A little help. Your own aha.

Connections #13
hints & answers for June 24, 2023

Keep the satisfaction of the solve. Get a nudge for one group, reveal a category, or check the answers at your own pace.

June 24, 2023 #13

This reference always shows June 24, 2023. It is released in at least one timezone; every answer stays closed until you reveal it.

Which group has you stuck?

Pick a colour. Reveal one step at a time.

Yellow group

Straightforward

1/4

Gentle relationship clue

Imagine names appearing on aircraft.

Stronger relationship clue

These are airline names or brands; do not use their everyday adjective or noun meanings.

First-letter clue

Look for four entries beginning with F, S, U and V. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

FRONTIER belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

AIRLINES

Reveal all four words

FRONTIER
SPIRIT
UNITED
VIRGIN

The names point to carriers. This identifies the naming relationship, without making claims about current routes or ownership. Frontier Airlines is an airline name. Spirit Airlines is an airline name. United Airlines is an airline name. Virgin is used in airline names including Virgin Atlantic.

Sources, attribution and reuse

Dictionary-derived explanations identified below are original paraphrases adapted under the stated licence. Original board arrangements and mechanical checks are identified separately; the sources do not endorse this exercise.

Wikipedia contributors, Frontier Airlines
Frontier Airlines is an airline name.
Source revision checked. CC BY-SA 4.0.
Original paraphrase of contributor-written definitions or factual article text; no third-party quotations or media are adapted. Adapted text is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Wikipedia contributors, Virgin Atlantic
Virgin is used in airline names including Virgin Atlantic.
Source revision checked. CC BY-SA 4.0.
Original paraphrase of contributor-written definitions or factual article text; no third-party quotations or media are adapted. Adapted text is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Wikipedia contributors, Spirit Airlines
Spirit Airlines is an airline name.
Source revision checked. CC BY-SA 4.0.
Original paraphrase of contributor-written definitions or factual article text; no third-party quotations or media are adapted. Adapted text is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Wikipedia contributors, United Airlines
United Airlines is an airline name.
Source revision checked. CC BY-SA 4.0.
Original paraphrase of contributor-written definitions or factual article text; no third-party quotations or media are adapted. Adapted text is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Green group

A little trickier

2/4

Gentle relationship clue

Try an alphabet other than the usual English one.

Stronger relationship clue

These are names of four symbols used in Greek writing and often borrowed in mathematics.

First-letter clue

Look for four entries beginning with B, C, D and I. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

BETA belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

GREEK LETTERS

Reveal all four words

BETA
CHI
DELTA
IOTA

The entries are Greek letter names, not pronunciations of English letters. Beta is the second letter of the Greek alphabet. Chi is a letter of the Greek alphabet. Delta is the fourth letter of the Greek alphabet. Iota is the ninth letter of the Greek alphabet.

Sources, attribution and reuse

Wiktionary contributors, iota
Iota is the ninth letter of the Greek alphabet.
Source revision checked. CC BY-SA 4.0.
Original paraphrase of contributor-written definitions or factual article text; no third-party quotations or media are adapted. Adapted text is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Wiktionary contributors, chi
Chi is a letter of the Greek alphabet.
Source revision checked. CC BY-SA 4.0.
Original paraphrase of contributor-written definitions or factual article text; no third-party quotations or media are adapted. Adapted text is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Wiktionary contributors, delta
Delta is the fourth letter of the Greek alphabet.
Source revision checked. CC BY-SA 4.0.
Original paraphrase of contributor-written definitions or factual article text; no third-party quotations or media are adapted. Adapted text is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Wiktionary contributors, beta
Beta is the second letter of the Greek alphabet.
Source revision checked. CC BY-SA 4.0.
Original paraphrase of contributor-written definitions or factual article text; no third-party quotations or media are adapted. Adapted text is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Blue group

More challenging

3/4

Gentle relationship clue

Pay attention to something written but usually not heard.

Stronger relationship clue

Compare the first written consonant with the first sound.

First-letter clue

Look for four entries beginning with G, G, G and G. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

GNAT belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

SILENT “G”

Reveal all four words

GNAT
GNAW
GNOCCHI
GNOME

In the usual English pronunciations, the written initial G is silent. GNOCCHI has pronunciation variants, so the sound after the silent letter need not be identical in all four entries. The usual English pronunciation of GNAT begins with /n/, without a sounded G. The usual English pronunciation of GNAW begins with /n/, without a sounded G. Common English pronunciations of GNOCCHI do not sound its written initial G. The usual English pronunciation of GNOME begins with /n/, without a sounded G.

