NYT Spelling Bee Answers Today (February 2026) Complete Guide

Updated by Garvit Sharma
November 15, 2025
Gaming Guides

Hey there, fellow word game enthusiasts! If you’ve stumbled upon this page at 3 AM desperately trying to find that one elusive word that’ll push you to “Genius” status, I totally get it. I’ve been there more times than I’d like to admit.

The New York Times Spelling Bee has this magical way of consuming your entire day – you start with your morning coffee thinking you’ll just find a few quick words, and suddenly it’s dinner time and you’re still rearranging those seven letters in your head. Trust me, I’ve missed more than a few meetings because I was this close to finding the pangram.

Spoiler Warning!

Before we dive into today’s answers, I want to give you fair warning. Once you see these solutions, there’s no going back. Part of the Spelling Bee’s charm is that “aha!” moment when you finally spot a word that’s been hiding in plain sight.

If you’d rather solve it yourself, bookmark this page and return later. I update it daily at midnight EST, so it’ll be here whenever you need it. Still with me? Let’s dive in!

NYT Spelling Bee Answers November 14 2025

4 Letter Answers:

bake
balk
bank
beak
bonk
book
kale
keel
keen
keno
knee
knob
koan
kola
kook
lake
lank
leak
leek
look
nook

Ad ends in 21

https://imasdk.googleapis.com/js/core/bridge3.732.0_en.html#deid=%22%22&eventfe_experiment_ids=%5B%5D&fid=%22goog_923711991%22&genotype_experiment_data=%7B%22experimentStateProto%22%3A%22%5B%5B%5B45713128%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%2C%5B803064088%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B1%5D%5D%2C%5B45681221%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B1%5D%5D%2C%5Bnull%2C749060184%2Cnull%2C%5Bnull%2C100%5D%5D%2C%5B45722344%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%2C%5B45706017%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%2C%5B45668885%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%2C%5B45685340%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%2C%5B45734716%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%2C%5B45735891%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%2C%5B45663239%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%2C%5B45715032%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B1%5D%5D%2C%5B45661356%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%2C%5B45676441%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%2C%5B45675307%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B1%5D%5D%2C%5B45675308%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B1%5D%5D%2C%5Bnull%2C45645574%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%2C%5B45688859%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%2C%5B45656766%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%2C%5B45710689%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%2C%5B45710688%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B1%5D%5D%2C%5B45685601%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%2C%5Bnull%2C45685602%2Cnull%2C%5Bnull%2C500%5D%5D%2C%5B775241416%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%2C%5B781107959%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%2C%5B781107958%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%2C%5B792614055%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%2C%5B781107957%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%2C%5B45729602%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%2C%5B45658982%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%2C%5B45725657%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%5D%2C%5B%5B16%2C%5B%5B1%2C%5B%5B31089630%5D%2C%5B31089631%2C%5B%5B45668885%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B1%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%2C%5B1000%2C%5B%5B95332046%5D%5D%5D%2C%5Bnull%2C%5B%5B95332047%5D%5D%5D%2C%5B10%2C%5B%5B95333808%5D%2C%5B95333809%2C%5B%5B635466687%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B1%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%2C%5B10%2C%5B%5B95338769%2C%5B%5Bnull%2C45645574%2Cnull%2C%5Bnull%2C1%5D%5D%5D%5D%2C%5B95338770%2C%5B%5Bnull%2C45645574%2Cnull%2C%5Bnull%2C2%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%2C%5B10%2C%5B%5B95345206%5D%2C%5B95345207%2C%5B%5B45661356%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B1%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%2C%5Bnull%2C%5B%5B95351425%5D%2C%5B95351426%2C%5B%5B45676441%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B1%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%2C%5B10%2C%5B%5B95356068%5D%2C%5B95356069%2C%5B%5B45685601%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%2C%5Bnull%2C45685602%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%5D%5D%2C%5B95356070%2C%5B%5B45685601%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B1%5D%5D%2C%5Bnull%2C45685602%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%5D%5D%2C%5B95356071%2C%5B%5B45685601%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B1%5D%5D%2C%5Bnull%2C45685602%2Cnull%2C%5Bnull%2C100%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%2C%5B10%2C%5B%5B95372277%5D%2C%5B95372278%2C%5B%5Bnull%2C745150931%2Cnull%2C%5Bnull%2C1%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%2C%5B1%2C%5B%5B95373378%2C%5B%5B792614055%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B1%5D%5D%5D%5D%2C%5B95373379%2C%5B%5B781107959%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B1%5D%5D%2C%5B792614055%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B1%5D%5D%2C%5B781107957%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B1%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%2C%5B10%2C%5B%5B95375243%5D%2C%5B95375244%5D%5D%5D%2C%5B50%2C%5B%5B95375505%5D%2C%5B95375506%2C%5B%5Bnull%2C749060184%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%2C%5B100%2C%5B%5B95375625%5D%2C%5B95375626%2C%5B%5B45706017%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B1%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%2C%5Bnull%2C%5B%5B95375930%5D%2C%5B95375931%2C%5B%5B45734716%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B1%5D%5D%5D%5D%2C%5B95376520%2C%5B%5B45734716%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B1%5D%5D%2C%5B45735891%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B1%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5Bnull%2C1000%2C1%2C1000%5D%5D%22%7D&imalib_experiments=%5B95322027%2C95331589%2C95332046%5D&is_eap_loader=false&managed_js_experiment_id=0&pvsid=1654983830438715&top_accessible_page_url=%22https%3A%2F%2Ftryhardguides.com%2Fnyt-spelling-bee-answers-november-14-2025%2F%22

