The Unofficial Hive

NYT Spelling Bee answers & analysis

ACEHIMN

Thursday, October 8, 2026

Edited by Sam Ezersky

Words
60
Points
289
Genius
202
Pangrams
2

Official answers

Show the 60 answersHide answers

Pangrams highlighted. Click a word for its definition.

  • acne

    noun — A skin condition, usually of the face, that is common in adolescents. It is characterised by red pimples, and is caused by the inflammation of sebaceous glands through bacterial infection.

    noun — A pattern of blemishes in an area of skin resulting from the skin condition.

    Appeared in 15 recorded puzzles.

  • amen

    noun — An instance of saying ‘amen’.

    verb — To say amen.

    adverb — At the end of religious prayers: so be it.

    interjection — An expression of strong agreement. Often, though dated, in the phrase "Amen to that".

    noun — A title of Christ; the Faithful One (especially with reference to Revelation 3:14)

    verb — To say amen to; to ratify solemnly.

    Appeared in 10 recorded puzzles.

  • anemia

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • anemic

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • anima

    noun — The soul or animating principle of a living thing, especially as contrasted with the animus.

    noun — (Jungian psychology) The inner self (not the external persona) of a person that is in touch with the unconscious as opposed to the persona.

    noun — (Jungian psychology) The unconscious feminine aspect of a person.

    Appeared in 17 recorded puzzles.

  • anime

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • caiman

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • cancan

    noun — A high-kicking chorus line dance originating in France.

    verb — To dance the cancan.

    noun — (motocross) A trick where one leg is brought over the seat, so that both legs are on one side.

    Appeared in 26 recorded puzzles.

  • cane

    noun — A plant with simple stems, like bamboo or sugar cane, or the stem thereof

    noun — The stem of such a plant adapted for use as a tool

    verb — To strike or beat with a cane or similar implement

    noun — A rod-shaped tool or device, somewhat like a cane

    noun — Split rattan, as used in wickerwork, basketry and the like

    verb — To make or furnish with cane or rattan.

    Appeared in 15 recorded puzzles.

  • canine

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 7 recorded puzzles.

  • canna

    noun — Any member of the genus Canna of tropical plants with large leaves and often showy flowers.

    noun — A measure of length in Italy, varying from six to seven feet.

    Appeared in 26 recorded puzzles.

  • chain

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • chance

    noun — An opportunity or possibility.

    noun — Random occurrence; luck.

    noun — The probability of something happening.

    adjective — Happening by chance, casual.

    verb — To try or risk.

    verb — To happen by chance, to occur.

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • chin

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • china

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • cinch

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • cinema

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • echinacea

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • eminence

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • enchain

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • enema

    noun — An injection of fluid into the large intestine by way of the rectum, usually for medical purposes.

    noun — The fluid so injected.

    noun — A device for administering such an injection.

    Appeared in 10 recorded puzzles.

  • enhance

    verb — To augment or make something greater.

    verb — To improve something by adding features.

    verb — To lift, raise up.

    verb — To be raised up; to grow larger.

    verb — (radiology) To take up contrast agent (for an organ, tissue, or lesion).

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • heinie

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 7 recorded puzzles.

  • hence

    adverb — As a result; therefore, for this reason

    adverb — (of a length of time) in the future from now

    Appeared in 8 recorded puzzles.

  • henchman

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • henchmen

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • henna

    noun — A shrub, Lawsonia inermis, having fragrant reddish flowers

    verb — To dye or tattoo with henna.

    adjective — Of a rich reddish-brown colour.

    noun — A reddish plant substance, prepared from the dried leaves of this plant, used for temporary tattoos and hair coloring. Hair colorings range from bright red to earth brown to near black.

    noun — A rich reddish-brown colour.

    Appeared in 8 recorded puzzles.

  • iceman

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • icemen

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • imminence

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • inane

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 8 recorded puzzles.

  • inch

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • innie

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 18 recorded puzzles.

  • machine

    noun — A device that directs and controls energy, often in the form of movement or electricity, to produce a certain effect.

    verb — To make by machinery.

    noun — A vehicle operated mechanically, such as an automobile or an airplane.

    noun — (abbreviation) An answering machine or, by extension, voice mail.

    noun — A computer.

    noun — A person or organisation that seemingly acts like a machine, being particularly efficient, single-minded, or unemotional.

  • main

    verb — Short for mainline.

    adjective — Of chief or leading importance; prime, principal.

    adverb — Exceedingly, extremely, greatly, mightily, very, very much.

    noun — That which is chief or principal; the chief or main portion; the bulk, the greater part, gross.

    noun — A hand or match in a game of dice.

    noun — A basket for gathering grapes.

    Appeared in 17 recorded puzzles.

  • mane

    noun — Longer hair growth on back of neck of an animal, especially a horse or lion

    noun — Long or thick hair of a person's head.

    Appeared in 10 recorded puzzles.

  • mania

    noun — Violent derangement of mind; madness; insanity.

    noun — Excessive or unreasonable desire; insane passion affecting one or many people; fanaticism.

    noun — The state of abnormally elevated or irritable mood, arousal, and/or energy levels.

    Appeared in 17 recorded puzzles.

  • maniac

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • manic

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • manna

    noun — Food miraculously produced for the Israelites in the desert in the book of Exodus.

    noun — (by extension) Any boon which comes into one's hands by good luck.

    noun — The sugary sap of the manna gum tree which oozes out from holes drilled by insects and falls to the ground around the tree.http//www.museum.vic.gov.au/forest/plants/gum.html

    Appeared in 23 recorded puzzles.

  • mean

    verb — To lament.

    verb — To intend.

    adjective — Common; general.

    noun — (now chiefly in the plural) A method or course of action used to achieve some result.

    adjective — Having the mean (see noun below) as its value.

    verb — To convey (a meaning).

