The Unofficial Hive

NYT Spelling Bee answers & analysis

AILMNOR

Monday, July 21, 2025

Words
50
Points
201
Genius
140
Pangrams
2

Official answers

Show the 50 answersHide answers

Pangrams highlighted. Click a word for its definition.

  • airmail

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • airman

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • alarm

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • amoral

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • aria

    noun — A musical piece written typically for a solo voice with orchestral accompaniment in an opera or cantata.

    Appeared in 21 recorded puzzles.

  • aril

    noun — A tissue surrounding the seed in certain fruits such as pomegranates.

    Appeared in 8 recorded puzzles.

  • armor

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • armorial

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • aroma

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • immoral

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • iron

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 7 recorded puzzles.

  • ironman

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • lair

    noun — A place inhabited by a wild animal, often a cave or a hole in the ground.

    noun — A place inhabited by a criminal or criminals, a superhero or a supervillain; a refuge, retreat, haven or hideaway.

    noun — A shed or shelter for domestic animals.

    noun — A bed or resting place.

    noun — A grave; a cemetery plot.

    verb — To rest; to dwell.

    Appeared in 8 recorded puzzles.

  • liar

    noun — One who tells lies.

    noun — A swabber responsible for cleaning the outside parts of the ship rather than the cabins, a role traditionally assigned to a person caught telling a lie the previous week.

    Appeared in 8 recorded puzzles.

  • lira

    noun — The basic unit of currency in Turkey.

    noun — The former currency of Italy, Malta, San Marino, Cyprus and the Vatican City, superseded by the euro

    noun — The former currency of Israel, superseded by the sheqel.

    noun — The currency of Lebanon (also pound), Syria (also pound), Jordan (also dinar)

    noun — A Ukrainian folk musical instrument similar to the hurdy-gurdy.

    noun — Any of a set of fine ridges on the shells of some molluscs

    Appeared in 8 recorded puzzles.

  • mailroom

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • malaria

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • malarial

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • manor

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • manorial

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • marina

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • marinara

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • marlin

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • marm

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 10 recorded puzzles.

  • maroon

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • minor

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • mirin

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • mirror

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • molar

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • monorail

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • moor

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • moral

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • morn

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • moron

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • noir

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 7 recorded puzzles.

  • nori

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 7 recorded puzzles.

  • norm

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • normal

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • oral

    adjective — Spoken rather than written.

    adjective — Relating to the mouth.

    noun — Oral sex.

    noun — A spoken test or examination, particularly in a language class.

    noun — A physical examination of the mouth.

    Appeared in 10 recorded puzzles.

  • rail

    noun — The metal bar that makes the track for a railroad.

    noun — A horizontal bar extending between supports and used for support or as a barrier; a railing.

    noun — A railroad; a railway, as a means of transportation.

    noun — A horizontal piece of wood that serves to separate sections of a door or window.

    verb — To criticize severely.

    noun — Any of several birds in the family Rallidae.

    Appeared in 8 recorded puzzles.

  • rain

    noun — Condensed water falling from a cloud.

    verb — To have rain fall from the sky.

    noun — Any matter moving or falling, usually through air, and especially if liquid or otherwise figuratively identifiable with raindrops.

    verb — To fall as or like rain.

    verb — To issue (something) in large quantities.

    Appeared in 11 recorded puzzles.

  • rani

    noun — A Hindu princess or female ruler in India.

    noun — The wife of a rajah.

    Appeared in 11 recorded puzzles.

  • rial

    noun — The official currencies of Iran, Oman, and Yemen.

    noun — An old gold coin of England.

    Appeared in 8 recorded puzzles.

  • rill

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 8 recorded puzzles.

  • roam

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • roan

    noun — An animal such as a horse that has a coat of a dark base color with individual white hairs mixed in.

    adjective — Especially of a horse, having a coat of a dark base color with individual white hairs mixed in

    noun — The color of such an animal.

    noun — A kind of leather used for slippers, bookbinding, etc., made from sheepskin, tanned with sumac and colored to imitate ungrained morocco.

    noun — Sorbus aucuparia, the European rowan.

    noun — Any of various small deciduous trees or shrubs of genus Sorbus, belonging to the rose family, with pinnate leaves, corymbs of white flowers, and usually with orange-red berries.

    Appeared in 8 recorded puzzles.

  • roar

    noun — A long, loud, deep shout, as of rage or laughter, made with the mouth wide open.

    verb — To make a loud, deep cry, especially from pain, anger, or other strong emotion.

    verb — To laugh in a particularly loud manner.

    noun — A loud resounding noise.

    verb — Generally, of inanimate objects etc., to make a loud resounding noise.

    verb — Of animals (especially the lion), to make a loud deep noise.

    Appeared in 13 recorded puzzles.

  • roil

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • roll

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 11 recorded puzzles.

  • room

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

Hints, no spoilers

Words by first two letters

  • ai×2
  • al×1
  • am×1
  • ar×5
  • im×1
  • ir×2
  • la×1
  • li×2
  • ma×10
  • mi×3
  • mo×6
  • no×4
  • or×1
  • ra×3
  • ri×2
  • ro×6

Words by first letter and length

45678Σ
a 23211 9
i 1··2· 3
l 3···· 3
m 36415 19
n 3·1·· 4
o 1···· 1
r 11···· 11
Σ 249746 50

The numbers

Genius today takes 140 points of 201 available. The average answer runs 5.2 letters.

Total points vs. all 378 recorded puzzles
46th percentile
Word count vs. all recorded puzzles
58th percentile

Word lengths, today vs. 17142 recorded answers

424 today34.5% all-time59 today22.8% all-time67 today20.0% all-time74 today12.1% all-time86 today6.3% all-time92.5% all-time101.2% all-time110.3% all-time120.1% all-time130.0% all-time

History

Today's letters, last seen

LetterLast in a puzzleLast as center
a Saturday, July 19, 2025 Saturday, July 19, 2025
i Sunday, July 20, 2025 Friday, July 18, 2025
l Sunday, July 20, 2025 Thursday, July 10, 2025
m Tuesday, July 15, 2025 Tuesday, July 15, 2025
n Sunday, July 20, 2025 first recorded time
o Sunday, July 20, 2025 Friday, July 11, 2025
r ● Monday, July 14, 2025 Saturday, July 5, 2025

Most common answers, all recorded puzzles

  1. noon 41
  2. naan 30
  3. nana 30
  4. onion 28
  5. toot 27
  6. loll 27
  7. mama 24
  8. mamma 24
  9. cocoon 23
  10. nene 23
  11. acacia 22
  12. acai 22
  13. bill 22
  14. loon 22
  15. aria 21
  16. onto 21
  17. toon 21
  18. cancan 21
  19. canna 21
  20. neon 21
  21. none 21
  22. olio 21
  23. anon 20
  24. lull 19
  25. lulu 19

Valid words the Bee rejected

Dictionary words the Bee never takes

Legitimate words (per the ENABLE list) that fit the letters but aren't official answers — usually judged too obscure.