Spelling Bee Answers — September 23, 2026

    The full word list and pangrams for the NYT Spelling Bee from September 23, 2026.

    Daily brief

    Spelling bee #19613

    Wednesday, September 23, 2026

    ready

    Updated

    Today's hints

    Hive: center I; outer D, G, L, N, Y, Z

    Official totals
    Total Words
    41
    Pangram Count
    1
    Length histogram
    4
    9
    5
    9
    6
    6
    7
    11
    Other
    6
    Two-letter list
    OTHER
    41
    Letter-by-length grid
    D
    4
    2
    5
    4
    6
    2
    7
    3
    G
    7
    6
    I
    4
    3
    OTHER
    Total
    21
    Pangram shape
    Count
    1
    Starts With Center
    No
    1. Keep I in each word while drawing from 6 outer choices.
    2. A complete solve is 41 words, with 1 pangram.

    Difficulty: 3

    This band is shown with every input used to compute it.

    • accepted-word total
    • length distribution
    • pangram count

    Spelling Bee Puzzle

    Edited by Sam Ezersky

    Wednesday, September 23, 2026

    Today's Letters

    D
    G
    L
    I
    N
    Y
    Z

    Create words using letters from the hive. Words must:

    • Be at least 4 letters long
    • Include the center letter I

    224Max Points
    41Words Found
    1Pangrams
    5.5Avg Points/Word

    The Spelling Bee pangram for Wednesday, September 23, 2026 was DIZZYINGLY, out of 41 total words worth 224 points.

    Solution Details

    D (14)

    diddlingdiddlydiggingdilldillydingdingingdingydiningdizzilydizzydizzyingdizzyinglydying

    G (12)

    giddilygiddygiddyinggigginggigglinggigglygildgildinggillgillingginninggliding

    I (6)

    idlingidlyidylidyllillyinning

    L (3)

    lilylininglying

    N (2)

    nigglingninny

    Z (4)

    ziggingzingzingingzingy

    Yesterday's full result

    2026-09-22

    Center Letter
    N
    Outer Letters
    O, Q, U, X, E, I
    Words
    • Word
      EQUINOX
      Scrabble Score
      23
      Wwf Score
      25
      Part Of Speech
      n
      Definition
      either of two times of the year when the sun crosses the plane of the earth's equator and day and night are of equal length
      Is Pangram
      Yes
    • Word
      ENNUI
      Scrabble Score
      5
      Wwf Score
      8
      Part Of Speech
      n
      Definition
      the feeling of being bored by something tedious
      Is Pangram
      No
    • Word
      EQUINE
      Scrabble Score
      15
      Wwf Score
      17
      Part Of Speech
      n
      Definition
      hoofed mammals having slender legs and a flat coat with a narrow mane along the back of the neck
      Is Pangram
      No
    • Word
      INNIE
      Scrabble Score
      5
      Wwf Score
      7
      Is Pangram
      No
    • Word
      NENE
      Scrabble Score
      4
      Wwf Score
      6
      Is Pangram
      No
    • Word
      NEON
      Scrabble Score
      4
      Wwf Score
      6
      Part Of Speech
      n
      Definition
      a colorless odorless gaseous element that gives a red glow in a vacuum tube; one of the six inert gasses; occurs in the air in small amounts
      Is Pangram
      No
    • Word
      NINE
      Scrabble Score
      4
      Wwf Score
      6
      Part Of Speech
      n
      Definition
      the cardinal number that is the sum of eight and one
      Is Pangram
      No
    • Word
      NONE
      Scrabble Score
      4
      Wwf Score
      6
      Part Of Speech
      n
      Definition
      a canonical hour that is the ninth hour of the day counting from sunrise
      Is Pangram
      No
    • Word
      NONUNION
      Scrabble Score
      8
      Wwf Score
      13
      Part Of Speech
      adj
      Definition
      not belonging to or not allowing affiliation with a trade union
      Is Pangram
      No
    • Word
      NOON
      Scrabble Score
      4
      Wwf Score
      6
      Part Of Speech
      n
      Definition
      the middle of the day
      Is Pangram
      No
    • Word
      NOUN
      Scrabble Score
      4
      Wwf Score
      7
      Part Of Speech
      n
      Definition
      a content word that can be used to refer to a person, place, thing, quality, or action
      Is Pangram
      No
    • Word
      ONION
      Scrabble Score
      5
      Wwf Score
      7
      Part Of Speech
      n
      Definition
      the bulb of an onion plant
      Is Pangram
      No
    • Word
      OXEN
      Scrabble Score
      11
      Wwf Score
      12
      Part Of Speech
      n
      Definition
      domesticated bovine animals as a group regardless of sex or age
      Is Pangram
      No
    • Word
      QUEEN
      Scrabble Score
      14
      Wwf Score
      16
      Part Of Speech
      n
      Definition
      the only fertile female in a colony of social insects such as bees and ants and termites; its function is to lay eggs
      Is Pangram
      No
    • Word
      QUININE
      Scrabble Score
      16
      Wwf Score
      19
      Part Of Speech
      n
      Definition
      a bitter alkaloid extracted from chinchona bark; used in malaria therapy
      Is Pangram
      No
    • Word
      UNION
      Scrabble Score
      5
      Wwf Score
      8
      Part Of Speech
      n
      Definition
      an organization of employees formed to bargain with the employer
      Is Pangram
      No
    • Word
      UNIQUE
      Scrabble Score
      15
      Wwf Score
      18
      Part Of Speech
      adj
      Definition
      radically distinctive and without equal
      Is Pangram
      No
    • Word
      XENON
      Scrabble Score
      12
      Wwf Score
      14
      Part Of Speech
      n
      Definition
      a colorless odorless inert gaseous element occurring in the earth's atmosphere in trace amounts
      Is Pangram
      No
    Pangrams
    EQUINOX

