NYT Spelling Bee

Answers · Analysis · Spoiler controlled

Spelling Bee Answers & Analysis

Saturday, August 22, 2026

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

ACNRTU I
56Answers
2Pangrams
304Maximum
213Genius

Answer shape

Use the distributions before revealing any words.

Words by first letter

A12
C10
I6
N2
R6
T17
U3

Words by length

49
521
615
75
83
93

Two-letter starts

AC2
AN3
AR4
AT3
CA3
CI4
CR2
CU1
IN5
IR1
NI2
RA3
RI1
RU2
TA8
TI5
TR2
TU2
UN2
UR1

Pangram ladder

Open one clue at a time.

Pangram 1
Length

7 letters · 14 points

First and last letters

C … N

Letter pattern

C•••••N

No repeated letters

Reveal Pangram — spoiler

curtain

Pangram 2
Length

8 letters · 15 points

First and last letters

T … N

Letter pattern

T••••••N

T × 2

Reveal Pangram — spoiler

taciturn

Complete answer list

Reveal full answers — spoiler

A 12

  • acacia
  • acai
  • antarctic
  • anti
  • antic
  • arancini
  • arctic
  • aria
  • arnica
  • atria
  • attain
  • attic

C 10

  • cacti
  • cairn
  • cantina
  • circa
  • circuit
  • cirri
  • citric
  • crania
  • critic
  • curtainPangram

I 6

  • incant
  • incur
  • intact
  • intuit
  • inurn
  • irritant

N 2

  • niacin
  • nitric

R 6

  • rain
  • raita
  • rani
  • ricin
  • ruin
  • runic

T 17

  • tacit
  • taciturnPangram
  • tactic
  • tactician
  • taint
  • tannic
  • tannin
  • tantric
  • tiara
  • tinct
  • tint
  • titan
  • titanic
  • train
  • trait
  • tunic
  • tutti

U 3

  • unit
  • unitarian
  • uric

How hard was this puzzle?

This puzzle's structural difficulty is Moderate at 31/100, compared with 234 available puzzles through this date.

Read the difficulty methodology and comparisons