The Unofficial Hive

NYT Spelling Bee answers & analysis

ACELNWO

Wednesday, January 21, 2026

Words
51
Points
207
Genius
144
Pangram
1

Official answers

Show the 51 answersHide answers

Pangram highlighted. Click a word for its definition.

  • aeon

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • allow

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • allowance

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • aloe

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • alone

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • anon

    noun — An anonymous person, especially an author.

    adverb — Straight away; at once.

    adverb — Soon; in a little while.

    adverb — At another time; then; again.

    adjective — Anonymous

    noun — A work with an unknown author.

    Appeared in 21 recorded puzzles.

  • cacao

    noun — A tree, Theobroma cacao, whose seed is used to make chocolate.

    noun — This tree's seed, the cocoa bean.

    Appeared in 18 recorded puzzles.

  • callaloo

    noun — Any of various tropical plants grown in the Americas, especially of the genus Xanthosoma, cultivated for their edible leaves.

    noun — A spicy soup or stew made from such leaves.

    Appeared in 10 recorded puzzles.

  • callow

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • cannon

    noun — A complete assembly, consisting of an artillery tube and a breech mechanism, firing mechanism or base cap, which is a component of a gun, howitzer or mortar. It may include muzzle appendages.

    verb — To bombard with cannons.

    noun — A generally accepted principle; a rule.

    noun — A clergy member serving a cathedral or collegiate church.

    noun — A Near Eastern and Caucasian musical instrument related to the zither, dulcimer, or harp having either 26 strings and a single bridge, or twice that number and two bridges.

    noun — Any similar device for shooting material out of a tube.

    Appeared in 10 recorded puzzles.

  • canoe

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • canola

    noun — Any of a number of cultivars of rapeseed (Brassica napus) and closely related field mustard (Brassica rapa), which have a lower erucic acid and glucosinolate content than traditional rapeseed.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • canon

    noun — A generally accepted principle; a rule.

    noun — A clergy member serving a cathedral or collegiate church.

    noun — A Near Eastern and Caucasian musical instrument related to the zither, dulcimer, or harp having either 26 strings and a single bridge, or twice that number and two bridges.

    noun — A group of literary works that are generally accepted as representing a field.

    noun — The works of a writer that have been accepted as authentic.

    noun — A eucharistic prayer, particularly the Roman Canon.

    Appeared in 10 recorded puzzles.

  • cello

    noun — A large stringed instrument of the violin family with four strings, tuned from lowest to highest C-G-D-A, and played with a bow, also possessing an endpin to support the instrument's weight.

    noun — Cellophane

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • cloaca

    noun — (sometimes figurative) A sewer.

    noun — The duct in reptiles, amphibians and birds, as well as most fish and some mammals, which serves as the common outlet for urination, defecation, and reproduction.

    noun — An outhouse or lavatory.

    noun — A duct through which gangrenous material escapes a body.

    Appeared in 10 recorded puzzles.

  • clone

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • clown

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • coal

    noun — A black rock formed from prehistoric plant remains, composed largely of carbon and burned as a fuel.

    verb — To take on a supply of coal (usually of steam ships).

    noun — A piece of coal used for burning (this use is less common in American English)

    noun — A type of coal, such as bituminous, anthracite, or lignite, and grades and varieties thereof.

    noun — A glowing or charred piece of coal, wood, or other solid fuel.

    noun — Charcoal.

    Appeared in 10 recorded puzzles.

  • coca

    noun — Any of the four cultivated plants which belong to the family Erythroxylaceae, native to western South America.

    noun — A pastry typically made and consumed in the Spanish Mediterranean coast.

    noun — The dried leaf of one of these plants, the South American shrub (Erythroxylum coca), widely cultivated in Andean countries, which is the source of cocaine.

    Appeared in 18 recorded puzzles.

  • cocoa

    noun — The dried and partially fermented fatty seeds of the cacao tree from which chocolate is made.

    adjective — Of a light to medium brown colour, like that of cocoa powder.

    noun — Coconut palm.

    noun — An unsweetened brown powder made from roasted, ground cocoa beans, used in making chocolate, and in cooking.

    noun — A hot drink made with milk, cocoa powder, and sugar.

    noun — A serving of this drink.

    Appeared in 18 recorded puzzles.

  • 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.

  • cola

    noun — The kola plant, genus Cola, famous for its nut, or one of these nuts.

    noun — The punctuation mark ":".

    noun — Part of the large intestine; the final segment of the digestive system, after (distal to) the ileum and before (proximal to) the anus.

    noun — A cluster of buds on a cannabis plant.

    noun — A beverage or a drink made with kola nut flavoring, caramel and carbonated water.

    noun — The triangular colon (especially in context of not being able to type the actual triangular colon).

