NYT Spelling Bee Answers & Hints — September 18, 2026
- 41Total words
- 209Total points
- 146Genius
- 1Pangram
The pangram for September 18, 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 September 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.
- ac4
- an2
- aq4
- at2
- au1
- ca6
- ci1
- in2
- na3
- ni1
- qu3
- ta9
- ti2
- tu1
Word length grid
The most specific spoiler-free hint — hunt a missing word by its length.
| 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Σ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 4 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 3 | – | 13 |
| C | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | – | 7 |
| I | – | – | 2 | – | – | – | 2 |
| N | 2 | – | 2 | – | – | – | 4 |
| Q | – | 1 | 2 | – | – | – | 3 |
| T | 3 | 4 | 3 | 1 | – | 1 | 12 |
| U | – | – | – | – | – | – | 0 |
| Σ | 10 | 9 | 13 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 41 |
Spelling Bee answers for September 18, 2026
The full word list, grouped by length — pangram first, then longest to shortest. Tap a group to reveal.
P
- acquaint15
9
- tactician9
8
- aquanaut8
- aquatint8
- cinquain8
7
- aquatic7
- cantata7
- cantina7
- titanic7
6
- acacia6
- acquit6
- attain6
- cancan6
- incant6
- intact6
- natant6
- niacin6
- quaint6
- quanta6
- tactic6
- tannic6
- tannin6
5
- antic5
- attic5
- cacti5
- canna5
- quant5
- tacit5
- taint5
- taunt5
- titan5
4
- acai1
- anti1
- aqua1
- aunt1
- cant1
- naan1
- nana1
- tact1
- taut1
- tuna1
Today's puzzle by the numbers
Difficulty, rank thresholds, pangram etymology and what makes today unusual.
Difficulty
6/ 10
Today is a moderately challenging puzzle that rewards solvers with a strong vocabulary in technical and poetic terminology. With 41 words against a historical average of about 44, the list is slightly leaner than usual, but the single pangram is genuinely tricky to assemble from an unusual letter set dominated by Q, C, and repeated vowels. The Q-heavy corner is the main obstacle — every Q word in the puzzle pairs Q with U, so the challenge lies less in unusual letter combinations and more in recalling niche scientific, poetic, and Latin-rooted vocabulary. Solvers comfortable with classical and scientific language will find a clear path to Genius; everyone else may stall in the middle tier.
Points per rank
| Rank | Points | % |
|---|---|---|
| Queen Bee 👑 | 209 | 100% |
| Genius | 146 | 70% |
| Amazing | 105 | 50% |
| Great | 84 | 40% |
| Nice | 52 | 25% |
| Solid | 31 | 15% |
| Good | 17 | 8% |
| Moving Up | 10 | 5% |
| Good Start | 4 | 2% |
| Beginner | 0 | 0% |
About the pangram
acquaint15 pts
From Old French 'acointier' (to make known), itself from Medieval Latin 'accognitare', built on Latin 'cognoscere' (to know thoroughly); the word entered Middle English around the 13th century meaning to bring someone into personal knowledge of something.
Puzzle facts
- Longest word9 letters
- 4-letter words10 of 41
- Pangram bonus+7 points
- Puzzles archived85
Try another puzzle
Two more NazoKai hints, ready when you are.