7-letter words with V as the 2nd letter and A as the 6th letter

The fixed pattern is _V___A_: the second tile is V, and the sixth is A. Most matches begin with O, creating a strong OVER- cluster that includes OVERLAP, OVERLAY, and OVERSAW. Only four entries count as common, so expect a mix of recognizable words and less familiar tournament entries.

At a glance: the V-and-A pattern

• The pattern has 17 seven-letter matches across the tournament dictionaries.
• Collins lists all 17; ENABLE and NWL2023 each list 16.
• 15 matches start with O, while two start with A.
• Only four matches are common by Word Puzzle Answers's frequency measure.
• OVERTAX and OVERLAX tie for the top score at 17 points.

Why do most matches begin with O?

The second-letter V concentrates the matches around OVER-. Words such as OVERLAP, OVERLAY, OVERPAY, and OVERRAN share that opening, so testing O in the first slot narrows the search quickly.

The pattern also has a practical split: 15 words start with O, and just two start with A. If O is ruled out, try the A-starting possibilities rather than cycling through other first letters.

The endings spread out instead of forming one dominant group. N is the most frequent final letter with four matches; L, T, X, and Y each finish two. That makes the last tile a weaker shortcut than the opening.

7-letter words with V as the 2nd letter and A as the 6th letter

• For a familiar fit, test OVERLAP or OVERLAY; both match the fixed positions.
• OVERSAW places W in the final slot, while OVERPAY ends in Y.
• For a high score, OVERTAX and OVERLAX lead at 17 points each.
• OVERPAY scores 15, below the two leaders but above OVERLAP at 12.
• Only four entries are common, so treat this as a pattern-matching list, not an everyday-word shortlist.