The Unofficial Hive

NYT Spelling Bee answers & analysis

CEHLNUO

Saturday, October 18, 2025

Words
41
Points
157
Genius
109
Pangram
1

Official answers

Show the 41 answersHide answers

Pangram highlighted. Click a word for its definition.

  • cello

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • cloche

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • clone

    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.

  • coho

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 10 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.

  • conch

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • cone

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 9 recorded puzzles.

  • cool

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 18 recorded puzzles.

  • couch

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • coulee

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • echelon

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • echo

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • hellhole

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • hello

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • hole

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • honcho

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • hone

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 7 recorded puzzles.

  • hooch

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 10 recorded puzzles.

  • loch

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • loco

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 18 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.

  • lone

    adjective — Solitary; having no companion.

    adjective — Isolated or lonely; lacking companionship.

    adjective — Sole; being the only one of a type.

    adjective — Situated by itself or by oneself, with no neighbours.

    adjective — Unfrequented by human beings; solitary.

    adjective — Single; unmarried, or in widowhood.

    Appeared in 16 recorded puzzles.

  • loon

    noun — An idler, a lout.

    noun — Any of various birds, of the order Gaviiformes, of North America and Europe that dive for fish and have a short tail, webbed feet and a yodeling cry.

    noun — A boy, a lad.

    noun — A harlot; mistress.

    noun — A simpleton.

    noun — A crazy or deranged person.

    Appeared in 23 recorded puzzles.

  • louche

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • luncheon

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • neocon

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 9 recorded puzzles.

  • neon

    noun — The chemical element (symbol Ne) with an atomic number of 10. The lightest of the noble gases, it is a colourless, odorless inert gas.

    adjective — (of a color) That resembles a neon light; extremely bright; fluorescent

    noun — A form or sample of the element.

    noun — Neon signs or lights, collectively.

    noun — A neon tetra fish.

    Appeared in 22 recorded puzzles.

  • noel

    noun — Christmas

    noun — A kind of hymn, or canticle, of mediaeval origin, sung in honor of the birth of Christ; a Christmas carol.

    Appeared in 16 recorded puzzles.

  • nonce

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 9 recorded puzzles.

  • none

    noun — A person without religious affiliation.

    adverb — To no extent, in no way.

    pronoun — Not any of a given number or group.

    noun — Those without any religious affiliation: atheists and others outside any organized religion.

    noun — A light meal usually eaten around midday, notably when not as main meal of the day.

    noun — The middle of the afternoon, normally between 2 and 4 pm.

    Appeared in 22 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 42 recorded puzzles.

  • noun

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 14 recorded puzzles.

  • nucleon

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • oleo

    noun — Margarine

    noun — The various fats and oils that go into the making of margarine.

    Appeared in 19 recorded puzzles.

  • once

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 9 recorded puzzles.

  • ouch

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • ounce

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • uncool

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

Hints, no spoilers

Words by first two letters

  • ce×1
  • cl×2
  • co×10
  • ec×2
  • he×2
  • ho×4
  • lo×6
  • lu×1
  • ne×2
  • no×5
  • nu×1
  • ol×1
  • on×1
  • ou×2
  • un×1

Words by first letter and length

45678Σ
c 3532· 13
e 1··1· 2
h 221·1 6
l 5·1·1 7
n 5111· 8
o 31··· 4
u ··1·· 1
Σ 199742 41

The numbers

Genius today takes 109 points of 157 available. The average answer runs 5.0 letters.

Total points vs. all 381 recorded puzzles
26th percentile
Word count vs. all recorded puzzles
39th percentile

Word lengths, today vs. 17278 recorded answers

419 today34.6% all-time59 today22.8% all-time67 today19.9% all-time74 today12.1% all-time82 today6.3% all-time92.6% 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
c Wednesday, October 15, 2025 Tuesday, September 16, 2025
e Friday, October 17, 2025 Friday, September 19, 2025
h Saturday, October 4, 2025 Saturday, October 4, 2025
l Friday, October 17, 2025 Friday, October 17, 2025
n Thursday, October 16, 2025 Thursday, October 9, 2025
o ● Friday, October 17, 2025 Wednesday, October 15, 2025
u Thursday, October 16, 2025 Thursday, September 25, 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. lilt 20
  24. till 20
  25. tilt 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.