Five-letter position pattern

5 Letter Words with S as the 3rd Letter

Need help finding 5 letter words with S as the 3rd letter? S in the third box often sits between a vowel and T, as in COSTS, WASTE and VISIT, or doubles in ISSUE, ESSAY and ASSET. Use the patterns and examples below to narrow down your next guess in Wordle, Scrabble and other word games.

712matching five-letter words

5 Letter Words with S as the 3rd Letter

absee
absey
absis
absit
abstr
adsum
aesir
aesop
agsam
ahsan
aisle
amsel
ansae
ansar
apses
apsid
apsis
apsos
arsed
arses
arsey
arsis
arsle
arson
arsyl
assai
assam
assay
asses
asset
assez
assis
assot
basad
basal
basan
basat
based
basen
baser
bases
basho
basic
basij
basil
basin
basis
baske
basks
bason
basos
basse
bassi
basso
bassy
basta
baste
basti
basto
basts
basyl
besan
besat
besaw
besee
beses
beset
besew
besin
besit
besom
besot
bespy
besra
besti
bests
bises
biset
bisie
bisks
bisme
bisom
bison
bisso
bisti
bosey
bosie
bosks
bosky
bosom
boson
bossa
bossy
bosun
busby
bused
buses
bushi
bushy
busks
busky
bussu
busti
busto
busts
busty
bysen
byssi
casal
casas
casco
cased
caser
cases
casha
casks
casky
casse
caste
casts
casus
cesse
cesta
ceste
cesti
cisco
cissy
cista
cists
cosec
cosed
cosen
coses
coset
cosey
cosie
cosin
cosse
costa
coste
costs
cusec
cushy
cusie
cusks
cusps
cuspy
cusso
cusum
cysts
dashi
dasht
dashy
dasnt
dassy
desex
deshi
desks
dessa
desse
desto
desyl
disas
disci
disco
discs
dishy
disks
disli
disme
disna
distn
disty
dosed
doseh
doser
doses
dosis
dossy
dtset
dusio
dusks
dusky
dusts
dusty
eased
easel
easer
eases
easle
easts
eisel
elses
elsin
ensew
ensky
ensue
eosin
epsom
erses
essay
essed
essee
esses
eusol
exsec
fasci
fasti
fasts
fesse
festa
fests
festy
fiscs
fishy
fisks
fists
fisty
fosie
fossa
fosse
fpsps
fused
fusee
fusel
fuses
fusht
fusil
fussy
fusts
fusty
gases
gashy
gasps
gaspy
gassy
gasts
gesse
gesso
geste
gests
gisel
gisla
gismo
gisms
gists
gosht
gosse
gossy
guser
gushy
gusla
gusle
gusli
gussy
gusto
gusts
gusty
hasht
hashy
hasid
hasks
hasky
hasnt
hasps
hasta
haste
hasty
hesps
hests
hisis
hissy
hists
hosed
hosel
hosen
hoser
hoses
hosey
hosta
hosts
husho
husht
hushy
husks
husky
husos
hussy
hyson
imshi
imshy
insea
insee
insep
inset
insol
insue
issei
issue
jasey
jaspe
jasps
jesse
jests
jesus
jisms
justo
justs
kaser
kasha
kashi
kasme
kassu
kesar
kesse
kests
kisan
kishy
kisra
kissy
kists
kiswa
koses
kosha
kosin
kosos
kusam
kusha
kusso
kusti
kusum
lased
laser
lases
lassi
lasso
lassu
lasts
lasty
lesbo
lesed
leses
lesiy
lessn
leste
lests
lisks
lisle
lisps
lists
listy
liszt
losed
losel
losen
loser
loses
lossy
luser
lushy
lusks
lusky
lusts
lusty
lusus
lysed
lyses
lysin
lysis
lysol
lyssa
masai
masas
mased
maser
mases
mashy
masks
mason
massa
masse
massy
masts
masty
masus
mesad
mesal
mesas
mesel
mesem
meses
meshy
mesic
mesne
meson
messe
messy
mesto
misce
misch
misdo
miser
mises
misgo
misky
misly
misos
missa
missy
mists
misty
mosan
mosed
mosel
moses
mosey
mosks
mosso
mossy
moste
mosts
musal
musar
musca
mused
muser
muses
muset
musha
mushy
music
musie
musit
musks
musky
musos
musse
mussy
musth
musts
musty
mysel
mysid
nasab
nasal
nasat
nasch
nashi
nasty
nasus
nests
nesty
nisan
nisei
nisse
nisus
nosed
noser
noses
nosey
nosig
nyssa
oasal
oases
oasis
oasts
oisin
onset
ooses
opsin
orsel
ossal
ossea
osset
ossia
ousel
ousia
ousts
owsen
owser
pasan
pasch
paseo
pases
pasha
pashm
pasis
pasmo
paspy
passe
passo
passu
pasta
paste
pasts
pasty
pasul
pesky
pesos
peste
pesto
pests
pesty
pisay
pisco
pises
pishu
pisky
pisos
pissy
piste
posca
posed
poser
poses
posey
posho
posit
posse
possy
posts
puses
pushy
pusle
pussy
rased
rasen
raser
rases
rason
rasps
raspy
rasse
rasta
rasty
resat
resaw
resay
resee
reses
reset
resew
resex
resid
resin
resit
resod
resow
resto
restr
rests
resty
resue
resun
resup
risen
riser
rises
rishi
risks
risky
risps
risqu
risus
rosal
rosed
roses
roset
roshi
rosin
rosit
rosti
rosts
rusas
ruses
rushy
rusks
rusky
rusma
rusot
russe
rusts
rusty
sasan
saser
sasin
sasse
sassy
sesey
sesma
sessa
sesti
sisal
sisel
sises
sissu
sissy
sists
sosie
suses
sushi
susso
sussy
susus
sysin
sysop
tasar
tasco
taser
tasks
tasse
taste
tasty
tesla
testa
teste
tests
testy
tisar
tisic
tissu
tosas
tosca
tosed
toses
toshy
tossy
tushs
tushy
tusks
tusky
tyste
umset
unsad
unsay
unsee
unset
unsew
unsex
unshy
unsin
unsly
unsod
unson
unsty
unsun
upsee
upset
upsey
upsit
upsun
upsup
ursae
ursid
urson
ursuk
utsuk
vasal
vases
vasts
vasty
vespa
vesta
vests
visas
vised
vises
visie
visit
visne
vison
visor
vista
visto
wasel
wases
washy
wasnt
wasps
waspy
waste
wasts
wasty
weste
wests
westy
wised
wisen
wiser
wises
wisha
wisht
wishy
wisps
wispy
wisse
wiste
wists
wuses
wushu
wussy
wyson
wysty
xysti
xysts
yeses
yesks
yesso
yests
yesty
zests
zesty

