are AUDIBLY, CURABLY, DURABLY, FUSIBLY, MUTABLY and TUNABLY, so each -BLE adjective with a sibling gets a free partner. Check the fourth letter first, because A or I sits there in most of these.

What are the 15 words that do not end in -BLE or -BLY?

JUKEBOX, JUJUBES, QUIBBLE, BUGABOO, RUBABOO, DUSTBIN, AUTOBUS and AUCUBAS lead the odd group. Two end in -OO, two in -IN and two in -AT, namely BULLBAT and HURLBAT.

Those words are where the points hide. JUKEBOX gets 27 from a J worth 8, a K worth 5 and an X worth 8, and QUIBBLE adds 20 with its Q.

Which entries are Collins only?

Six fail in NWL2023: SUEABLE, BULLBAR, LULIBUB, DUMPBIN, FUNEBRE and HURLBAT. The other 26 pass in NWL2023.

SUEABLE is the only -ABLE word on the Collins-only list, so DURABLE, CURABLE, MUTABLE and TUNABLE all travel safely between dictionaries. If your table is unsure which book it follows, those four are the low-risk plays.