What word am I thinking of?

[Manang Muyang]

I missed the CONUNDRUM.

Going for T, with scones.

[Lincolnshirelass]

Oh, yum yum! And a correct guess too.

- - - - A T I - N

[Alice Heritage]

Oh, I think there's an O!

[Lincolnshirelass]

And you are entirely correct! - - - - ATION

[Alice Heritage]

Cheers, now I'll go with E ...

[Lincolnshirelass]

A little bird tells me you are honing in on the answer!

E - - - ATION

[Alice Heritage]

Hmm ... D maybe?

[Lincolnshirelass]

Almost home! ED- - ATION

[Alice Heritage]

Education, education, education!

[Lincolnshirelass]

So good she said it thrice! Yes, indeed that's the answer, well done. Funnily enough, my odd fact includes '3's, too, as (so far as I know and happy to be corrected) it contains the letter combination that gives the only three common nine-letter words that are anagrams of each otherr - EDUCATION, CAUTIONED, AUCTIONED. Like I said, would love to know if there are others.

And now over to you!

[Alice Heritage]

Fascinating! I don't know of any others, but will keep an eye on 9-letter word puzzles in case I spot any.

Funnily enough my word is almost (but not quite) an anagram of something else too. 7 letters.

[Lincolnshirelass]

So I will be very conventional and ask if there's an 'E' in it.

[Alice Heritage]

Sadly, this is one of those words without an E!

[Manang Muyang]

Surely, we have an A for this anagram.

[Alice Heritage]

On form as ever!

A _ A _ _ A _