Today's NYT Spelling Bee Hints & Answer for Mon, August 17, 2026
Unlock the Pangram and reach Genius with our spoiler-free hints and grid, view the full answers, or search the archive.
Today's NYT Spelling Bee Hints
Puzzle Stats
- Total Words: 38
- Total Points: 115
- Pangrams: 1
- Genius: 81 Points
Pangram Hint(s)
Reveal Pangram Hint
Two-Letter List
Reveal Two-Letter List
Hint for a Long Word
Reveal Long Word Hint
Today's NYT Spelling Bee Answers
D Words (11)
G Words (10)
O Words (3)
P Words (10)
Pangram
R Words (3)
Y Words (1)
Today's NYT Spelling Bee Review & Analysis
- With O in the center and only one other vowel, I, the grid ran through compact, oo-heavy patterns rather than broad vowel shuffles. The strongest launch points were do-/dro- and go-/goo-/gro-, all leaning on D, G, and R around the mandatory O: door, dory, droid, droop on one side; good, goody, goop, gory, grog, grody, groggy on the other. The internal oo bridge was the main glue, turning short bases into expandable sets. As harvesting endings, -op, -or, and -py were especially efficient, pulling together clusters such as drop/goop/poop, door/odor/poor, and dopy/goopy/droopy.
- PRODIGY is a single-root noun rather than a transparent compound, but its spelling still reflects the board’s best signals. It opens with the productive pr-/pro- frame also seen in prod, prop, prior, and priory, then pivots away from the dominant oo lane by spending the puzzle’s scarcer vowel, I. That makes its shape distinctive: a tight consonant skeleton, P-R-D-G-Y, with O and I doing all the vocalic work. Relative to the do-/go- families, the pangram depends less on obvious repetition and more on spotting that pro- opening and carrying it through an uncommon but standard ending.
How to Use Our Spoiler-Free NYT Spelling Bee Hints
Trying to reach Genius without spoiling the fun? Most players work through the hints in stages—starting with overall stats, then narrowing things down by letter groups, and only revealing full answers if they get stuck.
Puzzle Stats and the Pangram Hint
The "Puzzle Stats" section shows the Genius score and total number of answers. If you want a nudge, "Reveal Pangram Hint" gives a clue that points toward the pangram without giving it away.
Grid, Two-Letter List, and Long Word Hint
When you're down to a few missing words, the "Two-Letter List" helps identify unused starts like CA-2 or CO-3. You can also try "Hint for a Long Word", which offers a definition-style clue for one longer answer.
Answers Grouped by Starting Letter
In "Today's Spelling Bee Answers", words are organized by starting letter—A words, B words, and so on. The group that includes the pangram is marked with a ★ Pangram label.
Seeing the Full Solution
If you’re ready to see everything, "Reveal All Answers" expands every letter group and displays the complete list in alphabetical order, with the pangram highlighted.
FAQ
How do I use these Spelling Bee hints?
The page is kept spoiler-free by default. You can start with Puzzle Stats to see where the Genius score sits. The Two-Letter List (like CO-2) is helpful for spotting missing word starts. If you need more, the Answers section is grouped by starting letter, so you can reveal only what you want.
When do NYT Spelling Bee Hints update?
Hints update every day shortly after 3:00 AM ET, around the same time the official New York Times Spelling Bee goes live. We usually have the grid, pangram hints, and full answers posted within a few minutes.
How are Spelling Bee points calculated?
4-letter words are worth 1 point. Longer words score 1 point per letter (for example, a 6-letter word earns 6 points). Pangrams get an extra 7-point bonus on top of their letter total, which makes them a big boost toward Genius.
What do the numbers in the 'Two-Letter List' mean?
Each entry (such as CO-2 or DE-4) shows how many valid words begin with that letter pair. For example, 'CO-2' means there are exactly two words starting with 'CO'. It’s a way to narrow things down without giving answers away.
What is a Pangram in Spelling Bee?
A pangram is a word that uses all seven letters from the puzzle at least once. Every Spelling Bee has at least one. In the answer list, pangrams are marked with a ★ Pangram label.
Why are the answers hidden initially?
So you don’t see anything by accident. Answers stay hidden behind a Click to Reveal setup, letting you uncover a single hint, a group of words, or everything at once using the 'Reveal All Answers' button.
Can I find answers for past puzzles?
Yes. The Archive section at the bottom of the page lets you look up hints and answers for puzzles from the past year.