The Unofficial Hive

NYT Spelling Bee answers & analysis

EHNOPTA

Saturday, May 16, 2026

Words
64
Points
286
Genius
200
Pangrams
3

Official answers

Show the 64 answersHide answers

Pangrams highlighted. Click a word for its definition.

  • aeon

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • annatto

    noun — A tropical American evergreen shrub, Bixa orellana; the lipstick tree; the fruit of the tree.

    noun — The seed of this tree used as a colouring or in Latin American cooking.

    noun — An orange-red dye obtained from this seed.

    Appeared in 11 recorded puzzles.

  • annotate

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • 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 22 recorded puzzles.

  • ante

    noun — A price or cost, as in up the ante.

    verb — To pay the ante in poker. Often used as ante up.

    noun — In poker and other games, the contribution made by all players to the pot before dealing the cards.

    verb — To make an investment in money, effort, or time before knowing one's chances.

    Appeared in 8 recorded puzzles.

  • antenna

    noun — A feeler organ on the head of an insect, crab, or other animal.

    noun — An apparatus to receive or transmit electromagnetic waves and convert respectively to or from an electrical signal.

    noun — The faculty of intuitive astuteness.

    noun — A fragment of an oligosaccharide

    noun — The spar to which a lateen sail is attached, which is then hoisted up the mast.

    Appeared in 8 recorded puzzles.

  • antennae

    noun — A feeler organ on the head of an insect, crab, or other animal.

    noun — An apparatus to receive or transmit electromagnetic waves and convert respectively to or from an electrical signal.

    noun — The faculty of intuitive astuteness.

    noun — A fragment of an oligosaccharide

    noun — The spar to which a lateen sail is attached, which is then hoisted up the mast.

    Appeared in 8 recorded puzzles.

  • apnea

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • atone

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • atop

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • eaten

    verb — To ingest; to be ingested.

    adjective — (especially in combination) That has been consumed by eating

    verb — To use up.

    verb — To cause (someone) to worry.

    verb — To take the loss in a transaction.

    verb — To be injured or killed by (something such as a firearm or its projectile), especially in the mouth.

    Appeared in 8 recorded puzzles.

  • ethane

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • happen

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • hate

    noun — An object of hatred.

    verb — To dislike intensely or greatly.

    noun — Hatred.

    noun — Negative feedback, abusive behaviour.

    verb — To experience hatred.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • hath

    verb — To possess, own.

    verb — To hold, as something at someone's disposal.

    verb — Used to state the existence or presence of someone in a specified relationship with the subject.

    verb — To partake of (a particular substance, especially food or drink, or action or activity).

    verb — To be scheduled to attend, undertake or participate in.

    verb — To experience, go through, undergo.

    Appeared in 11 recorded puzzles.

  • hatha

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 11 recorded puzzles.

  • heap

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • heat

    noun — Thermal energy.

    verb — To cause an increase in temperature of (an object or space); to cause to become hot (often with "up").

    noun — The condition or quality of being hot.

    noun — An attribute of a spice that causes a burning sensation in the mouth.

    noun — A period of intensity, particularly of emotion.

    noun — An undesirable amount of attention.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • heath

    noun — A tract of level uncultivated land with sandy soil and scrubby vegetation; heathland.

    noun — Any small evergreen shrub of the family Ericaceae.

    noun — Certain butterflies and moths

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • heathen

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • henna

    noun — A shrub, Lawsonia inermis, having fragrant reddish flowers

    verb — To dye or tattoo with henna.

    adjective — Of a rich reddish-brown colour.

    noun — A reddish plant substance, prepared from the dried leaves of this plant, used for temporary tattoos and hair coloring. Hair colorings range from bright red to earth brown to near black.

    noun — A rich reddish-brown colour.

    Appeared in 7 recorded puzzles.

  • heptane

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • naan

    noun — A type of round, flat bread baked in a tandoor popular in South and Central Asian cuisine.

    Appeared in 34 recorded puzzles.

  • nana

    noun — (term of endearment) one's grandmother

    noun — A banana

    noun — A fool

    noun — A nanny

    Appeared in 34 recorded puzzles.

  • nape

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • natant

    adjective — Floating or swimming (in water)

    adjective — In a horizontal position, as if swimming

    Appeared in 21 recorded puzzles.

  • neap

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • neat

    noun — An artificial intelligence researcher who believes that solutions should be elegant, clear and provably correct. Compare scruffy.

    adjective — Clean, tidy; free from dirt or impurities.

    noun — A bull or cow.

    adjective — Free from contaminants; unadulterated, undiluted. Particularly of liquor and cocktails; see usage below.

    adjective — Conditions with a liquid reagent or gas performed with no standard solvent or cosolvent.

    adjective — With all deductions or allowances made; net.

    Appeared in 8 recorded puzzles.

  • neaten

    verb — To make neat; arrange in an orderly, tidy way; to tidy.

    Appeared in 8 recorded puzzles.

  • neath

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • neonate

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • notate

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • oaten

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • oath

    noun — A solemn pledge or promise, appealing to a deity, a ruler, or another entity (not necessarily present) to attest to the truth of a statement or sincerity of one's desire to fulfill a contract or promise.

    verb — To pledge.

    noun — A statement or promise which is strengthened (affirmed) by such a pledge.

    noun — A light, irreverent or insulting appeal to a deity or other entity.

    noun — A curse, a curse word.

