The Unofficial Hive

NYT Spelling Bee answers & analysis

ACHORTI

Friday, March 13, 2026

Words
59
Points
299
Genius
209
Pangrams
3

Official answers

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Pangrams highlighted. Click a word for its definition.

  • acacia

    noun — A shrub or tree of the tribe Acacieae.

    noun — (history) A roll or bag, filled with dust, borne by Byzantine emperors, as a memento of mortality. It is represented on medals.

    noun — The thickened or dried juice of several species in Acacieae, in particular Vachellia nilotica (syn. Acacia nilotica), the Egyptian acacia.

    noun — A false acacia; robinia tree, Robinia pseudoacacia.

    noun — Gum arabic; gum acacia.

    noun — Any of several related trees, such as the locust tree.

    Appeared in 24 recorded puzzles.

  • acai

    noun — The fruit of these trees, harvested for its juice.

    noun — Any of several South American palms, of the genus Euterpe, having a dark purple drupe.

    Appeared in 24 recorded puzzles.

  • aortic

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • archaic

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • arctic

    noun — A warm waterproof overshoe.

    adjective — (now only in compounds) Pertaining to the celestial north pole, or to the pole star.

    noun — Any of various butterflies of the genus Oeneis.

    adjective — Pertaining to the northern polar region of the planet, characterised by extreme cold and an icy landscape.

    adjective — Extremely cold, snowy, or having other properties of extreme winter associated with the Arctic.

    adjective — Designed for use in very cold conditions.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • aria

    noun — A musical piece written typically for a solo voice with orchestral accompaniment in an opera or cantata.

    Appeared in 22 recorded puzzles.

  • arthritic

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • atria

    noun — A central room or space in ancient Roman homes, open to the sky in the middle; a similar space in other buildings.

    noun — A square hall lit by daylight from above, into which rooms open at one or more levels.

    noun — A cavity, entrance, or passage.

    noun — Any enclosed sexine and nexine layers, widening toward the interior of the grain.

    Appeared in 16 recorded puzzles.

  • attic

    noun — The space, often unfinished and with sloped walls, directly below the roof in the uppermost part of a house or other building, generally used for storage or habitation.

    Appeared in 18 recorded puzzles.

  • cacti

    noun — Any member of the family Cactaceae, a family of flowering New World succulent plants suited to a hot, semi-desert climate.

    noun — Any succulent plant with a thick fleshy stem bearing spines but no leaves, such as euphorbs.

    Appeared in 18 recorded puzzles.

  • cathartic

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • chai

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 7 recorded puzzles.

  • chair

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • chaotic

    noun — A character having a chaotic alignment.

    adjective — Filled with chaos.

    adjective — Extremely disorganized or in disarray.

    adjective — Highly sensitive to starting conditions, so that a small change to them may yield a very different outcome.

    adjective — Aligned against following or upholding laws and principles.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • chariot

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • chia

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 7 recorded puzzles.

  • chic

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 13 recorded puzzles.

  • chica

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 7 recorded puzzles.

  • chichi

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 13 recorded puzzles.

  • chit

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • chitchat

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • choir

    noun — Singing group; group of people who sing together; company of people who are trained to sing together.

    verb — To sing in concert.

    noun — The part of a church where the choir assembles for song.

    noun — (Christian angelology) One of the nine ranks or orders of angels.

    noun — Set of strings (one per note) for a harpsichord.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • ciao

    noun — A greeting or farewell using the word "ciao".

    interjection — Hello, hi.

    interjection — Bye, goodbye.

    Appeared in 7 recorded puzzles.

  • circa

    preposition — Approximately, about, around (typically in relation to time)

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • cirri

    noun — A tendril.

    noun — A thin tendril-like appendage.

    noun — A principal high-level cloud type characterised by white, delicate filaments or wisps, of white (or mostly white) patches, or of narrow bands, found at an altitude of above 7000 metres.

    Appeared in 9 recorded puzzles.

  • citric

    adjective — Of, pertaining to, or derived from, the citron or lemon.

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • coati

    noun — Any of several omnivorous mammals, of the genus Nasua or Nasuella, in order Carnivora, that live in the range from southern United States to northern Argentina.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • cocci

    noun — Any approximately spherical bacterium.

    noun — Coccidioidomycosis

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

    Appeared in 20 recorded puzzles.

  • cochair

    noun — Someone who serves as the chair of a meeting or organization together with one or more other chairs.

    verb — To chair (a meeting) jointly.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • coir

    noun — The fibre obtained from the husk of a coconut, used chiefly in making rope, matting and as a peat substitute.

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • critic

    noun — A person who appraises the works of others.

    verb — To criticise.

    noun — The art of criticism.

    noun — A specialist in judging works of art.

    noun — One who criticizes; a person who finds fault.

    noun — An opponent.

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • croci

    noun — A perennial flowering plant (of the genus Crocus in the Iridaceae family). Saffron is obtained from the stamens of Crocus sativus.

    noun — Any of various similar flowering plants, such as the autumn crocus and prairie crocus.

    noun — A deep yellow powder, the oxide of some metal (especially iron), calcined to a red or deep yellow colour.

    noun — A fraudulent doctor; a quack.