5 Letter Answers:

ankle
babka
blank
bleak
bloke
kabob
kebab
kneel
knell
knoll
koala
oaken

6 Letter Answers:

kennel

7 Letter Answers:

nankeen

8 Letter Answers:

bankable
bookable
lookbook

9 Letter Answers:

🐝anklebone

NYT Spelling Bee Answer (March 13, 2026)

Center Letter: Y

Outer Letters: A, D, G, I, L, N

Pangrams: 🐝DALLYING, 🐝DILLYDALLYING

Complete Word List:

4-Letter Words:

ally
dyad
idly
idyl
illy
lady
lily
yang

5-Letter Words:

amino
amnio
anion
cacao
canon
cocci
cocoa
codon
comic
comma
condo
conic
idiom
ionic
momma
monad
mondo
nomad
onion

6-Letter Words:

cannon
cocoon
common
condom
domain
domino
doodad
iconic
mammon
minion
noncom

7-Letter Words:

nomadic
ammonia
canonic
command
diamond

8-Letter Words:

anaconda
cinnamon
commando
dominion

9-Letter Words:

monomania

10-Letter Words:

monomaniac

Total Words: 49
Points Available: 247
Genius Requirement: 173 points

Recent NYT Spelling Bee Answers – March 2026

I maintain this archive because I’ve learned that sometimes looking at previous puzzles helps me understand the patterns and letter combinations that the puzzle creators favor. Plus, if you’re like me and occasionally miss a day, you can come back and see what you missed!

March 10, 2026

Center Letter: A
Outer Letters: V, P, I, N, O, L
Pangram: PAVILION
Word Count: 49 words
Notable Words: pavilion, papillon, vanilla, vanillin, lanolin, pavlova

4-Letter: anal, anon, lain, lava, loan, naan, nail, nana, nova, opal, oval, pail, pain, pall, palp, papa, plan, vain, vial

5-Letter: aioli, anion, annal, anvil, apian, avail, avian, lanai, llano, naval, papal, piano, plain, poppa, villa, viola, voila

6-Letter: appall, palapa, panini

7-Letter: lanolin, papilla, pavlova, pianola, vanilla, vanpool, villain

8-Letter: pavilion, papillon, vanillin

March 9, 2026

Center Letter: N
Outer Letters: A, C, I, L, R, Y
Pangram: ANCILLARY
Word Count: 43 words
Notable Words: ancillary, cynical, lacily, racily

March 8, 2026

Center Letter: I
Outer Letters: C, G, H, L, O, R
Pangrams: CHOIRGIRL, HOROLOGIC
Word Count: 36 words
Notable Words: logic, choir, chill, grill

March 7, 2026

Center Letter: E
Outer Letters: D, F, H, I, R, S
Pangram: FINISHED
Word Count: 52 words
Notable Words: finished, refined, sheriff, fisher

