The longest daily puzzle on the site: nine letters, seven guesses, and a new word every midnight Eastern Time.
The hardest daily puzzle
Nine letters is where word guessing becomes word building. Almost every answer is made of parts, a root with a prefix or a suffix (un + believ + able) or two words joined together, and 89.2% of answers repeat at least one letter. You get seven guesses, and the challenge is less about finding letters than about thinking of a word that fits them.
A new nine-letter word appears at midnight Eastern Time and stays the same for everyone until the next one. The daily list has 1,850 common nine-letter words, and the 9-letter archive keeps every past puzzle with hints and the answer.
How experienced players approach it
Open with a word that covers the most frequent letters: among common words, COASTLINE, CONSULATE, MASCULINE, MODERNIST, SECTIONAL do that best, and COASTLINE leaves only about 2.5 candidates on average. Then work on the ending: -TION, -MENT, -NESS, -ABLE and -ENCE cover a big share of nine-letter words. Writing the pattern on paper, like C _ _ S T _ _ N E, helps more than you would expect.
If you are stuck, today's hints will get you there step by step. To practice, infinite 9 letters has no daily limit.
Frequently asked questions
How many guesses do I get in the 9-letter daily?
Seven guesses.
What is the best first word for 9 letters?
By our analysis: COASTLINE, CONSULATE, MASCULINE, MODERNIST, SECTIONAL.
When does the new 9-letter word come out?
At midnight Eastern Time, with the other five daily puzzles.
Can I play past 9-letter puzzles?
Yes. Open any day in the archive and tap Play before you look at the hints.