The Unofficial Hive

NYT Spelling Bee answers & analysis

AFORUVL

Wednesday, January 28, 2026

Words
41
Points
165
Genius
115
Pangram
1

Official answers

Show the 41 answersHide answers

Pangram highlighted. Click a word for its definition.

  • afoul

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • alfalfa

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 8 recorded puzzles.

  • aloof

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • aural

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • auroral

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • fall

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 8 recorded puzzles.

  • falloff

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • flavor

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • flavorful

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • floor

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • flora

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • floral

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • flour

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • fluff

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • foal

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • fool

    noun — A person with poor judgment or little intelligence.

    verb — To trick; to deceive

    verb — To act in an idiotic manner; to act foolishly

    noun — A jester; a person whose role was to entertain a sovereign and the court (or lower personages).

    noun — A type of dessert made of puréed fruit and custard or cream.

    noun — Buddy, dude, man.

    Appeared in 11 recorded puzzles.

  • foul

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • full

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • furl

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • larva

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • larval

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • lava

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 7 recorded puzzles.

  • loaf

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • loll

    verb — To act lazily or indolently while reclining; to lean; to lie at ease.

    verb — To hang extended from the mouth, like the tongue of an animal heated from exertion.

    verb — To let (the tongue) hang from the mouth in this way.

    Appeared in 28 recorded puzzles.

  • loofa

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • luau

    noun — An elaborate Hawaiian feast featuring traditional foods and entertainment.

    Appeared in 11 recorded puzzles.

  • luff

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • lull

    noun — A period of rest or soothing.

    verb — To cause to rest by soothing influences; to compose; to calm

    noun — A period of reduced activity; a respite

    noun — A period without waves or wind.

    noun — An extended pause between sets of waves.

    verb — To become gradually calm; to subside; to cease or abate.

    Appeared in 20 recorded puzzles.

  • lulu

    noun — A remarkable person, object or idea.

    noun — A very attractive or alluring person.

    noun — A very bad mistake or error.

    noun — A fixed allowance paid to a legislator in lieu of reimbursement for actual expenses.

    Appeared in 20 recorded puzzles.

  • offal

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • 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.

  • oval

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • ovular

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • roll

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 11 recorded puzzles.

  • rural

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • uvula

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • uvular

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • valor

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • vulva

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • vulval

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • vulvar

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

Hints, no spoilers

Words by first two letters

  • af×1
  • al×2
  • au×2
  • fa×2
  • fl×7
  • fo×3
  • fu×2
  • la×3
  • lo×3
  • lu×4
  • of×1
  • or×1
  • ov×2
  • ro×1
  • ru×1
  • uv×2
  • va×1
  • vu×3

Words by first letter and length

45679Σ
a ·3·2· 5
f 64211 14
l 721·· 10
o 211·· 4
r 11··· 2
u ·11·· 2
v ·22·· 4
Σ 1614731 41

The numbers

Genius today takes 115 points of 165 available. The average answer runs 5.0 letters.

Total points vs. all 383 recorded puzzles
31st percentile
Word count vs. all recorded puzzles
39th percentile

Word lengths, today vs. 17359 recorded answers

416 today34.7% all-time514 today22.8% all-time67 today19.9% all-time73 today12.1% all-time86.3% all-time91 today2.6% 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 Tuesday, January 27, 2026 Tuesday, January 20, 2026
f Saturday, January 24, 2026 Sunday, January 4, 2026
l ● Tuesday, January 27, 2026 Tuesday, December 9, 2025
o Monday, January 26, 2026 Wednesday, January 21, 2026
r Sunday, January 25, 2026 Saturday, January 10, 2026
u Tuesday, January 27, 2026 Saturday, December 27, 2025
v Tuesday, January 6, 2026 Friday, December 19, 2025

Most common answers, all recorded puzzles

  1. noon 42
  2. naan 30
  3. nana 30
  4. onion 29
  5. toot 28
  6. loll 28
  7. mama 25
  8. mamma 25
  9. cocoon 23
  10. loon 23
  11. nene 23
  12. acacia 22
  13. acai 22
  14. bill 22
  15. neon 22
  16. none 22
  17. olio 22
  18. aria 21
  19. onto 21
  20. toon 21
  21. cancan 21
  22. canna 21
  23. lull 20
  24. lulu 20
  25. lilt 20

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.