    Appeared in 9 recorded puzzles.

  • paean

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • pane

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • panettone

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • pant

    noun — A pair of pants (trousers or underpants).

    verb — To breathe quickly or in a labored manner, as after exertion or from eagerness or excitement; to respire with heaving of the breast; to gasp.

    noun — A quick breathing; a catching of the breath; a gasp.

    noun — Eager longing.

    verb — To long eagerly; to desire earnestly.

    verb — To long for (something); to be eager for (something).

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • pantheon

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • papa

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 18 recorded puzzles.

  • pate

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • patent

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • patentee

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • path

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • peahen

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • peat

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • pennant

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • pentane

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • phaeton

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • phat

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • phonate

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • poppa

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 10 recorded puzzles.

  • potato

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • potentate

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • tapa

    noun — Any appetizer or snack served in the evening as part of tapas.

    noun — Seasoned slices of dried or cured meat in Filipino cuisine.

    noun — A kind of cloth prepared by the Polynesians from the inner bark of the paper mulberry.

    Appeared in 12 recorded puzzles.

  • tape

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • tattoo

    noun — An image made in the skin with ink and a needle.

    verb — To apply a tattoo to (someone or something).

    noun — A signal played five minutes before taps (lights out).

    verb — To tap rhythmically on, to drum.

    noun — A breed of pony from India; a pony of that breed.

    noun — A method of decorating the skin by inserting colored substances under the surface with a sharp instrument (usually a solenoid-driven needle).

    Appeared in 17 recorded puzzles.

  • teapot

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • teat

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 10 recorded puzzles.

  • tenant

    noun — One who pays a fee (rent) in return for the use of land, buildings, or other property owned by others.

    verb — To hold as, or be, a tenant.

    noun — One who has possession of any place.

    noun — One who holds a property by any kind of right, including ownership.

    noun — Any of a number of customers serviced through the same instance of an application.

    verb — To inhabit.

    Appeared in 8 recorded puzzles.

  • than

    adverb — At that time; then.

    preposition — Introduces a comparison, and is associated with comparatives, and with words such as more, less, and fewer. Typically, it seeks to measure the force of an adjective or similar description between two predicates.

    conjunction — Used in comparisons, to introduce the basis of comparison.

    conjunction — (obsolete outside dialectal, usually used with for) Because; for.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

  • thane

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • that

    noun — Something being indicated that is there; one of those.

    adverb — (degree) To a given extent or degree.

    pronoun — (demonstrative) The thing, person, idea, quality, event, action or time indicated or understood from context, especially if more remote geographically, temporally or mentally than one designated as "this", or if expressing distinction.

    conjunction — Introducing a clause which is the subject or object of a verb (such as one involving reported speech), or which is a complement to a previous statement.

    adverb — (degree) To a great extent or degree; very, particularly (in negative constructions).

    adverb — To such an extent; so. (in positive constructions).

    Appeared in 11 recorded puzzles.

  • theta

    noun — The eighth letter of the Modern Greek alphabet, ninth in Old Greek: Θ, θ.

    noun — The measure of an angle.

    noun — The sensitivity of the value of a derivative with respect to time; the "time decay".

    noun — Designating a level of brain activity as measured by electroencephalography having a frequency of between four and seven cycles per second (associated with drowsiness in adults).

    noun — The voiceless dental fricative represented by θ.

    Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

phaeton, phonate are perfect pangrams — all seven letters, each used exactly once.

Hints, no spoilers

Words by first two letters

  • ae×1
  • an×6
  • ap×1
  • at×2
  • ea×1
  • et×1
  • ha×4
  • he×6
  • na×4
  • ne×5
  • no×1
  • oa×2
  • pa×10
  • pe×4
  • ph×3
  • po×3
  • ta×3
  • te×3
  • th×4

Words by first letter and length

456789Σ
a 42·22· 10
e ·11··· 2
h 4312·· 10
n 5131·· 10
o 11···· 2
p 723422 20
t 523··· 10
Σ 261211942 64

The numbers

Genius today takes 200 points of 286 available. The average answer runs 5.4 letters.

Total points vs. all 426 recorded puzzles
82nd percentile
Word count vs. all recorded puzzles
91st percentile

Word lengths, today vs. 19216 recorded answers

426 today34.4% all-time512 today22.9% all-time611 today20.0% all-time79 today12.0% all-time84 today6.3% 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 ● Friday, May 15, 2026 Wednesday, May 6, 2026
e Thursday, May 14, 2026 Saturday, March 21, 2026
h Monday, May 11, 2026 Monday, April 6, 2026
n Friday, May 15, 2026 Thursday, May 7, 2026
o Thursday, May 14, 2026 Saturday, April 25, 2026
p Friday, May 15, 2026 Friday, February 27, 2026
t Tuesday, May 12, 2026 Monday, May 11, 2026

Most common answers, all recorded puzzles

  1. noon 45
  2. naan 34
  3. nana 34
  4. toot 32
  5. onion 31
  6. loll 29
  7. mama 27
  8. mamma 27
  9. acacia 25
  10. acai 25
  11. nene 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.