The Unofficial Hive

NYT Spelling Bee answers & analysis

EFLNOUC

Tuesday, September 16, 2025

Words
30
Points
154
Genius
107
Pangrams
2

Official answers

Show the 30 answersHide answers

Pangrams highlighted. Click a word for its definition.

  • cell

    noun — The basic unit of a living organism, consisting of a quantity of protoplasm surrounded by a cell membrane, which is able to synthesize proteins and replicate itself.

    noun — A cellular phone.

    noun — A room in a prison or jail for one or more inmates.

    noun — The unit in a statistical array (a spreadsheet, for example) where a row and a column intersect.

    noun — A device which stores electrical power; used either singly or together in batteries; the basic unit of a battery.

    noun — Each of the small hexagonal compartments in a honeycomb.

    Appeared in 13 recorded puzzles.

  • cello

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • cellule

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • clef

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • clone

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • clue

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • cocoon

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 23 recorded puzzles.

  • coffee

    noun — A beverage made by infusing the beans of the coffee plant in hot water.

    verb — To drink coffee.

    adjective — Of a pale brown colour, like that of milk coffee.

    noun — A serving of this beverage.

    noun — The seeds of the plant used to make coffee, misnamed ‘beans’ due to their shape.

    noun — The powder made by roasting and grinding the seeds.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • colleen

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • colon

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 11 recorded puzzles.

  • colonel

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • cone

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 9 recorded puzzles.

  • confluence

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • cool

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 18 recorded puzzles.

  • coulee

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • cuff

    noun — Glove; mitten

    verb — To furnish with cuffs.

    noun — A blow, especially with the open hand; a box; a slap.

    verb — To hit, as a reproach, particularly with the open palm to the head; to slap.

    noun — The scruff of the neck.

    noun — The end of a shirt sleeve that covers the wrist

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • cull

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 11 recorded puzzles.

  • effluence

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • fence

    noun — A thin artificial barrier that separates two pieces of land or a house perimeter.

    verb — To enclose, contain or separate by building fence.

    noun — Someone who hides or buys and sells stolen goods, a criminal middleman for transactions of stolen goods.

    noun — Skill in oral debate.

    noun — The art or practice of fencing.

    noun — A guard or guide on machinery.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • fleece

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • flounce

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • loco

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 18 recorded puzzles.

  • neocon

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 9 recorded puzzles.

  • nonce

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 9 recorded puzzles.

  • nucleon

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • once

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 9 recorded puzzles.

  • ounce

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • uncle

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • uncool

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • uncuff

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

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

Hints, no spoilers

Words by first two letters

  • ce×3
  • cl×3
  • co×9
  • cu×2
  • ef×1
  • fe×1
  • fl×2
  • lo×1
  • ne×1
  • no×1
  • nu×1
  • on×1
  • ou×1
  • un×3

Words by first letter and length

4567910Σ
c 7333·1 17
e ····1· 1
f ·111·· 3
l 1····· 1
n ·111·· 3
o 11···· 2
u ·12··· 3
Σ 977511 30

The numbers

Genius today takes 107 points of 154 available. The average answer runs 5.6 letters.

Total points vs. all 389 recorded puzzles
25th percentile
Word count vs. all recorded puzzles
15th percentile

Word lengths, today vs. 17598 recorded answers

49 today34.6% all-time57 today22.8% all-time67 today19.9% all-time75 today12.1% all-time86.3% all-time91 today2.6% all-time101 today1.3% all-time110.3% all-time120.1% all-time130.0% all-time

History

Today's letters, last seen

LetterLast in a puzzleLast as center
c ● Monday, September 15, 2025 Thursday, September 11, 2025
e Monday, September 15, 2025 Sunday, August 3, 2025
f Tuesday, August 26, 2025 first recorded time
l Thursday, September 11, 2025 Wednesday, August 27, 2025
n Saturday, September 13, 2025 Tuesday, September 9, 2025
o Sunday, September 14, 2025 Sunday, September 14, 2025
u Friday, September 12, 2025 Tuesday, August 12, 2025

Most common answers, all recorded puzzles

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