The Unofficial Hive

NYT Spelling Bee answers & analysis

CGHIKNO

Thursday, August 7, 2025

Words
52
Points
266
Genius
186
Pangrams
3

Official answers

Show the 52 answersHide answers

Pangrams highlighted. Click a word for its definition.

  • chignon

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • chino

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • chock

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • chocking

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • choking

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • cocci

    noun — Any approximately spherical bacterium.

    noun — Coccidioidomycosis

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

    Appeared in 19 recorded puzzles.

  • cock

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • cocking

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • 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.

  • cocooning

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • coho

    noun — An anadromus and semelparous salmon, Oncorhynchus kisutch, found in the coastal regions of the northern Pacific Ocean, used as a symbol by several Native American tribes.

    Appeared in 12 recorded puzzles.

  • coin

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 13 recorded puzzles.

  • coining

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • conch

    noun — A marine gastropod of the family Strombidae which lives in its own spiral shell.

    verb — To refine the flavour and texture of chocolate by warming and grinding, either in a traditional concher, or between rollers.

    noun — A machine (rather like a rotating pestle and mortar) used to refine the flavour and texture of chocolate by warming and grinding.

    noun — The shell of this sea animal.

    noun — A musical instrument made from a large spiral seashell, somewhat like a trumpet.

    noun — The semidome of an apse, or the apse itself.

    Appeared in 7 recorded puzzles.

  • conic

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 13 recorded puzzles.

  • conk

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • conking

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • conning

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • cooing

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • cook

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • cooking

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • ginkgo

    noun — Ginkgo biloba, a tree native to China with small, fan-shaped leaves and edible seeds.

    noun — The seed of the ginkgo tree.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • gnocchi

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • going

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • gong

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 10 recorded puzzles.

  • gonging

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • goon

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 10 recorded puzzles.

  • hock

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • hocking

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • hogging

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • honcho

    noun — Boss, leader

    verb — To lead or manage.

    Appeared in 7 recorded puzzles.

  • honing

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • honk

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • honking

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • hooch

    noun — Alcoholic liquor, especially inferior or illicit whisky.

    noun — A thatched hut, CHU, or any simple dwelling.

    Appeared in 12 recorded puzzles.

  • hook

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • hooking

    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.

  • ionic

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 13 recorded puzzles.

  • knock

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • knocking

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • kook

    noun — An eccentric, strange or crazy person.

    noun — (kiteboarding, wakeboarding) A boardsport participant who lacks style or skill; a newbie who acts as if they are better at the sport than they are.

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • nock

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • nocking

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • noggin

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • nook

    noun — A small corner formed by two walls; an alcove.

    verb — To withdraw into a nook.

    noun — A hidden or secluded spot; a secluded retreat.

    noun — A recess, cove or hollow.

    noun — An English unit of land area, originally 1/4 of a yardland but later 12 1/2 or 20 acres.

    noun — A corner of a piece of land; an angled piece of land, especially one extending into other land.

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • noon

    noun — The ninth hour of the day counted from sunrise; around three o'clock in the afternoon.

    verb — To relax or sleep around midday

    noun — The letter ن in the Arabic script.

    noun — Time of day when the sun is in its zenith; twelve o'clock in the day, midday.

    noun — The corresponding time in the middle of the night; midnight.

    noun — The highest point; culmination.

    Appeared in 44 recorded puzzles.

  • oink

    noun — The sound made by a pig, or an imitation thereof.

    verb — Of a pig or in imitation thereof, to make its characteristic sound.

    interjection — Representing the sound made by a pig.

    interjection — Drawing attention to male chauvinism (from the term male chauvinist pig).

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • oinking

    verb — Of a pig or in imitation thereof, to make its characteristic sound.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • ongoing

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • onion

    noun — A monocotyledonous plant (Allium cepa), allied to garlic, used as vegetable and spice.

    noun — The bulb of such a plant.

    noun — The genus as a whole.

    noun — A ball.

    noun — A person from Bermuda or of Bermudian descent.

    Appeared in 31 recorded puzzles.

choking, hocking are perfect pangrams — all seven letters, each used exactly once.

Hints, no spoilers

Words by first two letters

  • ch×5
  • co×16
  • gi×1
  • gn×1
  • go×4
  • ho×10
  • ic×2
  • io×1
  • kn×2
  • ko×1
  • no×5
  • oi×2
  • on×2

Words by first letter and length

456789Σ
c 552711 21
g 2112·· 6
h 3124·· 10
i 111··· 3
k 11··1· 3
n 3·11·· 5
o 11·2·· 4
Σ 161071621 52

The numbers

Genius today takes 186 points of 266 available. The average answer runs 5.6 letters.

Total points vs. all 410 recorded puzzles
75th percentile
Word count vs. all recorded puzzles
66th percentile

Word lengths, today vs. 18521 recorded answers

416 today34.5% all-time510 today23.0% all-time67 today20.0% all-time716 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 Friday, August 1, 2025 Wednesday, July 30, 2025
g Monday, August 4, 2025 first recorded time
h Friday, August 1, 2025 Tuesday, July 22, 2025
i Tuesday, August 5, 2025 Friday, July 18, 2025
k Tuesday, August 5, 2025 first recorded time
n Wednesday, August 6, 2025 Tuesday, August 5, 2025
o ● Sunday, August 3, 2025 Friday, July 11, 2025

Most common answers, all recorded puzzles

  1. noon 44
  2. naan 33
  3. nana 33
  4. onion 31
  5. toot 29
  6. loll 29
  7. mama 26
  8. mamma 26
  9. nene 25
  10. cocoon 24
  11. acacia 24
  12. acai 24
  13. loon 24
  14. olio 24
  15. cancan 23
  16. canna 23
  17. neon 23
  18. none 23
  19. aria 22
  20. imam 22
  21. maim 22
  22. bill 22
  23. mini 22
  24. minim 22
  25. lilt 21

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.