SIXY Word Lab
Two vowels form the center of gravity
Across the curated 3,000-word pool, exactly two A, E, I, O, or U letters is the dominant structure—but nearly one third of the pool contains three.
The distribution
We count vowel characters, not distinct vowel types. A word with two copies of the same vowel belongs in the two-vowel row. Y remains a consonant for this analysis so every word is measured under one simple rule.
| Vowel characters | Words | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 1 | 0.03% |
| 1 | 267 | 8.9% |
| 2 | 1,810 | 60.3% |
| 3 | 879 | 29.3% |
| 4 | 43 | 1.4% |
| 5 or 6 | 0 | 0% |
Why vowel-heavy openers feel informative
Testing four different vowels can quickly define the answer’s sound structure, but it spends four of six spaces on one class of letters. The data explains both the appeal and the cost. Four-vowel words exist, yet they represent only 43 entries in the pool. Most answers need consonant information just as urgently.
A balanced opener with two or three vowels sits closer to the pool’s center. That does not make it universally superior: an opener should be judged by the branches it separates after feedback. A four-vowel start may be excellent for a player who has a reliable consonant-rich second guess ready.
Distinct vowels and total vowels are different clues
Suppose an answer contains three vowel characters. Those characters might represent three different vowels, or one vowel may repeat. An opener that tests several vowel types answers the first question; the pink quantity clue answers the second when a discovered vowel is needed again.
This distinction prevents a common error: seeing one green vowel and assuming every remaining space must be a consonant. In a dataset where repeated letters occur in 50.7% of words, the confirmed vowel may still have another role elsewhere.
Position matters as much as count
The second position is especially vowel-friendly in this pool: A appears there 540 times, E 488 times, O 396 times, I 318 times, and U 259 times. Together those five vowels occupy 2,001 of 3,000 second-position slots—two thirds of the pool.
The ending behaves differently. E is common in the sixth position, but R, Y, T, N, and L collectively account for many more endings. Once a vowel has been found, using position evidence is more useful than merely adding another vowel to the next guess.
How to apply the finding
Use vowel count as a planning range rather than a rule. After the first row, ask how many vowel slots remain plausible under the colors and whether a known vowel may repeat. If two competing guesses use the same confirmed letters, prefer the one that tests a different vowel position or distinguishes a repeat.
Continue with the position report for the left-to-right breakdown, or return to the Word Lab overview for the full method.