Five-letter position pattern
5 Letter Words with P as 1st and L as 3rd Letter
A clue that fixes the first letter as P and the third as L is a gift, and this list shows how to use it. P is a busy opener, followed by a vowel or by L, R or H, as in PLACE, PRICE and PHONE. L in the third box often doubles or follows a vowel, as in ALLOW, VALUE and RULES.
92matching five-letter words
Five-letter words with P in the 1st and L in the 3rd position
- palar
- palas
- palay
- palch
- palea
- paled
- paler
- pales
- palet
- palew
- palis
- palki
- palla
- palli
- palls
- pally
- palmo
- palms
- palmy
- palpi
- palps
- palsy
- palta
- palus
- pelas
- peles
- pelfs
- pells
- pelma
- pelon
- pelta
- pelts
- pflag
- phlox
- pilaf
- pilao
- pilar
- pilau
- pilaw
- pilch
- pilea
- piled
- pilei
- piler
- piles
- pilin
- pilis
- pills
- pilmy
- pilon
- pilot
- pilow
- pilum
- pilus
- polar
- poled
- poler
- poles
- poley
- polio
- polis
- polje
- polka
- polki
- polks
- polls
- polly
- poloi
- polos
- polts
- polyp
- polys
- pulao
- pulas
- puled
- puler
- pules
- pulex
- pulik
- pulis
- pulka
- pulks
- pulli
- pulls
- pulmo
- pulps
- pulpy
- pulse
- pulus
- pylar
- pylic
- pylon
How These Words Are Built
The second box is most often O as in POLLS, I as in PILOT and U as in PULSE. Many of them close with LS as in POLLS and ES as in POLES.
Words to Try First
Start with PILOT, POLLS, PULSE, PILLS and PULLS. They are the easiest to recognise, which makes them safe tests. POLAR, POLES and PILES are worth keeping in reserve.
Useful five-letter words
- PILOT
- POLLS
- PULSE
- PILLS
- PULLS
Reading the Letter Pair
P and L are both consonants, so the open boxes usually carry the vowels, as in PILOT, POLLS and PULSE. Most of the familiar words have a vowel in the second box. The fifth box is most often S, T and E, which makes it the quickest place to settle the ending.
A Wordle Tip for This Pattern
Begin with O, I and U in the second box, because they open the largest groups. If the second letter comes back grey, move to the ending and try S in the fifth box. The fixed P and L 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 P and 5 letter words with L as the 3rd letter.
Using These Words in Scrabble
In Scrabble, P is worth three points and L is worth one point. Words like PILOT, POLLS and PULSE are handy to remember when you hold both of these letters.
Frequently asked questions
What should I guess first for this pattern
PILOT is a strong first choice, because it is a familiar word that also tests I, O and T in the three open boxes.
Which letters usually come second in words with P first and L third
O, I and U are the usual choices, as in POLLS, PILOT and PULSE. Testing one of them in the second box is the quickest way to narrow the list.
Is P first and L third a common pattern in Wordle
It is a large group, so it gives you plenty of choices. Knowing the usual second letters and endings helps more than guessing blindly.