Five-letter position pattern
5 Letter Words with E as 2nd and F as 3rd Letter
When a puzzle hands you E as the second letter and F as the third, the field narrows quickly. E in the second box is one of the most common vowel placements and follows almost any consonant. F in the third box is uncommon and usually followed by T or F.
39matching five-letter words
Five-letter words with E in the 2nd and F in the 3rd position
- befan
- befit
- befog
- befop
- befur
- defat
- defer
- defet
- deffo
- defis
- defix
- defog
- hefte
- hefts
- hefty
- jefes
- jeffs
- kefir
- lefte
- lefts
- lefty
- meffs
- nefas
- neffy
- refan
- refed
- refel
- refer
- reffo
- refit
- refix
- refly
- refry
- sefer
- teffs
- vefry
- wefte
- wefts
- wefty
The Shape of the Pattern
The first box is most often R as in REFER, H as in HEFTY and L as in LEFTY. For endings, look for ER as in REFER and TY as in HEFTY.
Useful five-letter words
REFER, HEFTY, LEFTY, DEFER and REFIT are the entries you are most likely to meet.
- REFER
- HEFTY
- LEFTY
- DEFER
- REFIT
Pattern Notes
The pair mixes a vowel with a consonant, which gives the words a natural, easy to pronounce rhythm, as in REFER, HEFTY and LEFTY. Most of the familiar words open with a consonant. The fifth box is most often R, Y and T, which makes it the quickest place to settle the ending.
Quick Strategy for This Pattern
Begin with R, H and L in the first box, because they open the largest groups. If the opener comes back grey, move to the ending and try R in the fifth box. The fixed E and F do a lot of the work, so spend your guesses on the three open boxes. For a wider view, see 5 letter words with E as the 2nd letter and 5 letter words with F as the 3rd letter.
Scrabble and Other Word Games
In Scrabble, E is worth one point and F is worth four points. Knowing words such as REFER, HEFTY and LEFTY helps you use both tiles quickly when they land on your rack.
Frequently asked questions
What does F as the third letter tell me
F in the third box is uncommon and usually followed by T or F. REFER is a good example.
Is E second and F third a common pattern in Wordle
It is a fair sized group, so it gives you plenty of choices. Pairing the two fixed letters with the openers above is the quickest way to find the answer.
What are some common 5 letter words with E as 2nd and F as 3rd letter
REFER, HEFTY, LEFTY, DEFER and REFIT are among the best known.