Five-letter position pattern
5 Letter Words with U as 2nd and D as 3rd Letter
When a puzzle hands you U as the second letter and D as the third, the field narrows quickly. U in the second box follows many consonants and sits behind the QU pairing. D in the third box follows many vowels, giving words such as UNDER, TODAY and VIDEO.
73matching five-letter words
Five-letter words with U in the 2nd and D in the 3rd position
- audad
- audio
- audit
- budas
- buddy
- budge
- budgy
- budis
- budos
- cuddy
- duddy
- duded
- dudes
- fuddy
- fuder
- fudge
- fudgy
- gudes
- gudge
- gudok
- hudna
- hudud
- judas
- judex
- judge
- judos
- kudos
- kudus
- kudzu
- luddy
- ludes
- ludic
- ludos
- mudar
- mudde
- muddy
- mudee
- mudge
- mudir
- mudra
- nuddy
- nuder
- nudes
- nudge
- nudie
- nudum
- nudzh
- pudda
- puddy
- pudge
- pudgy
- pudic
- pudor
- pudsy
- pudus
- rudas
- rudds
- ruddy
- ruder
- rudes
- rudge
- rudie
- sudan
- sudds
- suddy
- sudes
- sudor
- sudra
- sudsy
- tudel
- wudge
- wudus
- zudda
The Shape of the Pattern
Most of these words begin with A as in AUDIO, B as in BUDDY and N as in NUDES. Many of them close with GE as in JUDGE and DY as in BUDDY.
Useful five-letter words
Start with JUDGE, AUDIO, BUDDY, AUDIT and DUDES. They are the easiest to recognise, which makes them safe tests. MUDDY, KUDOS and FUDGE are worth keeping in reserve.
- JUDGE
- AUDIO
- BUDDY
- AUDIT
- DUDES
Reading the Letter Pair
The pair mixes a vowel with a consonant, which gives the words a natural, easy to pronounce rhythm, as in JUDGE, AUDIO and BUDDY. Most of the familiar words open with a consonant. The fifth box is most often E, Y and S, which makes it the quickest place to settle the ending.
Quick Strategy for This Pattern
The first box is the biggest unknown, and A, B and N are the strongest openers to test. After that, test E in the fifth box, since it is the single most common final letter here. The fixed U and D do a lot of the work, so spend your guesses on the three open boxes. For a wider view, see 5 letter words with U as the 2nd letter and 5 letter words with D as the 3rd letter.
Scrabble and Other Word Games
In Scrabble, U is worth one point and D is worth two points. Knowing words such as JUDGE, AUDIO and BUDDY helps you use both tiles quickly when they land on your rack.
Frequently asked questions
What should I guess first for this pattern
JUDGE is a strong first choice, because it is a familiar word that also tests E, G and J in the three open boxes.
Is U second and D third a common pattern in Wordle
It is a large group, so it gives you plenty of choices. Knowing the usual openers and endings helps more than guessing blindly.
What does D as the third letter tell me
D in the third box follows many vowels, giving words such as UNDER, TODAY and VIDEO. JUDGE is a good example.