Five-letter position pattern
5 Letter Words with P as 2nd and P as 3rd Letter
When a puzzle hands you P as the second letter and P as the third, the field narrows quickly. P in the second box follows S or a vowel, as in SP, AP and UP openings. P in the third box often doubles, as in HAPPY and APPLE, or follows a vowel.
17matching five-letter words
Five-letter words with P in the 2nd and P in the 3rd position
- appal
- appar
- appay
- appel
- appet
- apple
- apply
- appmt
- appro
- apptd
- appui
- appuy
- ippon
- oppos
- upped
- upper
- uppop
Starts and Endings
The first box is most often A as in APPLY and U as in UPPER. The last box is most often Y, E and R.
Useful five-letter words
Start with APPLY, APPLE, UPPER, UPPED and APPEL. They are the easiest to recognise, which makes them safe tests.
- APPLY
- APPLE
- UPPER
- UPPED
- APPEL
Pattern Notes
The doubled P is the signature of this pattern, and it shows up in APPLY, APPLE and UPPER. Most of the familiar words open with a vowel. The fifth box is most often Y, E and R, which makes it the quickest place to settle the ending.
A Wordle Tip for This Pattern
Begin with A and U in the first box, because they open the largest groups. After that, test Y in the fifth box, since it is the single most common final letter here. The fixed P and P do a lot of the work, so spend your guesses on the three open boxes. For a wider view, see 5 letter words with P as the 2nd letter and 5 letter words with P as the 3rd letter.
Playing This Pattern in Word Games
In Scrabble, P is worth three points and P is worth three points. Knowing words such as APPLY, APPLE and UPPER helps you use both tiles quickly when they land on your rack.
Frequently asked questions
Which letters usually start words with P second and P third
A and U are the usual openers, as in APPLY and UPPER. Testing one of them in the first box is the quickest way to narrow the list.
What should I guess first for this pattern
APPLY is a strong first choice, because it is a familiar word that also tests A, L and Y in the three open boxes.
What does P as the second letter tell me
P in the second box follows S or a vowel, as in SP, AP and UP openings. APPLY is a good example.