NYT Spelling Bee Answers & Hints — July 16, 2026
- 37Total words
- 166Total points
- 116Genius
- 1Pangram
The pangram for July 16, 2026
Every letter used at least once — worth a bonus 7 points on top of the length score.
Letter by letter
8 letters · tap any tile to reveal just that letter.
Spelling Bee hints for July 16, 2026
Three levels of help, gentlest first — take only as much as you need. Skip straight to the answers →
Words per starting letter
The gentlest nudge — which letters do the heavy lifting today.
Two-letter tally
How many words start with each pair — if a pair isn't here, nothing starts with it.
- ac6
- ad1
- ar3
- ca3
- ci1
- da4
- di8
- dr3
- dy1
- ra3
- ta1
- ti1
- tr1
- ya1
Word length grid
The most specific spoiler-free hint — hunt a missing word by its length.
| 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Σ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | – | 10 |
| C | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | – | – | 4 |
| D | 6 | 7 | 1 | – | 1 | 1 | 16 |
| I | – | – | – | – | – | – | 0 |
| R | 1 | 2 | – | – | – | – | 3 |
| T | 1 | 2 | – | – | – | – | 3 |
| Y | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | 1 |
| Σ | 12 | 14 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 37 |
Spelling Bee answers for July 16, 2026
The full word list, grouped by length — pangram first, then longest to shortest. Tap a group to reveal.
P
- acridity15
9
- diacritic9
8
- didactic8
7
- acidity7
- arcadia7
- aridity7
- cardiac7
6
- acidic6
- addict6
- cicada6
- didact6
5
- acidy5
- acrid5
- caddy5
- daddy5
- dairy5
- diary5
- dicta5
- dirty5
- ditty5
- dryad5
- radar5
- radii5
- tardy5
- triad5
4
- acid1
- arid1
- card1
- dart1
- data1
- dirt1
- drat1
- dray1
- dyad1
- raid1
- tidy1
- yard1
Today's puzzle by the numbers
Difficulty, rank thresholds, pangram etymology and what makes today unusual.
Difficulty
7/ 10
Today's puzzle is on the harder side, with only 37 words against a historical average of roughly 45 — a leaner grid that leaves fewer easy fallbacks. The single pangram is a fairly technical, low-frequency word that most solvers won't stumble onto by accident, making the bonus points genuinely hard to claim. The letter set is heavy on repeated vowels and the consonant cluster feels constrained, which limits the variety of common patterns solvers can lean on. Shorter words are plentiful enough to reach a decent score, but cracking Genius will require finding several of the longer, more specialized entries.
Points per rank
| Rank | Points | % |
|---|---|---|
| Queen Bee 👑 | 166 | 100% |
| Genius | 116 | 70% |
| Amazing | 83 | 50% |
| Great | 66 | 40% |
| Nice | 42 | 25% |
| Solid | 25 | 15% |
| Good | 13 | 8% |
| Moving Up | 8 | 5% |
| Good Start | 3 | 2% |
| Beginner | 0 | 0% |
About the pangram
acridity15 pts
From Latin 'acer' (sharp, pungent), via the adjective 'acrid' which entered English in the early 18th century, likely modeled on 'acid'; the abstract noun form 'acridity' captures the quality of a biting, harsh smell or taste.
Puzzle facts
- Longest word9 letters
- 4-letter words12 of 37
- Pangram bonus+7 points
- Puzzles archived85
Try another puzzle
Two more NazoKai hints, ready when you are.