The Unofficial Hive

NYT Spelling Bee answers & analysis

AEILNVY

Tuesday, June 16, 2026

Words
31
Points
158
Genius
110
Pangrams
2

Official answers

Show the 31 answersHide answers

Pangrams highlighted. Click a word for its definition.

  • allay

    noun — Alleviation; abatement; check.

    verb — To make quiet or put at rest; to pacify or appease; to quell; to calm.

    noun — An alloy.

    verb — To alleviate; to abate; to mitigate.

    verb — To subside, abate, become peaceful.

    verb — To mix (metals); to mix with a baser metal; to alloy; to deteriorate.

    Appeared in 13 recorded puzzles.

  • alley

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • ally

    noun — A person, group, or state (etc) which is associated with another for a common cause; one united to another by treaty or common purpose; a confederate.

    verb — To unite, or form a connection between, as between families by marriage, or between princes and states by treaty, league, or confederacy.

    noun — A narrow street or passageway, especially one through the middle of a block giving access to the rear of lots or buildings.

    noun — A glass marble or taw.

    noun — A person, group, concept (etc) which is associated with another as a helper; a supporter; an auxiliary.

    noun — Anything akin to something else by structure, etc.

    Appeared in 13 recorded puzzles.

  • anally

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 12 recorded puzzles.

  • eely

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 7 recorded puzzles.

  • envy

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • evenly

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • evilly

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • illy

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 13 recorded puzzles.

  • inanely

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • inlay

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 8 recorded puzzles.

  • leanly

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • levelly

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • levy

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • lily

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 13 recorded puzzles.

  • lineally

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • lively

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • naively

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • nanny

    noun — A child's nurse.

    verb — To serve as a nanny.

    noun — A grandmother.

    noun — A godmother.

    noun — A female goat.

    verb — To treat like a nanny's charges; to coddle.

    Appeared in 14 recorded puzzles.

  • navy

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • ninny

    noun — A silly or foolish person.

    Appeared in 7 recorded puzzles.

  • vainly

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • valley

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • veiny

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • venally

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • venially

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • vilely

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • villainy

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • viny

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • vinyl

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • yell

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 7 recorded puzzles.

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

Hints, no spoilers

Words by first two letters

  • al×3
  • an×1
  • ee×1
  • en×1
  • ev×2
  • il×1
  • in×2
  • le×3
  • li×3
  • na×3
  • ni×1
  • va×2
  • ve×3
  • vi×4
  • ye×1

Words by first letter and length

45678Σ
a 121·· 4
e 2·2·· 4
i 11·1· 3
l 2·211 6
n 12·1· 4
v 12312 9
y 1···· 1
Σ 97843 31

The numbers

Genius today takes 110 points of 158 available. The average answer runs 5.5 letters.

Total points vs. all 428 recorded puzzles
28th percentile
Word count vs. all recorded puzzles
17th percentile

Word lengths, today vs. 19319 recorded answers

49 today34.4% all-time57 today22.9% all-time68 today20.0% all-time74 today12.1% all-time83 today6.3% all-time92.6% 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 Monday, June 15, 2026 Wednesday, June 3, 2026
e Monday, June 15, 2026 Thursday, June 11, 2026
i Monday, June 15, 2026 Saturday, June 13, 2026
l Saturday, June 13, 2026 Tuesday, June 2, 2026
n Sunday, June 14, 2026 Friday, June 12, 2026
v Saturday, June 13, 2026 Wednesday, April 29, 2026
y ● Thursday, June 11, 2026 Saturday, February 7, 2026

Most common answers, all recorded puzzles

  1. noon 45
  2. naan 34
  3. nana 34
  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.