NYT Spelling Bee Answers & Hints — July 18, 2026
- 73Total words
- 389Total points
- 272Genius
- 2Pangrams
The pangram for July 18, 2026
Every letter used at least once — worth a bonus 7 points on top of the length score.
Letter by letter
10 letters · tap any tile to reveal just that letter.
Spelling Bee hints for July 18, 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
- al1
- ap2
- at1
- ca11
- ce3
- ci2
- cl3
- ec3
- el5
- ep2
- ic1
- il2
- ip1
- it1
- la7
- li3
- pa3
- pe3
- pi3
- pl2
- ta8
Word length grid
The most specific spoiler-free hint — hunt a missing word by its length.
| 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | Σ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 1 | 2 | 6 | 1 | – | – | – | 10 |
| C | 6 | 5 | 3 | 5 | – | – | – | 19 |
| E | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 10 |
| I | – | 1 | 3 | 1 | – | – | – | 5 |
| L | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | – | – | – | 10 |
| P | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | – | – | 11 |
| T | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | – | 8 |
| Σ | 16 | 17 | 18 | 14 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 73 |
Spelling Bee answers for July 18, 2026
The full word list, grouped by length — pangram first, then longest to shortest. Tap a group to reveal.
P
- elliptical17
- tailpiece16
9
- epileptic9
8
- eclectic8
- ecliptic8
- elliptic8
- pellicle8
- tactical8
7
- acetate7
- calcite7
- capital7
- catalpa7
- catcall7
- cattail7
- electee7
- illicit7
- lactate7
- lacteal7
- lattice7
- piccata7
- placate7
- tactile7
6
- acacia6
- accept6
- acetal6
- acetic6
- alpaca6
- apiece6
- caplet6
- cattle6
- celiac6
- elicit6
- icicle6
- ipecac6
- italic6
- lactic6
- laical6
- palace6
- peptic6
- tactic6
5
- apace5
- attic5
- cacti5
- calla5
- celli5
- cilia5
- cleat5
- eclat5
- elect5
- iliac5
- licit5
- lilac5
- peace5
- piece5
- place5
- tacet5
- tacit5
4
- acai1
- call1
- cape1
- cell1
- cite1
- clap1
- clip1
- epic1
- lace1
- laic1
- lice1
- pace1
- pact1
- pica1
- tact1
- talc1
Today's puzzle by the numbers
Difficulty, rank thresholds, pangram etymology and what makes today unusual.
Difficulty
6/ 10
This is a moderately challenging puzzle that skews harder than average thanks to a generous but demanding word list. At 74 words and a max score of 396, it runs well above the historical averages of 44 words and 184 points in this archive, meaning there is a lot to find — but also a lot of opportunity. The center C pairs naturally with the vowel-heavy outer ring to produce many familiar short words, giving solvers a comfortable floor, but the upper tier is loaded with technical and less common vocabulary (geological, anatomical, and culinary terms) that will slow down all but the most well-read solvers. The two pangrams are long and structurally complex, making them the steepest climb to Genius.
Points per rank
| Rank | Points | % |
|---|---|---|
| Queen Bee 👑 | 389 | 100% |
| Genius | 272 | 70% |
| Amazing | 195 | 50% |
| Great | 156 | 40% |
| Nice | 97 | 25% |
| Solid | 58 | 15% |
| Good | 31 | 8% |
| Moving Up | 19 | 5% |
| Good Start | 8 | 2% |
| Beginner | 0 | 0% |
About the pangram
elliptical17 pts
A 10-letter pangram worth 17 points — uses all seven letters for the +7 bonus.
Puzzle facts
- Longest word10 letters
- 4-letter words16 of 73
- Pangram bonus+7 points
- Puzzles archived30
Try another puzzle
Two more NazoKai hints, ready when you are.