NYT Spelling Bee Answers & Hints — September 9, 2026
- 20Total words
- 60Total points
- 42Genius
- 1Pangram
The pangram for September 9, 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 9, 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.
- in1
- ir1
- no2
- po4
- pr4
- pu3
- ri1
- ro2
- ru1
- un1
Word length grid
The most specific spoiler-free hint — hunt a missing word by its length.
| 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | Σ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | 1 | 1 | – | – | 2 |
| L | – | – | – | – | 0 |
| N | 2 | – | – | – | 2 |
| O | – | – | – | – | 0 |
| P | 6 | 3 | – | 2 | 11 |
| R | 4 | – | – | – | 4 |
| U | – | – | 1 | – | 1 |
| Σ | 13 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 20 |
Spelling Bee answers for September 9, 2026
The full word list, grouped by length — pangram first, then longest to shortest. Tap a group to reveal.
P
- purloin14
7
- pronoun7
6
- unroll6
5
- inurn5
- porno5
- prion5
- prior5
4
- iron1
- noir1
- nori1
- poor1
- porn1
- pour1
- prop1
- purl1
- purr1
- rill1
- roil1
- roll1
- ruin1
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, held back by a small word list — just 20 words against a historical average of nearly 45 — which means fewer footholds and less room to build momentum. The single pangram is a genuine vocabulary test, a somewhat literary verb that solvers may know but struggle to spell correctly under pressure. The four-letter tier is well-stocked with common short words, so getting started should feel accessible, but the middle and upper tiers thin out quickly and include terms from specialized domains — biology, culinary arts, and knitting — that may catch non-specialists off guard. Expect a satisfying solve if your vocabulary skews broad, and a frustrating one if it doesn't.
Points per rank
| Rank | Points | % |
|---|---|---|
| Queen Bee 👑 | 60 | 100% |
| Genius | 42 | 70% |
| Amazing | 30 | 50% |
| Great | 24 | 40% |
| Nice | 15 | 25% |
| Solid | 9 | 15% |
| Good | 5 | 8% |
| Moving Up | 3 | 5% |
| Good Start | 1 | 2% |
| Beginner | 0 | 0% |
About the pangram
purloin14 pts
From Anglo-French purloigner, meaning 'to put far away' or 'to remove to a distance,' from pur- (forth) and loin (far, from Latin longe). By the 16th century it had narrowed specifically to the sense of stealing or pilfering, a semantic slide from mere removal to dishonest removal.
Puzzle facts
- Longest word7 letters
- 4-letter words13 of 20
- Pangram bonus+7 points
- Puzzles archived85
Try another puzzle
Two more NazoKai hints, ready when you are.