Also, no VIELLE , which isn’t as obscure as some of his words.
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
The Hardest Spelling Bee Words
- Pellicle
Feb. 23
18% - Lacteal
June 7
18% - Hamartia
July 6
19% - Cicely
March 23
19% - Oppugning
March 13
20% - Bibelot
Sept. 30
20% - Oppugn
March 13
21% - Biennia
April 19
21% - Melodeon
Sept. 9
21% - Tommyrot
April 13
22% - Leucine
Oct. 29
22% - Farrago
Feb. 20
23% - Philhellene
June 18
23% - Biliary
Aug. 24
24% - Demonym
Oct. 21
24% - Oppugning
Sept. 25
24% - Abbacy
March 23
24% - Oppugn
Sept. 25
24% - Philhellenic
June 18
24% - Nankeen
Aug. 1
24% - Tenuity
Nov. 20
24% - Priapic
May 8
24% - Anabiotic
Sept. 13
24% - Tontine
Jan. 22
24% - Tritium
April 15
25% - 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.
OPPUGN and OPPUGNING appear twice each, too.
Yes, looking at the list, there are several repeats
I thought TONTINE was rejected much to our dismay. Was it accepted at one point?
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…
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.
This has bugged me for awhile.
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.
This has never been rejected, but appeared 18 times.
It’s always strange to me that DEUCE is accepted, but not DEUCED. Deuced strange!
Appropriately enough, the last word I found today was dunce.
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.
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.
Happy UNday, Spellers.
UNGENTLE, of course. UNGENTEEL or UNGALLANT, of course not.
And, per usual, no TUNG.
And no NUTATE, not an obscure word for anyone familiar with astronomy.
Nor GUNNEL.
Which I believe is usually spelled GUNWALE. But I tried that spelling.
Ja, both acceptable variants IRL.