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

This is a lean pattern, and the letter in fourth place is the shortcut. I turns up there in 20 of the 49 words, so ?U?IC?? covers about two in five. Only three entries are common, which makes the list feel more like a puzzle than a vocabulary test.

What stands out in this group

• Collins accepts all 49, NWL2023 accepts 34 and ENABLE accepts 31.
• Three words are common: MUSICAL, NUANCED and NUANCES.
• The average score is 13.2, and BUZZCUT leads on 29.
• Last letters: S for 18 words, E for 8, and D and Y for 4 each.
• Openers: C starts 9 words, T starts 6, and Q and M start 5 each.

Why does I come fourth so often?

An -IC- middle runs through the list, so 20 of 49 words place I in fourth position. MUSICAL, CUBICLE, CUTICLE, RUBICON and AURICLE all do. A is next with 11, so the two vowels together cover 31 words.

CUBI- is the clearest family with 4 words: CUBICLE, CUBICAL, CUBICLY and CUBICAS. -CLE endings number 5, and -CES endings number 6.

Which words score the most?

BUZZCUT is worth 29 points because two Zs add 20, and it is valid in NWL2023 and Collins. QUEACHY and QUEECHY score 24 each, while KUCHCHA and QUINCHE reach 21, and all four are Collins-only.

QUAICHS scores 21 as well and passes in all three lists. QUINCES is the next safe play at 18.

How risky is this list for NWL2023 players?

Fifteen of the 49 are not in NWL2023, including DUARCHY, RUBICON, SUBACTS and HUMECTS. RUBICON is a word you might expect to be legal, but only Collins takes it.

Stick with MUSICAL, CUBICLE, CUTICLE, QUINCES and BUZZCUT when the dictionary is uncertain. Each is accepted in NWL2023, and none relies on a rare tile except BUZZCUT, which is worth the risk at 29 points.