NYT Spelling Bee Answers for May 4, 2023
Game Summary
| Center Letter | H |
|---|---|
| Outer Letters | e, g, i, l, n, t |
| # of Pangrams | 5 (Perfect: 1) |
| Total Words | 62 words |
| Total Points | 416 points |
| Genius Level | 291 points |
| Bingo? | No |
Table of Contents
As you scroll down this page, the clues get progressively more revealing. So scroll slowly!
- Spelling Bee Grid
- Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints
- Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints
- Extra Letter Hints (Incrementally Revealing) 🤯
- Today's Complete Solution
- Answer Definitions
If you're just here for a list of NYT Spelling Bee answers, Jump down to the answers ↓ (Spoiler Alert!).
Spelling Bee Grid
The following table shows the standard Spelling Bee summary grid, which lists word lengths across the top and letters down the left-hand side. The cell where the word lengths and letters intersect displays the number of words in today's puzzle with the corresponding first letter and word length.
| 4</th><th>5</th><th>6</th><th>7</th><th>8</th><th>9</th><th>10</th><th>11</th><th>12 | Σ | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| E | - | 1 | 1 | - | 1 | 2 | 1 | - | 1 | 7 |
| G | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 |
| H | 6 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 1 | - | 1 | 1 | 19 |
| I | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| L | - | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | - | 9 |
| N | 1 | 3 | - | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | - | - | 9 |
| T | 3 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 2 | - | 1 | - | - | 17 | Σ | 11 | 16 | 5 | 9 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 62 |
Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding two letters.
| E | EI×5 EN×2 |
|---|---|
| G | GH×1 |
| H | HE×8 HI×11 |
| I | |
| L | LE×3 LI×6 |
| N | NE×2 NI×7 |
| T | TE×4 TH×7 TI×6 |
Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding three letters.
| E | EIG×5 ENL×2 |
|---|---|
| G | GHE×1 |
| H | HEE×2 HEI×4 HEL×1 HEN×1 HIG×3 HIL×3 HIN×4 HIT×1 |
| I | |
| L | LEN×3 LIG×5 LIT×1 |
| N | NEI×2 NIG×4 NIN×3 |
| T | TEE×3 TEN×1 THE×2 THI×5 TIG×3 TIL×1 TIT×2 |
Extra Letter Hints (Incrementally Revealing)
The table below lists all of the solutions to today's puzzle, but they're concealed. You can click the plus button (+) to reveal additional letters, one-by-one.
Concealed definitions are provided as additional clues. You can toggle concealment of the definitions by clicking on the concealer bar or the text that appears when the definition is visible.
Pangrams are marked with a dagger symbol (†).
| Word | 2L Ref | Definition (click to reveal) |
|---|---|---|
| en....... † | EN9 | To supply with light. |
| en.......... † | EN12 | present participle of enlighten |
| le......... † | LE11 | The process of making or growing longer. |
| li..... † | LI7 | To make brighter or clearer; to illuminate. |
| li........ † | LI10 | present participle of lighten |
| ei... | EI5 | NATO & ICAO phonetic alphabet code for the numeral 8. |
| ei...... | EI8 | The cardinal number occurring after seventeen and before nineteen, represented in Roman numerals as XVIII and in Arabic numerals as 18. |
| ei........ | EI10 | The ordinal form of the number eighteen. |
| ei.... | EI6 | The ordinal form of the number eight. |
| ei....... | EI9 | The ordinal form of the number eighty. |
| gh.. | GH4 | A type of clarified butter used in South Asian cooking; usli ghee. |
| he.. | HE4 | The rear part of the foot, where it joins the leg. |
| he..... | HE7 | present participle of heel |
| he.... | HE6 | The distance from the base of something to the top. |
| he...... | HE8 | To make high; to raise higher; to elevate. |
| he......... | HE11 | present participle of heighten |
| he.... | HE6 | The buttocks. |
| he.. | HE4 | A place of torment where some or all sinners and evil spirits are believed to go after death. |
| he... | HE5 | A prehistoric enclosure in the form of a circle or circular arc defined by a raised circular bank and a circular ditch usually running inside the bank, with one or more entrances leading into the enclosed open space. |
| hi.. | HI4 | Physically elevated, extending above a base or average level: Very elevated; extending or being far above a base; tall; lofty. |
| hi....... | HI9 | An area or a spot in a drawing, painting, or photograph that is strongly illuminated. |
| hi.......... | HI12 | present participle of highlight |
