The Unofficial Hive

NYT Spelling Bee answers & analysis

FGHITYL

Monday, May 4, 2026

Words
27
Points
111
Genius
77
Pangram
1

Official answers

Show the 27 answersHide answers

Pangram highlighted. Click a word for its definition.

  • fill

    verb — To occupy fully, to take up all of.

    noun — (after a possessive) A sufficient or more than sufficient amount.

    noun — One of the thills or shafts of a carriage.

    verb — To add contents to (a container, cavity or the like) so that it is full.

    verb — To enter (something), making it full.

    verb — To become full.

    Appeared in 10 recorded puzzles.

  • filly

    noun — A young female horse.

    noun — A young attractive female.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • filth

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • filthily

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • filthy

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • fitly

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • flight

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • flighty

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • flit

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • giggly

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • gill

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 12 recorded puzzles.

  • gilt

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • highlight

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • highly

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • hill

    noun — An elevated location smaller than a mountain.

    verb — To form into a heap or mound.

    noun — A sloping road.

    noun — A heap of earth surrounding a plant.

    noun — A single cluster or group of plants growing close together, and having the earth heaped up about them.

    noun — The pitcher’s mound.

    Appeared in 9 recorded puzzles.

  • hilly

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • hilt

    noun — The handle of a sword, consisting of grip, guard, and pommel, designed to facilitate use of the blade and afford protection to the hand.

    verb — To provide with a hilt.

    noun — The base of the penis.

    verb — To insert (a bodily extremity) as far as it can go into a sexual orifice so that it is impeded by the wider base to which it is attached (finger until palm, penis until pelvis).

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • illy

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 13 recorded puzzles.

  • lift

    noun — An act of lifting or raising.

    verb — To raise or rise.

    noun — Air.

    noun — The act of transporting someone in a vehicle; a ride; a trip.

    noun — Mechanical device for vertically transporting goods or people between floors in a building; an elevator.

    noun — An upward force, such as the force that keeps aircraft aloft.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • light

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • lightly

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • lilt

    noun — A cheerful or melodious accent when speaking.

    noun — Animated, brisk motion; spirited rhythm; sprightliness.

    noun — A lively song or dance; a cheerful tune.

    verb — To do something rhythmically, with animation and quickness, usually of music.

    verb — To utter with spirit, animation, or gaiety; to sing with spirit and liveliness.

    verb — To sing cheerfully, especially in Gaelic.

    Appeared in 22 recorded puzzles.

  • lily

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 13 recorded puzzles.

  • tightly

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • till

    preposition — Until; to, up to; as late as (a given time).

    conjunction — Until, until the time that.

    noun — A cash register.

    noun — A removable box within a cash register containing the money.

    noun — The contents of a cash register, for example at the beginning or end of the day or of a cashier's shift.

    verb — To work or cultivate or plough (soil); to prepare for growing vegetation and crops.

    Appeared in 22 recorded puzzles.

  • tilt

    verb — To slope or incline (something); to slant.

    verb — To be at an angle.

    noun — A slope or inclination.

    noun — The inclination of part of the body, such as backbone, pelvis, head, etc.

    verb — To play worse than usual (often as a result of previous bad luck or losses).

    noun — The controlled vertical movement of a camera, or a device to achieve this.

    Appeared in 22 recorded puzzles.

  • tilth

    noun — Agricultural labour; husbandry.

    noun — The state of being tilled, or prepared for a crop; culture.

    noun — Rich cultivated soil.

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

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

Hints, no spoilers

Words by first two letters

  • fi×6
  • fl×3
  • gi×3
  • hi×5
  • il×1
  • li×5
  • ti×4

Words by first letter and length

456789Σ
f 23211· 9
g 2·1··· 3
h 211··1 5
i 1····· 1
l 31·1·· 5
t 21·1·· 4
Σ 1264311 27

The numbers

Genius today takes 77 points of 111 available. The average answer runs 5.2 letters.

Total points vs. all 431 recorded puzzles
8th percentile
Word count vs. all recorded puzzles
8th percentile

Word lengths, today vs. 19454 recorded answers

412 today34.5% all-time56 today22.9% all-time64 today20.0% all-time73 today12.0% all-time81 today6.2% all-time91 today2.6% 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
f Thursday, April 16, 2026 Thursday, April 16, 2026
g Saturday, May 2, 2026 Saturday, May 2, 2026
h Friday, May 1, 2026 Monday, April 6, 2026
i Friday, May 1, 2026 Thursday, March 26, 2026
l ● Saturday, May 2, 2026 Friday, May 1, 2026
t Sunday, May 3, 2026 Wednesday, April 8, 2026
y Sunday, April 26, 2026 Saturday, February 7, 2026

Most common answers, all recorded puzzles

  1. noon 45
  2. naan 35
  3. nana 35
  4. toot 32
  5. onion 31
  6. loll 30
  7. mama 27
  8. mamma 27
  9. nene 26
  10. acacia 25
  11. acai 25
  12. cocoon 24
  13. onto 24
  14. toon 24
  15. mini 24
  16. minim 24
  17. loon 24
  18. olio 24
  19. aria 23
  20. imam 23
  21. maim 23
  22. mitt 23
  23. cancan 23
  24. canna 23
  25. neon 23

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.