7-letter words with U as the 2nd letter and C as the 3rd letter

The UC core pairs with K more often than with any other letter, so the fourth tile settles most of the list. SUCC- and NUCL- add smaller families, and a spread of -ING, -ERS and -IER endings closes things off. Fixing the K first is the strongest opening move.

The ?UC???? list at a glance

• Collins takes 148 of the 151, NWL2023 takes 119 and ENABLE takes 108.
• Fourteen words are common, from SUCCESS and NUCLEAR to AUCTION and LUCKILY.
• The average score is 13.2, partly because the K is worth 5.
• S opens 27 words, with L and B at 17 each and M at 16.
• Endings: S for 54 words, E for 18, G for 15 and R for 14.

Why do 67 of these words have K as the fourth letter?

English builds many words on a UCK stem. BUCK- opens 15 words, including BUCKETS, BUCKLED, BUCKLES and BUCKEYE, and MUCK- opens 6, so those two openers alone cover 21 words.

That makes 67 of 151, or about 44 percent, with a single shared middle. The next fourth letters are C with 17 words and H with 15.

What are the SUCC and NUCL words?

SUCC- is the largest four-letter opener with 15 words. SUCCESS, SUCCEED and SUCCUMB are the ones everybody knows, with SUCCORS and SUCCUBI as the stranger neighbours.

NUCL- has 7 words, led by NUCLEAR, NUCLEUS and NUCLEIC. DUCHESS, AUCTION and SUCTION round out the everyday vocabulary.

Which words score best, and which are Collins only?

KUCHCHA scores 21 and HUCKERY 19, but both are valid only in Collins. BUCKEYE, BUCKISH and BUCKSAW score 18 and pass in Collins, NWL2023 and ENABLE alike.

Collins accepts 148 words against 119 for NWL2023, so about one in five entries disappears in a North American game. BUCCINA, GUCKIER and LUCHOTH are among those casualties; leave them on the rack.