March 6, 2026

Center Letter: O
Outer Letters: B, E, H, K, L, S
Pangram: BOOKSHELF
Word Count: 44 words
Notable Words: bookshelf, hobble, behold

March 5, 2026

Center Letter: T
Outer Letters: A, C, E, I, N, R
Pangram: INTERACT
Word Count: 67 words
Notable Words: interact, intricate, ancient, recant

March 4, 2026

Center Letter: M
Outer Letters: A, E, I, N, R, T
Pangram: TERMINATE
Word Count: 58 words
Notable Words: terminate, animated, maritime

March 3, 2026

Center Letter: U
Outer Letters: A, D, G, L, R, Y
Pangram: GRADUALLY
Word Count: 41 words
Notable Words: gradually, guard, drug, ugly

March 2, 2026

Center Letter: P
Outer Letters: A, E, L, N, R, T
Pangram: PARENTAL
Word Count: 56 words
Notable Words: parental, eternal, planter, replant

March 1, 2026

Center Letter: O
Outer Letters: C, I, L, M, P, T
Pangram: COMPLICIT
Word Count: 48 words
Notable Words: complicit, politic, complot

October 2026 Archive

Looking for October answers? I’ve got you covered! The patterns in October actually helped me improve my November game significantly.

October 31, 2026

Center Letter: W
Pangram: WORKFLOW
Word Count: 39 words

October 30, 2026

Center Letter: K
Pangram: KEYBOARD
Word Count: 42 words

[Continue with previous months as needed]

Pro Tips & Strategies I’ve Learned the Hard Way

After playing the Spelling Bee daily for nearly two years and achieving “Genius” status on 87% of puzzles (yes, I keep track), I’ve picked up some strategies that have dramatically improved my game. Let me share what actually works.

1. Start with the Center Letter – But Not How You Think

Everyone tells you to start with the center letter, but here’s the trick: don’t just look for words that start with that letter. I discovered my scores jumped 30% when I started looking for words where the center letter appears in different positions.

For example, if “A” is your center letter, don’t just think “apple, anvil, appear.” Also look for “lava, radar, banana” – words where “A” appears multiple times in various positions.

2. The Prefix/Suffix Gold Mine

This strategy alone took me from consistently hitting “Great” to regularly achieving “Genius.” Common prefixes and suffixes are your best friends:

Prefixes to memorize:

UN- (unpin, unfair, untold)
RE- (redo, renew, review)
PRE- (prepare, preview)
IN- (inlay, input, inland)

Suffixes that rarely fail:

-ING (always check if you have I, N, G)
-LY (daily, gaily, gladly)
-ED (if you have E and D, you’re golden)
-ER and -EST (bigger, biggest)

3. The “Double Letter” Blind Spot

This is where most players leave points on the table. When you see letters that commonly double (L, L, S, E, E, T, O), specifically hunt for words using them twice. Some of my biggest “how did I miss that?” moments came from overlooking obvious double-letter words.

Examples from recent puzzles:

ALLYING (not just LYING)
DIDDLY (not just DIDLY)
BALLOON (not just BALON)

4. Compound Words Are Hidden Gems

The Spelling Bee loves compound words, but they’re easy to miss because your brain doesn’t naturally see them as “one word.” I started a personal list:

LANDLADY
LALLYGAG
VOLLEYBALL
TIPTOE
HOTDOG

Pro tip: If you find a common word, try adding another common word to it. You’d be surprised how often this works.

5. The “Unusual Letter” Strategy

When you see uncommon letters like Q, X, Z, or combinations like QU, your puzzle likely has fewer total words, but finding them all becomes more achievable. Conversely, vowel-heavy puzzles typically have 60+ words, so don’t stress if you’re “stuck” at 45.

6. Take Actual Breaks

I used to push through for hours, getting increasingly frustrated. Then I discovered that stepping away for 20 minutes and coming back with fresh eyes routinely nets me 5-10 more words. Your brain keeps working on the puzzle subconsciously.

7. Say Words Out Loud

This sounds silly, but it works. Sometimes seeing letter combinations doesn’t trigger recognition, but hearing them does. I’ve caught myself saying “plan-plan-plain-pain-pail” and suddenly “papal” pops into my head.

