NYT Spelling Bee

Answers · Analysis · Spoiler controlled

Spelling Bee Answers & Analysis

Tuesday, May 12, 2026

Start with the shape of the puzzle, reveal only the help you want, and open the full list when you are ready.

ABMNOT C
38Answers
2Pangrams
201Maximum
141Genius

Answer shape

Use the distributions before revealing any words.

Words by first letter

B3
C27
N2
O1
T5

Words by length

410
57
613
75
81
91
121

Two-letter starts

BA2
BO1
CA12
CO15
NO2
OC1
TA2
TO3

Pangram ladder

Open one clue at a time.

Pangram 1
Length

9 letters · 16 points

First and last letters

C … T

Letter pattern

C•••••••T

A × 2, T × 2

Reveal Pangram — spoiler

combatant

Pangram 2
Length

12 letters · 19 points

First and last letters

N … T

Letter pattern

N••••••••••T

N × 3, O × 2, A × 2, T × 2

Reveal Pangram — spoiler

noncombatant

Complete answer list

Reveal full answers — spoiler

B 3

  • bacon
  • banc
  • bobcat

C 27

  • cabana
  • cacao
  • camo
  • cancan
  • canna
  • cannon
  • cannot
  • canon
  • cant
  • cantata
  • canton
  • catacomb
  • coat
  • coca
  • cocoa
  • cocoon
  • coma
  • comb
  • combat
  • combatantPangram
  • combo
  • comma
  • common
  • concoct
  • contact
  • coot
  • cotton

N 2

  • noncom
  • noncombatantPangram

O 1

  • octant

T 5

  • taco
  • tact
  • tobacco
  • toccata
  • tomcat

How hard was this puzzle?

This puzzle's structural difficulty is Tricky at 64/100, compared with 132 available puzzles through this date.

Read the difficulty methodology and comparisons