| hi.. | HI4 | An elevated landmass smaller than a mountain. |
| hi..... | HI7 | The act or process of heaping or drawing earth around plants. |
| hi.. | HI4 | The handle of a sword, consisting of grip, guard, and pommel, designed to facilitate use of the blade and afford protection to the hand. |
| hi... | HI5 | A jointed or flexible device that allows the pivoting of a door etc. |
| hi..... | HI7 | present participle of hinge |
| hi.. | HI4 | A clue. |
| hi..... | HI7 | The act of giving a hint or suggestion. |
| hi..... | HI7 | A series of hits or blows directed at a person or object. |
| le.... | LE6 | The distance measured along the longest dimension of an object. |
| le...... | LE8 | To make longer, to extend the length of. |
| li... | LI5 | Visible electromagnetic radiation. The human eye can typically detect radiation (light) in the wavelength range of about 400 to 750 nanometers. Nearby shorter and longer wavelength ranges, although not visible, are commonly called ultraviolet and infrared light. |
| li...... | LI8 | The equipment used to provide illumination; the illumination so provided. |
| li....... | LI9 | A flash of light produced by short-duration, high-voltage discharge of electricity within a cloud, between clouds, or between a cloud and the earth. |
| li... | LI5 | To go. |
| ne... | NE5 | The cry of a horse. |
| ne...... | NE8 | present participle of neigh |
| ni.. | NI4 | near, close by |
| ni... | NI5 | The period between sunset and sunrise, when a location faces far away from the sun, thus when the sky is dark. |
| ni..... | NI7 | A woman's nightgown or nightdress for wearing to bed. |
| ni........ | NI10 | a small, dim light or lamp left on overnight |
| ni........ | NI10 | The ordinal form of the number nineteen. |
| ni....... | NI9 | The ordinal form of the number ninety. |
| ni... | NI5 | The ordinal form of the number nine. |
| te... | TE5 | plural of tooth |
| te.... | TE6 | To grow teeth. |
| te...... | TE8 | The eruption, through the gums, of the milk teeth; dentition. |
| te... | TE5 | The ordinal numeral form of ten; next in order after that which is ninth. |
| th.. | TH4 | Objective and reflexive case of thou. |
| th.. | TH4 | At that time. |
| th... | TH5 | The upper leg of a human, between the hip and the knee. |
| th.. | TH4 | Having little thickness or extent from one surface to its opposite. |
| th... | TH5 | Singular second person prevocalic possessive determiner (preconsonantal form: thy). |
| th... | TH5 | That which is considered to exist as a separate entity, object, quality or concept. |
| th...... | TH8 | present participle of thin |
| ti... | TI5 | Firmly held together; compact; not loose or open. |
| ti..... | TI7 | To make tighter. |
| ti........ | TI10 | present participle of tighten |
| ti... | TI5 | Agricultural labour; husbandry. |
| ti... | TI5 | A tenth. |
| ti..... | TI7 | A tithe or tenth in its various senses, : The tithe given as an offering to the church. The payment of tithes. The collection of tithes. |
Today's Complete Solution
The words that follow are a complete listing of all acceptable words in today's New York Time Spelling Bee puzzle.
Next to the answer word you'll see the two-letter reference (2L Ref) in parentheses. We added that 2L Ref for easier translation of the spoiler-avoidant language you see on the Spelling Bee Forum and Twitter. The 2L Ref signifies a word's two start letters followed by the total number of letters in the word.
- enlighten† (EN9)
- enlightening† (EN12)
- lengthening† (LE11)
- lighten† (LI7)
- lightening† (LI10)
- eight (EI5)
- eighteen (EI8)
- eighteenth (EI10)
- eighth (EI6)
- eightieth (EI9)
- ghee (GH4)
- heel (HE4)
- heeling (HE7)
- height (HE6)
- heighten (HE8)
- heightening (HE11)
- heinie (HE6)
- hell (HE4)
- henge (HE5)
- high (HI4)
- highlight (HI9)
- highlighting (HI12)
- hill (HI4)
- hilling (HI7)
- hilt (HI4)
- hinge (HI5)
- hinging (HI7)
- hint (HI4)
- hinting (HI7)
- hitting (HI7)
- length (LE6)
- lengthen (LE8)
- light (LI5)
- lighting (LI8)
- lightning (LI9)
- lithe (LI5)
- neigh (NE5)
- neighing (NE8)
- nigh (NI4)
- night (NI5)
- nightie (NI7)
- nightlight (NI10)
- nineteenth (NI10)
- ninetieth (NI9)
- ninth (NI5)
- teeth (TE5)
- teethe (TE6)
- teething (TE8)
- tenth (TE5)
- thee (TH4)
- then (TH4)
- thigh (TH5)
- thin (TH4)
- thine (TH5)
- thing (TH5)
- thinning (TH8)
- tight (TI5)
- tighten (TI7)
- tightening (TI10)
- tilth (TI5)
- tithe (TI5)
- tithing (TI7)
Answer Definitions
- enlighten† (verb): To supply with light.