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • hair

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • haricot

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • hitch

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • ichor

    noun — The liquid that in Greek mythology was said to flow in place of blood in the veins of the gods

    noun — Any bloodlike fluid

    noun — A watery, fetid discharge from a sore

    noun — Yellow bile

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • iota

    noun — The ninth letter of the Greek alphabet.

    noun — A jot; a very small, insignificant quantity.

    Appeared in 11 recorded puzzles.

  • itch

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • oratorio

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • orthotic

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • raita

    noun — A condiment used as a dip or sauce in the cuisine of southern Asia, made from seasoned yogurt.

    Appeared in 16 recorded puzzles.

  • ratio

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • rhotic

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • rich

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • ricotta

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • riot

    noun — Wanton or unrestrained behavior; uproar; tumult.

    verb — To create or take part in a riot; to raise an uproar or sedition.

    noun — The tumultuous disturbance of the public peace by an unlawful assembly of three or more persons in the execution of some private object.

    noun — A wide and unconstrained variety.

    noun — Excessive and expensive feasting; wild and loose festivity; revelry.

    verb — To act in an unrestrained or wanton manner; to indulge in excess of feasting, luxury, etc.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • roti

    noun — A kind of unleavened flatbread commonly consumed in South Asia and the Caribbean.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • tacit

    adjective — Expressed in silence; implied, but not made explicit; silent.

    adjective — Not derived from formal principles of reasoning; based on induction rather than deduction.

    Appeared in 18 recorded puzzles.

  • tactic

    noun — A maneuver, or action calculated to achieve some end.

    adjective — Tactical; of or relating to the art of military and naval tactics.

    noun — A maneuver used against an enemy.

    noun — A sequence of moves that limits the opponent's options and results in an immediate and tangible advantage, typically in the form of material.

    adjective — Describing a polymer whose repeat units are identical.

    Appeared in 18 recorded puzzles.

  • thoracic

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • tiara

    noun — The papal crown.

    noun — An ornamental coronet.

    Appeared in 16 recorded puzzles.

  • tori

    noun — A topological space which is a product of two circles.

    noun — One who executes a technique against the training partner, or uke.

    noun — The standard representation of such a space in 3-dimensional Euclidean space: a shape consisting of a ring with a circular cross-section: the shape of an inner tube or hollow doughnut.

    noun — (in combination, n-torus, 4-torus, etc.) The product of the specified number of circles.

    noun — A molding which projects at the base of a column and above the plinth.

    noun — The end of the peduncle or flower stalk to which the floral parts (or in the Asteraceae, the florets of a flower head) are attached; receptacle, thalamus.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • toric

    adjective — Pertaining to or shaped like a torus, or a section of a torus; toroidal.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • torii

    noun — A traditional Japanese gate at Shinto shrines, symbolically marking the transition from the profane to the sacred.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • trait

    noun — An identifying characteristic, habit or trend.

    noun — An uninstantiable collection of methods that provides functionality to a class by using the class’s own interface.

    Appeared in 16 recorded puzzles.

  • traitor

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • trattoria

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • tricot

    noun — A soft knit fabric.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • trio

    noun — A group of three people or things.

    noun — A group of three musicians.

    noun — A piece of music written for three musicians.

    noun — A passage in the middle of a minuet, frequently in a different key.

    noun — Any cocktail made with a spirit, a liqueur, and a creamy ingredient.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

chariot, haricot are perfect pangrams — all seven letters, each used exactly once.

Hints, no spoilers

Words by first two letters

  • ac×2
  • ao×1
  • ar×4
  • at×2
  • ca×2
  • ch×11
  • ci×4
  • co×4
  • cr×2
  • ha×2
  • hi×1
  • ic×1
  • io×1
  • it×1
  • or×2
  • ra×2
  • rh×1
  • ri×3
  • ro×1
  • ta×2
  • th×1
  • ti×1
  • to×3
  • tr×5

Words by first letter and length

456789Σ
a 2231·1 9
c 693311 23
h 11·1·· 3
i 21···· 3
o ····2· 2
r 3211·· 7
t 252111 12
Σ 16209743 59

The numbers

Genius today takes 209 points of 299 available. The average answer runs 5.5 letters.

Total points vs. all 413 recorded puzzles
85th percentile
Word count vs. all recorded puzzles
81st percentile

Word lengths, today vs. 18686 recorded answers

416 today34.5% all-time520 today23.0% all-time69 today20.0% all-time77 today12.0% all-time84 today6.2% all-time93 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, March 10, 2026 Tuesday, March 3, 2026
c Thursday, March 12, 2026 Thursday, March 12, 2026
h Saturday, February 28, 2026 Monday, February 23, 2026
i ● Thursday, March 12, 2026 Sunday, March 8, 2026
o Wednesday, March 11, 2026 Thursday, March 5, 2026
r Tuesday, March 10, 2026 Saturday, March 7, 2026
t Wednesday, March 11, 2026 Monday, February 9, 2026

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

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.