7-letter words with X as the 2nd letter and N as the 6th letter

This pattern has a small, sharply divided list: 14 words begin with E, and the other four begin with O. Collins accepts all 18, while ENABLE and NWL2023 each accept 16. Familiar options such as EXAMINE and EXITING sit beside less common entries, so check the word list used by your game before playing an unfamiliar one.

7-letter words with X as the 2nd letter and N as the 6th letter

• Exactly 18 tournament-dictionary words fit the X-second, N-sixth pattern.
• EXAMINE, EXITING, and EXPOUND are recognizable E-starting examples.
• OXAZINE is the top scorer at 23 points; OXYGENS follows at 18.
• Only two entries rank among the 25,000 most common English words.

Which matching words score the most?

OXAZINE leads the scoring list at 23 points. OXYGENS scores 18, while EXPOUND, OXYTONE, and EXEMING each score 17. Those are rack-value scores, so a premium square can change the result on the board.

For more familiar choices, start with EXAMINE, EXITING, and EXUDING; all match the fixed letters without needing an unusual spelling. EXPUGNS and EXSCIND also fit, but fewer players will recognize them at a glance.

The shape is _X___N_: only positions two and six are locked, leaving five tiles to vary. Check the opening letter next, since 14 matches start with E and four start with O; that split narrows a rack quickly.

Why do dictionary counts differ?

Collins includes two matches that do not appear in ENABLE or NWL2023: its count is 18, compared with 16 in each North American list. That split matters in tournament play; an accepted Collins word is not automatically legal in an NWL2023 game.

EXAMINE is the safer everyday pick, but the pattern has a real limitation: only 15 of the 18 entries have definitions here. The endings are spread across five letters: five entries end in S, four in E, four in G, three in T, and two in D.