- enlightening† (verb): present participle of enlighten
- lengthening† (noun): The process of making or growing longer.
- lighten† (verb): To make brighter or clearer; to illuminate.
- lightening† (verb): present participle of lighten
- eight (numeral): NATO & ICAO phonetic alphabet code for the numeral 8.
- eighteen (numeral): The cardinal number occurring after seventeen and before nineteen, represented in Roman numerals as XVIII and in Arabic numerals as 18.
- eighteenth (adjective): The ordinal form of the number eighteen.
- eighth (adjective): The ordinal form of the number eight.
- eightieth (adjective): The ordinal form of the number eighty.
- ghee (noun): A type of clarified butter used in South Asian cooking; usli ghee.
- heel (noun): The rear part of the foot, where it joins the leg.
- heeling (verb): present participle of heel
- height (noun): The distance from the base of something to the top.
- heighten (verb): To make high; to raise higher; to elevate.
- heightening (verb): present participle of heighten
- heinie (noun): The buttocks.
- hell (proper noun): A place of torment where some or all sinners and evil spirits are believed to go after death.
- henge (noun): A prehistoric enclosure in the form of a circle or circular arc defined by a raised circular bank and a circular ditch usually running inside the bank, with one or more entrances leading into the enclosed open space.
- high (adjective): Physically elevated, extending above a base or average level: Very elevated; extending or being far above a base; tall; lofty.
- highlight (noun): An area or a spot in a drawing, painting, or photograph that is strongly illuminated.
- highlighting (verb): present participle of highlight
- hill (noun): An elevated landmass smaller than a mountain.
- hilling (noun): The act or process of heaping or drawing earth around plants.
- hilt (noun): The handle of a sword, consisting of grip, guard, and pommel, designed to facilitate use of the blade and afford protection to the hand.
- hinge (noun): A jointed or flexible device that allows the pivoting of a door etc.
- hinging (verb): present participle of hinge
- hint (noun): A clue.
- hinting (noun): The act of giving a hint or suggestion.
- hitting (noun): A series of hits or blows directed at a person or object.
- length (noun): The distance measured along the longest dimension of an object.
- lengthen (verb): To make longer, to extend the length of.
- light (noun): Visible electromagnetic radiation. The human eye can typically detect radiation (light) in the wavelength range of about 400 to 750 nanometers. Nearby shorter and longer wavelength ranges, although not visible, are commonly called ultraviolet and infrared light.
- lighting (noun): The equipment used to provide illumination; the illumination so provided.
- lightning (noun): A flash of light produced by short-duration, high-voltage discharge of electricity within a cloud, between clouds, or between a cloud and the earth.
- lithe (verb): To go.
- neigh (noun): The cry of a horse.
- neighing (verb): present participle of neigh
- nigh (adjective): near, close by
- night (noun): The period between sunset and sunrise, when a location faces far away from the sun, thus when the sky is dark.
- nightie (noun): A woman's nightgown or nightdress for wearing to bed.
- nightlight (noun): a small, dim light or lamp left on overnight
- nineteenth (adjective): The ordinal form of the number nineteen.
- ninetieth (adjective): The ordinal form of the number ninety.
- ninth (adjective): The ordinal form of the number nine.
- teeth (noun): plural of tooth
- teethe (verb): To grow teeth.
- teething (noun): The eruption, through the gums, of the milk teeth; dentition.
- tenth (adjective): The ordinal numeral form of ten; next in order after that which is ninth.
- thee (pronoun): Objective and reflexive case of thou.
- then (adverb): At that time.
- thigh (noun): The upper leg of a human, between the hip and the knee.
- thin (adjective): Having little thickness or extent from one surface to its opposite.
- thine (determiner): Singular second person prevocalic possessive determiner (preconsonantal form: thy).
- thing (noun): That which is considered to exist as a separate entity, object, quality or concept.
- thinning (verb): present participle of thin
- tight (adjective): Firmly held together; compact; not loose or open.
- tighten (verb): To make tighter.
- tightening (verb): present participle of tighten
- tilth (noun): Agricultural labour; husbandry.
- tithe (noun): A tenth.
- tithing (noun): A tithe or tenth in its various senses, : The tithe given as an offering to the church. The payment of tithes. The collection of tithes.