NYT Spelling Bee Answers & Hints — September 17, 2026
- 36Total words
- 124Total points
- 87Genius
- 1Pangram
The pangram for September 17, 2026
Every letter used at least once — worth a bonus 7 points on top of the length score.
Letter by letter
7 letters · tap any tile to reveal just that letter.
Spelling Bee hints for September 17, 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.
- am2
- fa2
- fi2
- fl1
- fo3
- im1
- la1
- li2
- ll1
- lo3
- ma9
- mi2
- mo7
Word length grid
The most specific spoiler-free hint — hunt a missing word by its length.
| 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | Σ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 2 | – | – | – | – | 2 |
| F | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 8 |
| I | 1 | – | – | – | – | 1 |
| L | 5 | 2 | – | – | – | 7 |
| M | 9 | 6 | 2 | 1 | – | 18 |
| O | – | – | – | – | – | 0 |
| Y | – | – | – | – | – | 0 |
| Σ | 19 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 36 |
Spelling Bee answers for September 17, 2026
The full word list, grouped by length — pangram first, then longest to shortest. Tap a group to reveal.
P
- foamily14
8
- familial8
- flimflam8
7
- mollify7
6
- family6
- mammal6
- mayfly6
5
- filmy5
- foamy5
- llama5
- loamy5
- mafia5
- mamma5
- molly5
- momma5
- mommy5
- moola5
4
- ammo1
- amyl1
- film1
- foam1
- imam1
- lama1
- lima1
- limo1
- loam1
- loom1
- mail1
- maim1
- mall1
- mama1
- mayo1
- miff1
- mill1
- moil1
- moll1
Today's puzzle by the numbers
Difficulty, rank thresholds, pangram etymology and what makes today unusual.
Difficulty
6/ 10
A moderately tricky Thursday, leaning harder than it first appears. With only 36 words against a historical average of 44, the answer list is notably slim, meaning solvers have fewer easy wins to accumulate points. The letter mix rewards players who spot doubled-consonant patterns and compound-style constructions, but the single pangram is genuinely elusive — it's an uncommon adverbial form that most solvers won't reach for naturally. A handful of the debut words are everyday terms that simply haven't appeared before, which should help, but the overall shortfall in word count makes Genius rank a tighter climb than usual.
Points per rank
| Rank | Points | % |
|---|---|---|
| Queen Bee 👑 | 124 | 100% |
| Genius | 87 | 70% |
| Amazing | 62 | 50% |
| Great | 50 | 40% |
| Nice | 31 | 25% |
| Solid | 19 | 15% |
| Good | 10 | 8% |
| Moving Up | 6 | 5% |
| Good Start | 2 | 2% |
| Beginner | 0 | 0% |
About the pangram
foamily14 pts
An adverb derived from 'foamy,' itself from Old English *fām* (foam) plus the adverbial suffix *-ily*; its apparent absence from prior Spelling Bee puzzles likely reflects how rarely English calls for the adverbial form of a texture word.
Puzzle facts
- Longest word8 letters
- 4-letter words19 of 36
- Pangram bonus+7 points
- Puzzles archived85
Try another puzzle
Two more NazoKai hints, ready when you are.