Your Spelling Bee Companion for Thursday, June 4, 2026

A field guide for the M A D I L N T hive: how many words to look for, where the big points are hiding, and full answer lists only when you decide you are ready to reveal them.

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Today's Board

madilnt

Verified Answers

Disputed Words

Pangrams

Score for Queen Bee

256

Genius estimate: 180 points

Verified Answers

Find every accepted word in today's puzzle

Pangrams

Use all seven letters

Disputed Words

Real-looking words to treat with caution

Puzzle Snapshot

Solve The Hive Before The Spoilers

This page is currently in hint mode: you get the board, counts, estimated score targets, and strategy prompts without answer words. Reveal specific words only when you are ready to check your solve.

Today's Read

High-count M hive with long MA- and MINI/MILI payoffs

Today's center letter is M, and the board is broad rather than stingy: there are 56 verified answers, but most of the real scoring comes from building out long M-heavy families instead of sweeping random fours. Start with MA-, MI-, and LA/LI stems that can stretch, because this hive rewards extensions like -MAN, -AL, and longer adjective or noun endings more than isolated cleanup words. Repeated M and A patterns matter all day, so revisit any short base that looks like it could grow.

Verified answers

Max score

256

Genius

180

1 pangram

Pangram Hunt

Start by forcing every letter into longer shapes before clearing short entries. Pangrams are the fastest way to move the score.

256 possible points

Point Density

The current candidate pool estimates a Genius target around 180 points. Longer words matter more than raw word count.

56 verified answers

Queen Bee Path

Use the word lists below to scoop up every point you need to reach Queen Bee.

Study mode

Definition Pass

Click unfamiliar words to reveal their definitions and cement them in your memory for next time.

Spoiler-Light Scan

Two-Letter Start Counts

Use these starts as a checklist without revealing full answers.

MA
21
words
MI
14
words
AD
4
words
LI
4
words
DA
3
words
LA
3
words
AN
2
words
AM
1
word
IM
1
word
LL
1
word
TA
1
word
TI
1
word

Score Planning

Word-Length Grid

Longer words carry more score. Clear them before the four-letter cleanup.

4 letters
20
one-point cleanup
5 letters
13
score-building row
6 letters
8
score-building row
7 letters
8
score-building row
8 letters
4
score-building row
9 letters
2
1 pangram
10 letters
1
score-building row

Progressive Hint

First-Letter Counts

M
35
answers
L
8
answers
A
7
answers
D
3
answers
T
2
answers
I
1
answer

Pattern Prompts

Work The Board Without Reveals

MA- expansion lane
MA- is the board's biggest scoring family, with short footholds that grow into long keeps.
MINI to MINIMAL ladder
A tiny-looking base blossoms into multiple accepted longer forms, so it is worth extending before moving on.
MILI- military branch
The MILI- cluster hides some of the board's best medium and long scores.
-MAN endings
Several answers cash in by adding -MAN to an existing base, which is a strong second-pass check.
Repeated-M pressure
This hive rewards solvers who test doubled M shapes instead of assuming repetition is a trap.
LI/LA vocabulary detours
A few less obvious LI- and LA- words are easy to miss but help fill the middle of the board.

Common Prefixes

ma
The dominant opening family on the board, spanning quick entries and several long score ladders.
mi
MI- contains several of the best extension paths once you move past short cleanup.
la
LA- is smaller but it carries a few easy-to-miss accepted forms.
ad
AD- gives you practical early footholds that can expand or connect to -MAN endings.

Common Suffixes

-man
This ending repeats across multiple scoring answers and is one of the cleanest extension tests today.
-al
The board likes adjective and noun finishes in -AL, including one of the longer standouts.
-ant
-ANT appears in both straightforward and longer answers, so it is worth trying after a valid stem.
-a
Several accepted words land on an A ending, which helps when checking classical or borrowed-looking forms.

Progressive Help

Pangram Hints

No-spoiler shape

There is one pangram, and it is a 9-letter animal word with a familiar geographic root tucked inside it.

Partial reveal

Think of a spotted dog breed; the answer starts with DA- and keeps M active in the middle.

Full reveal

Use the direct answer only if you want the board-defining save.

Reveal words: dalmatian

Spoiler Control

Notable Words

Why these matter

dalmatian
The only pangram, and the fastest way to map the whole board because it confirms every letter at once.
militiaman
One of the longest answers and a strong reminder to test whether MILITIA can grow one more step.
mammalian
A long repeated-letter payoff that proves the hive is comfortable with dense M and A reuse.
mainland
A clean high-value extension from MAIN that makes the MA- family especially productive.
maintain
Another MAIN upgrade; once you see it, the board stops feeling like a random cleanup exercise.
minimal
The MINI/MINIM/MINIMA chain turns into a reliable scoring ladder here.
liminal
A slightly literary-looking answer that sits right next to simpler LI- discoveries.
tatami
A memorable outlier that breaks the dominant MA-/MI- rhythm and is worth bookmarking.

Hard Finds

Tricky Accepted Words

limn
Easy to overlook because it feels incomplete at a glance, but it is a verified cleanup word.
laminal
An uncommon extension that rewards anyone who keeps pushing LAMINA one step farther.
minim
A short musical term that looks dubious until you remember the board likes MINI-based growth.
tatami
A useful borrowed word that does not sit inside the bigger MA- families.
anima
A classical-looking entry that is easy to skip if you only chase everyday vocabulary.
imam
Repeated M makes it feel risky, but it is a fully accepted four-letter save.
mantilla
A long clothing word that hides behind the broader MAN- and MA- clutter.

Answer Vault

All The Words You Need And A Few You Don't.

Trusted words are your safest answer list. Disputed words are real-looking candidates that may not count in the curated puzzle, but they can still be useful for review.

Trusted Words

Reveal 56 trusted words

Spoiler-Light Strategy

Chase 1 pangram and longer words first, then use the 56 higher-confidence candidates as your verification lane. The current score estimate is 256 points, putting the Genius target near 180. Save the 0 disputed candidates for a final review pass after your main solve.

Trust Tiers

56 trusted candidates are available after reveal.

Definition Checkpoints

Revealed words link to their word pages, where definitions and trust context can turn a raw answer into useful study material. Prioritize pangrams, longer words, and unfamiliar candidates first.

Puzzle Notes

BuzzyWords Daily pages focus on the puzzle facts players need: the hive, score targets, pangram guidance, answer reveals, and caution notes for words that look tempting but may not count.

BuzzyWords is an independent puzzle companion and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by The New York Times.

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