The Unofficial Hive

NYT Spelling Bee answers & analysis

ILNORUC

Saturday, January 3, 2026

Words
43
Points
207
Genius
144
Pangrams
2

Official answers

Show the 43 answersHide answers

Pangrams highlighted. Click a word for its definition.

  • cirri

    noun — A tendril.

    noun — A thin tendril-like appendage.

    noun — A principal high-level cloud type characterised by white, delicate filaments or wisps, of white (or mostly white) patches, or of narrow bands, found at an altitude of above 7000 metres.

    Appeared in 10 recorded puzzles.

  • clinic

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 15 recorded puzzles.

  • cocci

    noun — Any approximately spherical bacterium.

    noun — Coccidioidomycosis

    noun — One of the carpels or seed-vessels of a dry fruit.

    Appeared in 20 recorded puzzles.

  • cocoon

    noun — The silky protective case spun by the larvae of some insects in which they metamorphose, the pupa.

    verb — To envelop in a protective case

    noun — Any similar protective case, whether real or metaphorical.

    verb — To withdraw into such a case.

    Appeared in 24 recorded puzzles.

  • coil

    noun — Something wound in the form of a helix or spiral.

    verb — To wind or reel e.g. a wire or rope into regular rings, often around a centerpiece.

    noun — A noise, tumult, bustle, or turmoil.

    noun — Any intrauterine device (Abbreviation: IUD)—the first IUDs were coil-shaped.

    noun — A coil of electrically conductive wire through which electricity can flow.

    noun — Entanglement; perplexity.

    Appeared in 11 recorded puzzles.

  • coin

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 13 recorded puzzles.

  • coir

    noun — The fibre obtained from the husk of a coconut, used chiefly in making rope, matting and as a peat substitute.

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • colic

    noun — Severe pains that grip the abdomen or the disease that causes such pains (due to intestinal or bowel-related problems).

    adjective — Relating to the colon; colonic.

    noun — A medicinal plant used to relieve such symptoms.

    Appeared in 11 recorded puzzles.

  • colon

    noun — The punctuation mark ":".

    noun — Part of the large intestine; the final segment of the digestive system, after (distal to) the ileum and before (proximal to) the anus.

    noun — A husbandman.

    noun — The triangular colon (especially in context of not being able to type the actual triangular colon).

    noun — A rhetorical figure consisting of a clause which is grammatically, but not logically, complete.

    noun — A clause or group of clauses written as a line, or taken as a standard of measure in ancient manuscripts or texts.

    Appeared in 12 recorded puzzles.

  • colonic

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • color

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 7 recorded puzzles.

  • concur

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • conic

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 13 recorded puzzles.

  • cool

    noun — A moderate or refreshing state of cold; moderate temperature of the air between hot and cold; coolness.

    adjective — Having a slightly low temperature; mildly or pleasantly cold.

    verb — To lose heat, to get colder.

    noun — A calm temperament.

    noun — The property of being cool, popular or in fashion.

    adjective — Allowing or suggesting heat relief.

    Appeared in 20 recorded puzzles.

  • corn

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • council

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • councilor

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • croc

    noun — A crocodile.

    noun — A plastic slip-on shoe.

    Appeared in 10 recorded puzzles.

  • croci

    noun — A perennial flowering plant (of the genus Crocus in the Iridaceae family). Saffron is obtained from the stamens of Crocus sativus.

    noun — Any of various similar flowering plants, such as the autumn crocus and prairie crocus.

    noun — A deep yellow powder, the oxide of some metal (especially iron), calcined to a red or deep yellow colour.

    noun — A fraudulent doctor; a quack.

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • croon

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • cull

    noun — A selection.

    verb — To pick or take someone or something (from a larger group).

    noun — A fool, gullible person; a dupe.

    noun — An organised killing of selected animals.

    noun — (farming) An individual animal selected to be killed, or item of produce to be discarded.

    noun — (seafood industry) A lobster having only one claw.

    Appeared in 12 recorded puzzles.

