# NYT Spelling Bee drives me crazy **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** board-card-word-game\ **Created:** [December 17, 2023, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739 "2023-12-17T15:50:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 122
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2025, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/2421 "2025-12-19T17:34:34Z")
Also, no VIELLE , which isn’t as obscure as some of his words. ---
**Author:** ![gkster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gkster/32/14107_2.png) [@gkster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gkster)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2025, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/2422 "2025-12-21T13:39:38Z")
From a NYT article about the hardest and easiest words, gift link here: [https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/16/upshot/spelling-bee-words-2025.html?unlocked\_article\_code=1.-U8.OYPv.kxLMTBbf55XZ&smid=url-share](https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/16/upshot/spelling-bee-words-2025.html?unlocked_article_code=1.-U8.OYPv.kxLMTBbf55XZ&smid=url-share) The Hardest Spelling Bee Words 1. Pellicle Feb. 23 18% 2. Lacteal June 7 18% 3. Hamartia July 6 19% 4. Cicely March 23 19% 5. Oppugning March 13 20% 6. Bibelot Sept. 30 20% 7. Oppugn March 13 21% 8. Biennia April 19 21% 9. Melodeon Sept. 9 21% 10. Tommyrot April 13 22% 11. Leucine Oct. 29 22% 12. Farrago Feb. 20 23% 13. Philhellene June 18 23% 14. Biliary Aug. 24 24% 15. Demonym Oct. 21 24% 16. Oppugning Sept. 25 24% 17. Abbacy March 23 24% 18. Oppugn Sept. 25 24% 19. Philhellenic June 18 24% 20. Nankeen Aug. 1 24% 21. Tenuity Nov. 20 24% 22. Priapic May 8 24% 23. Anabiotic Sept. 13 24% 24. Tontine Jan. 22 24% 25. Tritium April 15 25% 26. Annatto June 8 25% The article shows the “100” hardest words with repeats on other dates when the percentage of finders was different, so Annatto appears 3x, again on June 17 at 28% and another date lower down on the list. Nankeen appears twice. ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2025, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/2423 "2025-12-21T13:49:47Z")
OPPUGN and OPPUGNING appear twice each, too. ---
**Author:** ![gkster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gkster/32/14107_2.png) [@gkster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gkster)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2025, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/2424 "2025-12-21T13:58:56Z")
Yes, looking at the list, there are several repeats ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2025, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/2425 "2025-12-21T14:00:13Z")
I thought TONTINE was rejected much to our dismay. Was it accepted at one point? ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2025, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/2426 "2025-12-21T14:34:49Z")
Allowed 10 times through the beginning of this year, and then suddenly disallowed 4. It might be that even prior to this year so few people got it that he decided to exclude it… > **[Tontine: Spelling Bee Appearances](https://www.sbsolver.com/h/Tontine)** > > The word 'tontine' has appeared in 10 different solution sets, according to data going back to May 9, 2018. This word has since been disallowed from 4 puzzles, starting on June 22, 2025. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2025, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/2427 "2025-12-21T15:11:56Z")
The other day (I think Thursday), the selected letters allowed for the word inline, although it wasn’t accepted and apparently never was accepted. I don’t know why; it seems a cromulent word. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2025, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/2428 "2025-12-21T23:42:39Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > I don’t know why; it seems a cromulent word. This has bugged me for awhile. ---
**Author:** ![carlb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carlb/32/5930_2.png) [@carlb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carlb)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2025, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/2429 "2025-12-22T13:28:21Z")
Me, too. Today, he accepted endue and endued, which I’m pretty sure have been rejected in the past. And, I hate any puzzle that includes the prefix un- because it just seems so arbitrary as to how it is used. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2025, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/2430 "2025-12-22T15:17:17Z")
> [@carlb](#): > > Today, he accepted endue and endued, which I’m pretty sure have been rejected in the past. This has never been rejected, but appeared 18 times. It’s always strange to me that DEUCE is accepted, but not DEUCED. Deuced strange! ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2025, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/2431 "2025-12-22T15:43:17Z")
Appropriately enough, the last word I found today was dunce. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2025, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/2432 "2025-12-24T00:23:15Z")
Disappointed, but not surprised, that CYCLOID was not accepted today. Had a natural yesterday and now I’m sitting 8 points away from another one. But I’ve been here for a long time. Very frustrating. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2025, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/2433 "2025-12-24T01:00:33Z")
> [@dtilque](#): > > I’m sitting 8 points away Me too. I wonder if it’s the same word(s)? ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2025, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/2434 "2025-12-24T01:46:53Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > Me too. I wonder if it’s the same word(s)? I finally broke down and went to hints. I was missing a 4 and a 7. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2025, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/2435 "2025-12-27T22:51:24Z")
Happy UNday, Spellers. UNGENTLE, of course. UNGENTEEL or UNGALLANT, of course not. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2025, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/2436 "2025-12-27T22:57:26Z")
And, per usual, no TUNG. ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2025, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/2437 "2025-12-27T23:14:27Z")
And no NUTATE, not an obscure word for anyone familiar with astronomy. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2025, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/2438 "2025-12-27T23:34:21Z")
Nor GUNNEL. ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2025, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/2439 "2025-12-27T23:55:04Z")
Which I believe is usually spelled GUNWALE. But I tried that spelling. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2025, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/2440 "2025-12-28T01:22:52Z")
Ja, both acceptable variants IRL. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739.md?page=121) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739.md?page=123)