Five-letter position pattern
5 Letter Words with A as 1st and T as 3rd Letter
A clue that fixes the first letter as A and the third as T is a gift, and this list shows how to use it. Words that start with A often continue with a consonant, as in ABOUT, AFTER and AGAIN. T in the third box is very common, in patterns such as AT, FT and NT.
60matching five-letter words
Five-letter words with A in the 1st and T in the 3rd position
- acted
- actin
- acton
- actor
- actos
- actus
- aetat
- after
- aitch
- aitis
- aitus
- altar
- alter
- altho
- altin
- altos
- altun
- antae
- antal
- antar
- antas
- anted
- antes
- antic
- antis
- antra
- antre
- antsy
- apted
- apter
- aptly
- artal
- artar
- artel
- arter
- artha
- artic
- artis
- artly
- artou
- artsy
- astay
- astel
- aster
- astir
- astre
- astun
- attal
- attap
- attar
- atter
- attic
- attid
- attle
- attry
- autem
- autor
- autos
- autre
- aztec
How These Words Are Built
After the opening A, look for C as in ACTOR, L as in ALTER and F as in AFTER. The last two letters are often ER as in AFTER.
Good Guesses for This Pattern
Start with AFTER, ACTOR, ACTED, ALTER and ALTAR. They are the easiest to recognise, which makes them safe tests. ATTIC, ACTIN and APTLY are worth keeping in reserve.
Useful five-letter words
- AFTER
- ACTOR
- ACTED
- ALTER
- ALTAR
Pattern Notes
The pair mixes a vowel with a consonant, which gives the words a natural, easy to pronounce rhythm, as in AFTER, ACTOR and ACTED. Most of the familiar words have a consonant in the second box. The fifth box is most often R, D and C, which makes it the quickest place to settle the ending.
A Wordle Tip for This Pattern
Begin with C, L and F in the second box, because they open the largest groups. After that, test R in the fifth box, since it is the single most common final letter here. The fixed A and T do a lot of the work, so spend your guesses on the three open boxes. For a wider view, see 5 letter words starting with A and 5 letter words with T as the 3rd letter.
Using These Words in Scrabble
In Scrabble, A is worth one point and T is worth one point. Words like AFTER, ACTOR and ACTED are handy to remember when you hold both of these letters.
Frequently asked questions
What should I guess first for this pattern
AFTER is a strong first choice, because it is a familiar word that also tests E, F and R in the three open boxes.
What does T as the third letter tell me
T in the third box is very common, in patterns such as AT, FT and NT. AFTER is a good example.
Is A first and T third a common pattern in Wordle
It is a fair sized group, so it gives you plenty of choices. Knowing the usual second letters and endings helps more than guessing blindly.