    Appeared in 10 recorded puzzles.

  • colcannon

    noun — A traditional Irish dish made from mashed potatoes and cabbage or kale, with scallions, butter, salt and pepper added.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • colleen

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • colon

    noun — The punctuation mark ":".

    noun — Part of the large intestine; the final segment of the digestive system, after (distal to) the ileum and before (proximal to) the anus.

    noun — A husbandman.

    noun — The triangular colon (especially in context of not being able to type the actual triangular colon).

    noun — A rhetorical figure consisting of a clause which is grammatically, but not logically, complete.

    noun — A clause or group of clauses written as a line, or taken as a standard of measure in ancient manuscripts or texts.

    Appeared in 12 recorded puzzles.

  • colonel

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • conceal

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • cone

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 9 recorded puzzles.

  • cool

    noun — A moderate or refreshing state of cold; moderate temperature of the air between hot and cold; coolness.

    adjective — Having a slightly low temperature; mildly or pleasantly cold.

    verb — To lose heat, to get colder.

    noun — A calm temperament.

    noun — The property of being cool, popular or in fashion.

    adjective — Allowing or suggesting heat relief.

    Appeared in 20 recorded puzzles.

  • cowl

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • llano

    noun — A plain or steppe in parts of Latin America.

    Appeared in 10 recorded puzzles.

  • loan

    noun — A sum of money or other property that a natural or legal person borrows from another with the condition that it be returned or repaid over time or at a later date (sometimes with interest).

    verb — To lend (something) to (someone).

    noun — An act or instance of lending, an act or instance of granting something for temporary use.

    noun — The contract and array of legal or ethical obligations surrounding a loan.

    noun — The permission to borrow any item.

    Appeared in 10 recorded puzzles.

  • local

    noun — A person who lives near a given place.

    adjective — From or in a nearby location.

    adverb — In the local area; within a city, state, country, etc.

    noun — An anesthetic (anesthetic substance) that causes loss of sensation only to the area to which it is applied.

    noun — A branch of a nationwide organization such as a trade union.

    noun — A train that stops at all, or almost all, stations between its origin and destination, including very small ones.

    Appeared in 10 recorded puzzles.

  • locale

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • loco

    adverb — A direction in written or printed music to be returning to the proper pitch after having played an octave higher or lower.

    noun — A certain species of Astragalus or Oxytropis, capable of causing locoism.

    verb — To poison with the loco plant; to affect with locoism.

    adjective — Crazy.

    noun — A locomotive.

    verb — (by extension) To render insane.

    Appeared in 20 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 29 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 24 recorded puzzles.

  • 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 23 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 23 recorded puzzles.

  • nonlocal

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 5 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.

  • ocean

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 4 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.

  • wallow

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • wool

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • woolen

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

Hints, no spoilers

Words by first two letters

  • ae×1
  • al×4
  • an×1
  • ca×7
  • ce×1
  • cl×3
  • co×13
  • ll×1
  • lo×7
  • ne×2
  • no×5
  • oc×1
  • ol×1
  • on×1
  • wa×1
  • wo×2

Words by first letter and length

456789Σ
a 32···1 6
c 685311 24
l 521··· 8
n 411·1· 7
o 21···· 3
w 1·2··· 3
Σ 21149322 51

The numbers

Genius today takes 144 points of 207 available. The average answer runs 5.2 letters.

Total points vs. all 413 recorded puzzles
50th percentile
Word count vs. all recorded puzzles
63rd percentile

Word lengths, today vs. 18686 recorded answers

421 today34.5% all-time514 today23.0% all-time69 today20.0% all-time73 today12.0% all-time82 today6.2% all-time92 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
a Tuesday, January 20, 2026 Tuesday, January 20, 2026
c Sunday, January 18, 2026 Sunday, January 18, 2026
e Friday, January 16, 2026 Friday, December 5, 2025
l Tuesday, January 20, 2026 Tuesday, December 9, 2025
n Tuesday, January 20, 2026 Friday, January 2, 2026
o ● Monday, January 19, 2026 Wednesday, January 14, 2026
w Monday, January 19, 2026 Friday, October 31, 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 27
  8. mamma 27
  9. nene 25
  10. cocoon 24
  11. acacia 24
  12. acai 24
  13. loon 24
  14. olio 24
  15. imam 23
  16. maim 23
  17. cancan 23
  18. canna 23
  19. mini 23
  20. minim 23
  21. neon 23
  22. none 23
  23. aria 22
  24. mitt 22
  25. bill 22

Valid words the Bee rejected

Accepted on other days, not today

These fit today's letters and have been official answers before — today the Bee said no.

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.