The Main Letter Pairs Behind S in the Third Box

Grouping the words by their middle pattern makes them easier to remember. US gives MUSIC; AS gives BASED, CASES and BASIC; IS gives VISIT, RISKS and LISTS; OS gives COSTS, POSTS and HOSTS; SS gives ISSUE, ESSAY and ASSET.

Useful five-letter words

MUSIC, BASED, ISSUE, VISIT and BASIC are the entries you are most likely to meet in a puzzle. WASTE, TASTE and ESSAY are worth keeping in reserve.

MUSIC
BASED
ISSUE
VISIT
BASIC

A Wordle Tip for S in the Third Box

Test a vowel in the second box and T or I in the fourth. ST is behind COSTS, WASTE, TASTE, LISTS and POSTS, while the doubled S gives ASSET, ESSAY and ISSUE. After that, the outer letters decide between the remaining candidates.

Playing These Words in Scrabble

In Scrabble, S is worth one point, so it is easy to play but adds little to a score on its own. Keeping a few words in mind, such as MUSIC, BASED and ISSUE, makes it easier to use the tile when it turns up on your rack.

Frequently asked questions

What follows S in the third box most often

Usually T, E or I, as in WASTE, BASED, VISIT and MUSIC. A doubled S is the main exception, in ISSUE, ESSAY and ASSET.

Is S a common third letter in five letter words

S is a common third letter in five letter words. Knowing the usual middle patterns is more helpful than guessing blindly.

What are good 5 letter words with S as the 3rd letter to guess first

MUSIC, BASED and ISSUE are good places to start, because they are familiar and spread across different letters. VISIT and BASIC make good follow ups.