Zee Online Tools5-letter word finder
Search five-letter words by pattern, starting letters, ending letters, or letters they must or must not contain.
Quick answer: type the letters you know in the pattern box and use an underscore for each unknown letter, for example c_a_e. Add more filters to narrow the list, then click a word to copy it.
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How to search for five-letter words
- Pattern: type up to five characters. Letters must match exactly; underscores match any letter.
- Starts with / ends with: add the first or last letters if you only know those.
- Must contain: list letters that have to appear somewhere in the word.
- Must not contain: list letters to rule out.
All five filters work together, so you can combine them, such as a word that starts with S, contains R and does not contain E.
Example searches
| Search | What it finds | Matches in our list |
|---|---|---|
c_a_e | known first, third and last letters | 13 |
st___ | words that start with ST | 130 |
____y | words that end in Y | 906 |
contains "ou" | words with O and U anywhere | 282 |
ends in "ing" | words ending in ING | 34 |
Five-letter word statistics
We analysed all 8,636 words in the list behind this tool. These counts come straight from the data, so they describe this list, not every English word.
Most common letter in each position
| Position | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Most common | S (1,056) | A (1,479) | A (850) | E (1,705) | S (2,695) |
| Second | C (665) | O (1,335) | R (791) | A (660) | E (931) |
| Third | B (589) | E (1,063) | I (743) | T (624) | Y (906) |
Vowels per word
| Vowels (A, E, I, O, U) | Words |
|---|---|
| 0 | 36 |
| 1 | 2,692 |
| 2 | 5,089 |
| 3 | 798 |
| 4 | 21 |
2,971 words in the list contain a repeated letter, and 5,665 have five different letters. 36 contain none of A, E, I, O or U.
Common beginnings and endings
If you only know the start or the end of a word, these counts show how many words you will have to choose from.
| Starts with | Words | Ends with | Words |
|---|---|---|---|
| S | 1,056 | S | 2,695 |
| C | 665 | E | 931 |
| B | 589 | Y | 906 |
| P | 565 | D | 582 |
| T | 548 | R | 523 |
| A | 497 | T | 480 |
Tips for finding a word from a few letters
- Start with what you are sure of. Put certain letters in the pattern box first, then add "must contain" letters that you know are in the word but not where.
- Rule out letters early. The "must not contain" box is the fastest way to shrink a long list, especially with common letters such as E, A or R once you know they are not there.
- Try endings. Many five-letter words end in a small set of letters such as E, S, Y, D or R, so an "ends with" filter can cut the list sharply.
- Check double letters. If nothing fits, the word may repeat a letter. Try a pattern with the same letter in two positions, such as
_ee__or__ll_. - Scan the whole list. When the list is short, read it through. A word you know often jumps out faster than a rule you have to apply.
Using the finder for word games
The finder works for any puzzle that needs a five-letter word, not just Wordle. For crosswords, enter the letters you already have from crossing answers as a pattern. For Scrabble-style games, remember that the list excludes proper nouns, so a name will not appear. For letter-puzzle games, put your letters in "must contain" and use "must not contain" for the ones that did not work.
For a fixed set of letters you hold, such as a rack in a tile game, remember that this tool lists words that include all the letters you type, in any order, and may contain additional letters too. Add a pattern or an "ends with" filter to narrow it.
About the word list
The list is ENABLE, a public-domain word list that follows Scrabble-style rules. It excludes proper nouns and most slang, and includes some words that are rare in everyday use. If you are playing a particular game, it may use a different dictionary, so a word shown here is not guaranteed to be accepted there.
Playing Wordle? The Wordle helper takes green, yellow and gray clues directly and suggests next guesses.
Frequently asked questions
How do I search by pattern?
Type known letters and use an underscore for unknown ones. For example c_a_e matches crane, crate and crave.
Can I combine filters?
Yes. Pattern, starts with, ends with, must contain and must not contain all apply together.
Which words are included?
The ENABLE word list (public domain), filtered to 8,636 five-letter words. It follows Scrabble-style rules, so proper nouns and most slang are excluded.
Can I find words with no repeated letters?
Roughly 5,665 of the 8,636 words have five different letters. Use the pattern and must-not-contain boxes to narrow by letters you want to avoid.
Can I use it to unscramble letters?
Enter the letters in "Must contain letters" and, if you know them, put the rest of the pattern in the pattern box. The list shows every word that includes all of those letters.
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