The Unofficial Hive

NYT Spelling Bee answers & analysis

IJMNRUA

Tuesday, June 23, 2026

Edited by Sam Ezersky

Words
29
Points
108
Genius
75
Pangram
1

Official answers

Show the 29 answersHide answers

Pangram highlighted. Click a word for its definition.

  • airman

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • ajar

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • anima

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 13 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.

  • arum

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • aura

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • imam

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 19 recorded puzzles.

  • maim

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 19 recorded puzzles.

  • main

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 13 recorded puzzles.

  • mama

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 24 recorded puzzles.

  • mamma

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 24 recorded puzzles.

  • mania

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 13 recorded puzzles.

  • manna

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 18 recorded puzzles.

  • marijuana

    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.

  • marm

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 10 recorded puzzles.

  • minima

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 13 recorded puzzles.

  • naan

    noun — A type of round, flat bread baked in a tandoor popular in South and Central Asian cuisine.

    Appeared in 30 recorded puzzles.

  • nana

    noun — (term of endearment) one's grandmother

    noun — A banana

    noun — A fool

    noun — A nanny

    Appeared in 30 recorded puzzles.

  • ninja

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 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.

  • raja

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • rani

    noun — A Hindu princess or female ruler in India.

    noun — The wife of a rajah.

    Appeared in 11 recorded puzzles.

  • umami

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • unarm

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • unjam

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • unman

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • uranium

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

Hints, no spoilers

Words by first two letters

  • ai×1
  • aj×1
  • an×1
  • ar×2
  • au×1
  • im×1
  • ma×10
  • mi×1
  • na×2
  • ni×1
  • ra×3
  • um×1
  • un×3
  • ur×1

Words by first letter and length

456789Σ
a 411··· 6
i 1····· 1
m 432·11 11
n 21···· 3
r 3····· 3
u ·4·1·· 5
Σ 1493111 29

The numbers

Genius today takes 75 points of 108 available. The average answer runs 4.9 letters.

Total points vs. all 378 recorded puzzles
8th percentile
Word count vs. all recorded puzzles
12th percentile

Word lengths, today vs. 17142 recorded answers

414 today34.5% all-time59 today22.8% all-time63 today20.0% all-time71 today12.1% all-time81 today6.3% all-time91 today2.5% 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 ● Monday, June 22, 2026 Friday, June 19, 2026
i Monday, June 22, 2026 Saturday, June 13, 2026
j Monday, June 8, 2026 first recorded time
m Monday, June 22, 2026 Thursday, June 4, 2026
n Saturday, June 20, 2026 Friday, June 12, 2026
r Sunday, June 21, 2026 Saturday, June 20, 2026
u Sunday, June 7, 2026 Tuesday, May 19, 2026

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.