Five-letter position pattern
5 Letter Words with P as 1st and O as 3rd Letter
Five letter words that begin with P and have O third turn up in puzzles more often than you might expect. P is a busy opener, followed by a vowel or by L, R or H, as in PLACE, PRICE and PHONE. O in the third box is very common and sits in the middle of everyday words.
98matching five-letter words
Five-letter words with P in the 1st and O in the 3rd position
- paoli
- paolo
- peons
- peony
- phoby
- phoca
- phone
- phono
- phons
- phony
- phose
- phoss
- photo
- phots
- pions
- piony
- pious
- pioye
- pioys
- ploat
- ploce
- plock
- plods
- plomb
- plong
- plonk
- plook
- plops
- plote
- plots
- plott
- plotx
- plotz
- plouk
- plout
- plows
- ploys
- pooch
- poods
- pooed
- poofs
- poofy
- poohs
- pooja
- pooka
- pooks
- pooli
- pools
- pooly
- poons
- poops
- poori
- poort
- poots
- pooty
- poove
- poovy
- proal
- proas
- probe
- probs
- prodd
- prods
- proem
- profs
- progs
- proin
- proke
- prole
- proll
- promo
- proms
- prone
- prong
- pronk
- proof
- props
- prore
- prose
- proso
- pross
- prost
- prosy
- prote
- proto
- proud
- proul
- prove
- prowl
- prows
- proxy
- proyn
- psoae
- psoai
- psoas
- psora
- pyoid
- pyots
The Shape of the Pattern
Second letters to expect include R as in PROVE, H as in PHONE and O as in POOLS. Many of them close with NE as in PHONE and TO as in PHOTO.
Good Guesses for This Pattern
PHONE, PHOTO, PROVE, PROOF and PROBE are the entries you are most likely to meet. PRONE, POOLS and PLOTS are worth keeping in reserve.
Useful five-letter words
- PHONE
- PHOTO
- PROVE
- PROOF
- PROBE
What the Letter Pair Tells You
The pair mixes a consonant with a vowel, which gives the words a natural, easy to pronounce rhythm, as in PHONE, PHOTO and PROVE. Most of the familiar words have a consonant in the second box. The fifth box is most often E, S and O, which makes it the quickest place to settle the ending.
A Wordle Tip for This Pattern
The second box is the biggest unknown, and R, H and O are the strongest letters to test. If the second letter comes back grey, move to the ending and try E in the fifth box. The fixed P and O 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 O as the 3rd letter.
Using These Words in Scrabble
In Scrabble, P is worth three points and O is worth one point. Knowing words such as PHONE, PHOTO and PROVE helps you use both tiles quickly when they land on your rack.
Frequently asked questions
Which letters usually come second in words with P first and O third
R, H and O are the usual choices, as in PROVE, PHONE and POOLS. Testing one of them in the second box is the quickest way to narrow the list.
Is P first and O third a common pattern in Wordle
It is a large group, so it gives you plenty of choices. Pairing the two fixed letters with the second letters above is the quickest way to find the answer.
What should I guess first for this pattern
PHONE is a strong first choice, because it is a familiar word that also tests E, H and N in the three open boxes.