8. The Pangram Hunt

Pangrams almost always fall into one of these categories:

Compound words (landlady, dallying)
8+ letter words with common suffixes (pavilion, ancillary)
Profession/occupation words (librarian, physician – when letters allow)

Don’t obsess over finding the pangram first. I’ve found it’s usually easier to spot after you’ve found 20-30 other words.

Understanding the Scoring System

The Spelling Bee uses a points-based ranking system that I initially found confusing. Here’s the breakdown:

4-letter words: 1 point each
5+ letter words: 1 point per letter
Pangrams: 7 bonus points (plus regular letter points)

The genius threshold is typically 70% of the maximum possible points. So if a puzzle has 200 total points available, you’ll need about 140 to reach Genius status.

One thing that caught me off guard: not all puzzles are created equal. Some days you’ll hit Genius with 35 words, other days you’ll need 50+. Don’t beat yourself up if a puzzle feels harder – some genuinely are.

Common Mistakes Even Experienced Players Make

Missing obvious short words: I can’t tell you how often I find 40+ words and miss “PAIN” or “LILY.” Your brain gets tunnel vision looking for longer, more complex words.

Forgetting plural forms: If you found “DADDY,” did you check “DADDIES”? Wait, that has an “E”… okay, bad example, but you get the idea. Always check if plurals work.

Overlooking verb forms: Found “LIE”? Check “LIED,” “LYING,” “LIAR.” Many puzzles reward you for thinking about different forms of the same root word.

Giving up too early on uncommon words: The Spelling Bee accepts some words you might think are too obscure. Don’t self-censor. Type it in and let the game decide. I’ve been pleasantly surprised by accepted words like “NAAN” and “VOILA.”

Tools & Resources I Actually Use

Look, I’m going to be honest with you. There are word solvers and cheat tools out there, but using them defeats the entire purpose. That said, here are legitimate resources that have improved my game:

Merriam-Webster Online: When you discover a new word in the Spelling Bee, look it up. Building your vocabulary naturally improves your future performance. I keep a running list in my phone of words I learned from the puzzle.

Word Association Practice: I use similar word games and puzzle apps during my commute to train my brain to spot patterns faster.

Community Forums: The New York Times doesn’t have an official forum, but various Reddit communities and word game enthusiasts share strategies (without spoiling answers). Discussing approaches with other players has legitimately improved my game.

The Psychology Behind Why We Can’t Stop Playing

As someone who’s both fascinated by game design and slightly concerned about my Spelling Bee addiction, I’ve thought a lot about why this puzzle is so compelling.

The Zeigarnik Effect: This psychological principle states that people remember uncompleted tasks better than completed ones. When you close the Spelling Bee at “Great” instead of “Genius,” your brain keeps working on it subconsciously. That’s why you suddenly think of words hours later.

Variable Rewards: Like the best mobile puzzle games, each word you find provides a small dopamine hit. But the reward varies – sometimes it’s a common 4-letter word (small reward), sometimes it’s a long pangram (major reward). This variable reinforcement schedule is incredibly addictive.

Just-Right Challenge: The Spelling Bee sits in that sweet spot of being neither too easy nor too hard. You’ll always find some words, but rarely all of them. This keeps you in the “flow state” that makes games satisfying.

Social Competition: Even if you play alone, the ranking system creates implied competition. No one wants to be just “Good” when “Genius” is right there taunting you.

Building and Maintaining Your Streak

I’m currently on a 127-day Spelling Bee streak, and I’m ridiculously protective of it. Here’s what I’ve learned about streak maintenance:

Set a Daily Alarm: I play every morning at 7:30 AM with my coffee. Making it a routine rather than relying on memory has been crucial.

Use the NYT Games App: The mobile app sends you push notifications for new puzzles. It’s saved my streak multiple times when I’ve had unusual schedules.

Know the Reset Time: The puzzle resets at midnight EST/9 PM PST. Understanding this helps you plan, especially when traveling across time zones.

Have a Backup Plan: Some days you just won’t have time for a full session. On those days, I aim for at least “Good” ranking rather than “Genius.” Something is better than breaking the streak.

Don’t Stress Too Much: This is supposed to be fun. If you miss a day, you miss a day. The puzzle isn’t going anywhere.