  • curio

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • curl

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • icon

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 13 recorded puzzles.

  • iconic

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 13 recorded puzzles.

  • incur

    verb — To bring upon oneself or expose oneself to, especially something inconvenient, harmful, or onerous; to become liable or subject to

    verb — To enter or pass into

    verb — To fall within a period or scope; to occur; to run into danger

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • ionic

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 13 recorded puzzles.

  • ironic

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • loci

    noun — A place or locality, especially a centre of activity or the scene of a crime.

    noun — The set of all points whose coordinates satisfy a given equation or condition.

    noun — A fixed position on a chromosome that may be occupied by one or more genes.

    noun — (chiefly in the plural) A passage in writing, especially in a collection of ancient sacred writings arranged according to a theme.

    Appeared in 11 recorded puzzles.

  • loco

    adverb — A direction in written or printed music to be returning to the proper pitch after having played an octave higher or lower.

    noun — A certain species of Astragalus or Oxytropis, capable of causing locoism.

    verb — To poison with the loco plant; to affect with locoism.

    adjective — Crazy.

    noun — A locomotive.

    verb — (by extension) To render insane.

    Appeared in 20 recorded puzzles.

  • nuncio

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 7 recorded puzzles.

  • occur

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • oculi

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • ricin

    noun — An extremely toxic protein extracted from the castor bean.

    Appeared in 7 recorded puzzles.

  • rococo

    noun — A style of baroque architecture and decorative art, from 18th-century France, having elaborate ornamentation.

    adjective — Of or relating to the rococo style.

    adjective — Over-elaborate or complicated; opulent.

    adjective — Old-fashioned.

    Appeared in 10 recorded puzzles.

  • runic

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • uncoil

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • uncool

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • uncurl

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • unicolor

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • unicorn

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • unironic

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • uric

    adjective — Pertaining to, contained in, or obtained from urine.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

Hints, no spoilers

Words by first two letters

  • ci×1
  • cl×1
  • co×15
  • cr×3
  • cu×3
  • ic×2
  • in×1
  • io×1
  • ir×1
  • lo×2
  • nu×1
  • oc×2
  • ri×1
  • ro×1
  • ru×1
  • un×6
  • ur×1

Words by first letter and length

456789Σ
c 8932·1 23
i 122··· 5
l 2····· 2
n ··1··· 1
o ·2···· 2
r ·21··· 3
u 1·312· 7
Σ 121510321 43

The numbers

Genius today takes 144 points of 207 available. The average answer runs 5.3 letters.

Total points vs. all 420 recorded puzzles
50th percentile
Word count vs. all recorded puzzles
45th percentile

Word lengths, today vs. 18971 recorded answers

412 today34.4% all-time515 today23.0% all-time610 today20.0% all-time73 today12.0% all-time82 today6.3% all-time91 today2.6% all-time101.3% all-time110.3% all-time120.1% all-time130.0% all-time

History

Today's letters, last seen

LetterLast in a puzzleLast as center
c ● Thursday, January 1, 2026 Sunday, December 28, 2025
i Thursday, January 1, 2026 Tuesday, December 30, 2025
l Thursday, January 1, 2026 Tuesday, December 9, 2025
n Friday, January 2, 2026 Friday, January 2, 2026
o Friday, January 2, 2026 Saturday, December 6, 2025
r Sunday, December 28, 2025 Sunday, November 16, 2025
u Friday, January 2, 2026 Saturday, December 27, 2025

Most common answers, all recorded puzzles

  1. noon 44
  2. naan 33
  3. nana 33
  4. onion 31
  5. toot 30
  6. loll 29
  7. mama 27
  8. mamma 27
  9. acacia 25
  10. acai 25
  11. nene 25
  12. cocoon 24
  13. mini 24
  14. minim 24
  15. loon 24
  16. olio 24
  17. aria 23
  18. imam 23
  19. maim 23
  20. mitt 23
  21. cancan 23
  22. canna 23
  23. neon 23
  24. none 23
  25. onto 22

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.