NYT Spelling Bee

Answers · Analysis · Spoiler controlled

Spelling Bee Answers & Analysis

Thursday, September 17, 2026

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

AFILOY M
36Answers
1Pangrams
124Maximum
87Genius

Answer shape

Use the distributions before revealing any words.

Words by first letter

A2
F8
I1
L7
M18

Words by length

419
510
63
72
82

Two-letter starts

AM2
FA2
FI2
FL1
FO3
IM1
LA1
LI2
LL1
LO3
MA9
MI2
MO7

Pangram ladder

Open one clue at a time.

Pangram 1
Length

7 letters · 14 points

First and last letters

F … Y

Letter pattern

F•••••Y

No repeated letters

Reveal Pangram — spoiler

foamily

Complete answer list

Reveal full answers — spoiler

A 2

  • ammo
  • amyl

F 8

  • familial
  • family
  • film
  • filmy
  • flimflam
  • foam
  • foamilyPangram
  • foamy

I 1

  • imam

L 7

  • lama
  • lima
  • limo
  • llama
  • loam
  • loamy
  • loom

M 18

  • mafia
  • mail
  • maim
  • mall
  • mama
  • mamma
  • mammal
  • mayfly
  • mayo
  • miff
  • mill
  • moil
  • moll
  • mollify
  • molly
  • momma
  • mommy
  • moola

How hard was this puzzle?

This puzzle's structural difficulty is Tricky at 62/100, compared with 260 available puzzles through this date.

Read the difficulty methodology and comparisons