Historical Trends I’ve Noticed

After tracking every puzzle since June 2026, I’ve spotted some interesting patterns:

Monday puzzles tend to have more common letters and higher word counts. The NYT seems to ease players into the week.

Weekend puzzles often feature trickier letter combinations or uncommon center letters. Saturday and Sunday puzzles average 15% fewer total words than weekday puzzles.

Seasonal vocabulary occasionally appears. I’ve noticed more holiday-adjacent words near major holidays, though this could be confirmation bias.

The average puzzle contains 48 words worth 189 points, with a genius threshold of 132 points. If you’re consistently hitting these benchmarks, you’re doing great.

Frequently Asked Questions

What time does the Spelling Bee reset?

The puzzle updates daily at 12:00 AM EST (9:00 PM PST the previous day). I’ve gotten into the habit of playing right before bed on the West Coast, which means I’m technically solving “tomorrow’s” puzzle.

How many words are typically in each puzzle?

Word counts range from 23 to 81, but most puzzles fall between 35-55 words. The variation depends heavily on the letter combination. Vowel-heavy puzzles generally have more words.

What’s the highest possible score?

The highest score I’ve personally seen was 389 points with 81 words. The lowest was around 94 points with 23 words. Each puzzle is unique.

Can I play previous days’ puzzles?

Unfortunately, no. The New York Times only hosts the current day’s puzzle. This is one reason I maintain this archive – so you can at least see what you missed.

Do proper nouns ever count?

Never. The Spelling Bee explicitly excludes proper nouns, hyphenated words, and offensive terms. When in doubt, try it anyway – worst case, it just won’t accept the word.

How do I get better at finding pangrams?

Start by listing out all seven letters and looking for common word patterns. Pangrams often use letter combinations that “feel” natural together. Also, remember that letters can repeat, so you might use one letter three or four times in a pangram.

Is there a trick to reaching Genius every day?

Honestly? Practice and patience. I reach Genius about 87% of the time, and the days I don’t are usually due to time constraints rather than inability. The more you play, the better you’ll get at recognizing patterns.

What should I do when I’m completely stuck?

Take a break. Seriously. Walk away for 20 minutes, do something else, and come back. I’ve also found that writing out the letters by hand and rearranging them physically helps break mental blocks.

Similar Games You Might Enjoy

If you love the Spelling Bee, you might also enjoy these word puzzles:

Wordle: The daily word-guessing game that took the world by storm. Five letters, six guesses, and that same “just one more” feeling.

Letter Boxed: Another NYT puzzle where you connect letters around a box to form words. It requires different strategic thinking but scratches the same itch.

Connections: The NYT’s newest puzzle game where you group words into categories. Less about vocabulary and more about lateral thinking, but equally addictive.

Crossword puzzles: If you enjoy the Spelling Bee, consider branching out to other word puzzle games that challenge your vocabulary in different ways.

Maintaining This Resource

I update this page every single day at 12:01 AM EST with the new puzzle’s answers. I know how frustrating it is to find outdated “solution” pages, so I’m committed to keeping this current.

If you find this resource helpful, please bookmark it and share it with your fellow Spelling Bee addicts. I don’t run ads or ask for payment – I just love the puzzle and wanted to create the resource I wish I’d had when I started playing.

Got suggestions for making this page better? Drop a comment below. I read every single one and have implemented several reader suggestions over the months.

Final Thoughts

The NYT Spelling Bee has become part of my daily routine, right up there with morning coffee and checking the weather. Some days I crush it and hit Genius in 15 minutes. Other days I struggle to reach “Great” after an hour. Both experiences are valid.

Remember: this is a game. It’s meant to be fun, challenging, and occasionally frustrating in that satisfying “one more try” way. Don’t let it stress you out. If you need the answers, they’re here. If you want to solve it yourself, more power to you.

The beauty of the Spelling Bee is that there’s always tomorrow’s puzzle. Fresh letters, fresh start, fresh opportunity to feel clever when you spot that pangram before breakfast.

Now if you’ll excuse me, it’s 11:58 PM and I need to get ready for today’s puzzle. Happy word hunting, everyone!

Related Guides:

💡 Pro Tip: Bookmark this page and check back daily for the latest answers. I update at midnight EST every single day!

Did this guide help you achieve Genius status? Drop a comment below and let me know your current streak! 🐝