    Appeared in 10 recorded puzzles.

  • meanie

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • mechanic

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • menace

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • mien

    noun — Demeanor; facial expression or attitude, especially one which is intended by its bearer.

    noun — A specific facial expression.

    Appeared in 12 recorded puzzles.

  • mince

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • mine

    pronoun — My; belonging to me; that which belongs to me.

    noun — A device intended to explode when stepped upon or touched, or when approached by a ship, vehicle, or person.

    noun — An excavation from which ore or solid minerals are taken, especially one consisting of underground tunnels.

    noun — Any source of wealth or resources.

    verb — To earn new units of cryptocurrency by doing certain calculations.

    noun — A machine or network of machines used to extract units of a cryptocurrency.

    Appeared in 12 recorded puzzles.

  • mini

    adjective — Miniature, tiny, small.

    noun — A miniskirt.

    noun — A minicomputer.

    Appeared in 27 recorded puzzles.

  • minicam

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • minim

    noun — A half note, drawn as a semibreve with a stem.

    noun — Anything very minute; applied to animalcula and the like.

    noun — A unit of volume, in the Imperial and U.S. customary systems, 1/60 fluid drachm. Approximately equal to 1 drop, 62 μL or 0.9 grain (weight) of water.

    noun — A short vertical stroke used in handwriting.

    noun — A little man or being; a dwarf.

    noun — A small fish; a minnow.

    Appeared in 27 recorded puzzles.

  • minima

    noun — The lowest limit.

    noun — The smallest amount.

    noun — A period of minimum brightness or energy intensity (of a star).

    noun — A lower bound of a set which is also an element of that set.

    noun — The smallest member of a batch or sample or the lower bound of a probability distribution.

    Appeared in 17 recorded puzzles.

  • naan

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

    Appeared in 39 recorded puzzles.

  • name

    noun — Any nounal word or phrase which indicates a particular person, place, class, or thing.

    verb — (ditransitive) To give a name to.

    noun — Any of several types of true yam (Dioscorea) used in Caribbean Spanish cooking.

    noun — Reputation.

    noun — An abusive or insulting epithet.

    noun — A person (or legal person).

    Appeared in 10 recorded puzzles.

  • nana

    noun — (term of endearment) one's grandmother

    noun — A banana

    noun — A fool

    noun — A nanny

    Appeared in 39 recorded puzzles.

  • nene

    noun — The Hawaiian goose, Branta sandvicensis, which was designated the state bird of Hawaii in 1957.

    Appeared in 29 recorded puzzles.

  • niacin

    noun — A water-soluble vitamin, a component of vitamin B complex, found in meat, yeast, and dairy products; it is essential to metabolism.

    Appeared in 19 recorded puzzles.

  • nice

    noun — Niceness.

    adjective — Pleasant, satisfactory.

    adverb — Nicely.

    interjection — Used to signify a job well done.

    verb — To run a process with a specified (usually lower) priority.

    adjective — Of a person: friendly, attractive.

    Appeared in 13 recorded puzzles.

  • niche

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • niece

    noun — A daughter of one’s sibling, brother-in-law, or sister-in-law; either the daughter of one's brother ("fraternal niece"), or of one's sister ("sororal niece").

    Appeared in 13 recorded puzzles.

  • nine

    noun — The digit or figure 9.

    numeral — A numerical value equal to 9; the number following eight and preceding ten.

    noun — A playing card with nine pips.

    noun — A nine-millimeter semi-automatic pistol.

    noun — (usually in the plural) A statistical unit of proportion (of reliability, purity, etc.).

    noun — A baseball club, team, or lineup (composed of nine players).

    Appeared in 18 recorded puzzles.

machine is a perfect pangram — all seven letters, each used exactly once.

Hints, no spoilers

Words by first two letters

  • ac×1
  • am×1
  • an×4
  • ca×5
  • ch×4
  • ci×2
  • ec×1
  • em×1
  • en×3
  • he×5
  • ic×2
  • im×1
  • in×3
  • ma×7
  • me×4
  • mi×7
  • na×3
  • ne×1
  • ni×5

Words by first letter and length

456789Σ
a 222··· 6
c 245··· 11
e ·1·211 5
h ·21·2· 5
i 122··1 6
m 65421· 18
n 621··· 9
Σ 171815442 60

The numbers

Genius today takes 202 points of 289 available. The average answer runs 5.4 letters.

Total points vs. all 466 recorded puzzles
82nd percentile
Word count vs. all recorded puzzles
83rd percentile

Word lengths, today vs. 21080 recorded answers

417 today34.3% all-time518 today22.8% all-time615 today20.2% all-time74 today12.1% all-time84 today6.3% all-time92 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 Wednesday, October 7, 2026 Wednesday, October 7, 2026
c Tuesday, October 6, 2026 Tuesday, October 6, 2026
e Tuesday, October 6, 2026 Sunday, August 30, 2026
h Tuesday, October 6, 2026 Thursday, October 1, 2026
i Monday, October 5, 2026 Saturday, October 3, 2026
m Friday, October 2, 2026 Thursday, September 17, 2026
n ● Tuesday, October 6, 2026 Tuesday, September 22, 2026

Most common answers, all recorded puzzles

  1. noon 47
  2. naan 39
  3. nana 39
  4. onion 33
  5. toot 33
  6. loll 30
  7. acacia 29
  8. acai 29
  9. mama 29
  10. mamma 29
  11. nene 29
  12. mini 27
  13. minim 27
  14. imam 26
  15. maim 26
  16. onto 26
  17. toon 26
  18. cancan 26
  19. canna 26
  20. cocoon 25
  21. lilt 25
  22. till 25
  23. tilt 25
  24. mitt 25
  25. natant 25

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.