The Unofficial Hive

NYT Spelling Bee answers & analysis

ADILTYV

Friday, August 28, 2026

Edited by Sam Ezersky

Words
21
Points
119
Genius
83
Pangram
1

Official answers

Show the 21 answersHide answers

Pangram highlighted. Click a word for its definition.

  • avail

    noun — Effect in achieving a goal or aim; purpose, use (now usually in negative constructions).

    verb — To turn to the advantage of.

    noun — Proceeds; profits from business transactions.

    noun — An advertising slot or package.

    noun — A press avail.

    noun — Non-binding notice of availability for work.

    Appeared in 7 recorded puzzles.

  • avid

    adjective — Enthusiastic; keen; eager; showing great interest in something or desire to do something

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • avidity

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • avidly

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • diva

    noun — Any female celebrity, usually a well known singer or actress.

    noun — A person who may be considered or who considers herself (or by extension himself) much more important than others, has high expectations of others and who is extremely demanding and fussy when it comes to personal privileges.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • divvy

    noun — A dividend; a share or portion.

    verb — To divide into portions.

    noun — A foolish person.

    adjective — Divine; very pleasant, wonderful.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • lava

    noun — The molten rock ejected by a volcano from its crater or fissured sides.

    noun — Magma.

    noun — A shade of red, named after the volcanic lava.

    Appeared in 9 recorded puzzles.

  • livid

    adjective — Having a dark, bluish appearance.

    adjective — Pale, pallid.

    adjective — So angry that one turns pale; very angry; furious.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • lividity

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • lividly

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • valid

    adjective — Well grounded or justifiable, pertinent.

    adjective — Acceptable, proper or correct; in accordance with the rules.

    adjective — Related to the current topic, or presented within context, relevant.

    adjective — Of a formula or system: such that it evaluates to true regardless of the input values.

    adjective — Of an argument: whose conclusion is always true whenever its premises are true.

    adjective — Effective.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

  • validity

    noun — The state of being valid, authentic or genuine.

    noun — State of having legal force.

    noun — A quality of a measurement indicating the degree to which the measure reflects the underlying construct, that is, whether it measures what it purports to measure (see reliability).

  • validly

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

    Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

  • vial

    noun — A glass vessel or bottle, especially a small tube-shaped bottle used to store medicine, perfume or other chemical.

    verb — To put or keep in, or as in, a vial.

    Appeared in 7 recorded puzzles.

  • villa

    noun — (plural "villas") A house, often larger and more expensive than average, in the countryside or on the coast, often used as a retreat.

    noun — (plural "villas") A family house, often semi-detached, in a middle class street.

    noun — (plural "villae") A country house, with farm buildings around a courtyard.

    Appeared in 7 recorded puzzles.

  • vital

    adjective — Relating to, or characteristic of life.

    adjective — Necessary to the continuation of life; being the seat of life; being that on which life depends.

    adjective — Invigorating or life-giving.

    adjective — Necessary to continued existence.

    adjective — Relating to the recording of life events.

    adjective — Very important.

    Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

  • vitality

    noun — The capacity to live and develop.

    noun — Energy or vigour.

    noun — That which distinguishes living from nonliving things; life, animateness.

  • vitally

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • vivid

    noun — A felt-tipped permanent marker.

    adjective — (of perception) Clear, detailed or powerful.

    adjective — (of an image) Bright, intense or colourful.

    adjective — Full of life, strikingly alive.

    Appeared in 6 recorded puzzles.

  • vividity

    No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  • vividly

    adverb — In a vivid manner.

    Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

Hints, no spoilers

Words by first two letters

  • av×4
  • di×2
  • la×1
  • li×3
  • va×3
  • vi×8

Words by first letter and length

45678Σ
a 1111· 4
d 11··· 2
l 11·11 4
v 14·33 11
Σ 47154 21

The numbers

Genius today takes 83 points of 119 available. The average answer runs 5.9 letters.

Total points vs. all 426 recorded puzzles
11th percentile
Word count vs. all recorded puzzles
2nd percentile

Word lengths, today vs. 19216 recorded answers

44 today34.4% all-time57 today22.9% all-time61 today20.0% all-time75 today12.0% all-time84 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 Thursday, August 27, 2026 Friday, July 3, 2026
d Wednesday, August 26, 2026 Thursday, August 6, 2026
i Tuesday, August 25, 2026 Saturday, August 22, 2026
l Wednesday, August 19, 2026 Tuesday, June 2, 2026
t Thursday, August 27, 2026 Thursday, August 27, 2026
v ● Wednesday, August 19, 2026 Wednesday, August 19, 2026
y Thursday, August 27, 2026 Wednesday, August 5, 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.