Sources, attribution and reuse

Wiktionary contributors, gnat
The usual English pronunciation of GNAT begins with /n/, without a sounded G.
Source revision checked. CC BY-SA 4.0.
Original paraphrase of contributor-written definitions or factual article text; no third-party quotations or media are adapted. Adapted text is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Wiktionary contributors, gnaw
The usual English pronunciation of GNAW begins with /n/, without a sounded G.
Source revision checked. CC BY-SA 4.0.
Original paraphrase of contributor-written definitions or factual article text; no third-party quotations or media are adapted. Adapted text is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Wiktionary contributors, gnome
The usual English pronunciation of GNOME begins with /n/, without a sounded G.
Source revision checked. CC BY-SA 4.0.
Original paraphrase of contributor-written definitions or factual article text; no third-party quotations or media are adapted. Adapted text is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Wiktionary contributors, gnocchi
Common English pronunciations of GNOCCHI do not sound its written initial G.
Source revision checked. CC BY-SA 4.0.
Original paraphrase of contributor-written definitions or factual article text; no third-party quotations or media are adapted. Adapted text is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Purple group

Wordplay & surprises

4/4

Gentle relationship clue

Listen to the entries instead of comparing their spellings.

Stronger relationship clue

They can share one pronunciation in American English.

Gentle hint

Try saying these aloud instead of looking at their spelling.

Show one word

GNU belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

HOMOPHONES

Reveal all four words

GNU
KNEW
NEW
NU

These entries are pronounced alike despite their different spellings.

Using pronunciations with /nuː/, GNU, KNEW, NEW and NU sound alike. This is dialect-sensitive: variants with /nj/ or a sounded G do not form the same four-way set. GNU has a pronunciation /nuː/, alongside other variants. KNEW can be pronounced /nuː/ in American English. NEW can be pronounced /nuː/ in American English. NU, a Greek letter name, has an English pronunciation /nuː/.

Sources, attribution and reuse

Wiktionary contributors, gnu
GNU has a pronunciation /nuː/, alongside other variants.
Source revision checked. CC BY-SA 4.0.
Original paraphrase of contributor-written definitions or factual article text; no third-party quotations or media are adapted. Adapted text is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Wiktionary contributors, knew
KNEW can be pronounced /nuː/ in American English.
Source revision checked. CC BY-SA 4.0.
Original paraphrase of contributor-written definitions or factual article text; no third-party quotations or media are adapted. Adapted text is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Wiktionary contributors, new
NEW can be pronounced /nuː/ in American English.
Source revision checked. CC BY-SA 4.0.
Original paraphrase of contributor-written definitions or factual article text; no third-party quotations or media are adapted. Adapted text is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Wiktionary contributors, nu
NU, a Greek letter name, has an English pronunciation /nuː/.
Source revision checked. CC BY-SA 4.0.
Original paraphrase of contributor-written definitions or factual article text; no third-party quotations or media are adapted. Adapted text is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.

By FiveLetterWords. Updated 2026-10-04.

Show categories only

Yellow: AIRLINES
Green: GREEK LETTERS
Blue: SILENT “G”
Purple: HOMOPHONES

Ready for the full solution?

All four categories and their words, together.

Reveal all four answers

Yellow

AIRLINES

FRONTIER · SPIRIT · UNITED · VIRGIN

Green

GREEK LETTERS

BETA · CHI · DELTA · IOTA

Blue

SILENT “G”

GNAT · GNAW · GNOCCHI · GNOME

Purple

HOMOPHONES

GNU · KNEW · NEW · NU

The words on your board

Check you have the same puzzle. Reference tiles may appear in a different order from your game.

See the 16 puzzle words

KNEW
GNOME
IOTA
FRONTIER
DELTA
CHI
GNOCCHI
NEW
SPIRIT
BETA
VIRGIN
GNAW
NU
GNAT
UNITED
GNU

Look up an unfamiliar word or phrase

General dictionary meanings may differ from the puzzle’s intended sense. These links do not identify a group. Longer entries and names open a Wiktionary search; an entry may be missing or have several senses.

By FiveLetterWords · Guide updated October 4, 2026

This puzzle’s recorded solution

The date and puzzle number identify this exact board. Use the individual group controls to compare its recorded categories and words, then return to the archive to find another puzzle.

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About the answers and hints

Categories and answers follow the recorded NYT puzzle. Our hints are independent: some are original category clues, while others give the first letters of the four words. Each hint is labelled so you can choose how much help to take.

Group colours follow the puzzle’s yellow, green, blue and purple order, from the most straightforward to the trickiest. Your own experience may differ. The reference tiles may appear in a different order from your game. Picture puzzles have separately hidden descriptions, since a description can give away the wordplay.

The daily page starts with the UTC puzzle date and, with JavaScript enabled, checks the puzzle for your local time zone. Every reveal starts closed when the date changes. Play Connections at The New York Times or contact us about a correction.

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This game

Connections #13
hints & answers for June 24, 2023

Which group has you stuck?

Yellow group

Green group

Blue group

Purple group

Ready for the full solution?

AIRLINES

GREEK LETTERS

SILENT “G”

HOMOPHONES

This puzzle’s recorded solution

Continue from this date