    Source verification

    Sources
    1
    Agreement
    single
    Confidence
    confirmed
    • 1: verified (0 ms)

    Checked 2026-09-23T07:30:02.652Z

    Recent answers

    • 2026-09-22 — centerLetter: N · outerLetters: O, Q, U, X, E, I · totalWords: 18 · totalScore: 78 · pangramCount: 1 · weekday: Tuesday
    • 2026-09-21 — centerLetter: N · outerLetters: A, B, E, J, L, Y · totalWords: 26 · totalScore: 105 · pangramCount: 1 · weekday: Monday
    • 2026-09-20 — centerLetter: H · outerLetters: A, C, E, I, L, T · totalWords: 79 · totalScore: 353 · pangramCount: 2 · weekday: Sunday
    • 2026-09-19 — centerLetter: B · outerLetters: G, I, L, N, O, T · totalWords: 58 · totalScore: 309 · pangramCount: 4 · weekday: Saturday
    • 2026-09-18 — centerLetter: A · outerLetters: C, I, N, Q, T, U · totalWords: 41 · totalScore: 209 · pangramCount: 1 · weekday: Friday
    • 2026-09-17 — centerLetter: M · outerLetters: A, F, I, L, O, Y · totalWords: 36 · totalScore: 124 · pangramCount: 1 · weekday: Thursday
    • 2026-09-16 — centerLetter: P · outerLetters: D, E, I, N, O, W · totalWords: 55 · totalScore: 248 · pangramCount: 1 · weekday: Wednesday
    • 2026-09-15 — centerLetter: M · outerLetters: C, G, I, N, P, R · totalWords: 19 · totalScore: 107 · pangramCount: 1 · weekday: Tuesday
    • 2026-09-14 — centerLetter: G · outerLetters: A, B, E, O, P, Y · totalWords: 21 · totalScore: 73 · pangramCount: 1 · weekday: Monday
    • 2026-09-13 — centerLetter: N · outerLetters: A, D, I, O, T, X · totalWords: 40 · totalScore: 222 · pangramCount: 3 · weekday: Sunday
    • 2026-09-12 — centerLetter: I · outerLetters: A, L, M, P, R, T · totalWords: 70 · totalScore: 284 · pangramCount: 1 · weekday: Saturday
    • 2026-09-11 — centerLetter: K · outerLetters: A, C, D, E, H, I · totalWords: 26 · totalScore: 100 · pangramCount: 1 · weekday: Friday
    • 2026-09-10 — centerLetter: U · outerLetters: A, D, E, H, L, N · totalWords: 53 · totalScore: 258 · pangramCount: 2 · weekday: Thursday
    • 2026-09-09 — centerLetter: R · outerLetters: I, L, N, O, P, U · totalWords: 20 · totalScore: 60 · pangramCount: 1 · weekday: Wednesday

    Archive statistics

    Averages By Weekday
    Tuesday
    Average Words
    38.5
    Average Score
    176.1
    Monday
    Average Words
    42.9
    Average Score
    181.8
    Sunday
    Average Words
    53.1
    Average Score
    261.3
    Saturday
    Average Words
    52
    Average Score
    252.1
    Friday
    Average Words
    43.2
    Average Score
    190.6
    Thursday
    Average Words
    41.1
    Average Score
    193.2
    Wednesday
    Average Words
    39.3
    Average Score
    167.8
    Center Vowel Share
    0.25
    Most Generous
    Date
    2026-09-20
    Center Letter
    H
    Outer Letters
    A, C, E, I, L, T
    Total Words
    79
    Total Score
    353
    Pangram Count
    2
    Weekday
    Sunday
    Least Generous
    Date
    2026-08-05
    Center Letter
    Y
    Outer Letters
    A, F, H, K, O, R
    Total Words
    17
    Total Score
    82
    Pangram Count
    1
    Weekday
    Wednesday
    Pangram Count Distribution
    1
    57
    2
    27
    3
    10
    4
    1

    How this brief was computed

    Hint classes: computed

    Generated lines used: 0

    Verification run: 20260923T074501Z

    How It Works

    Spelling Bee requires making words using available letters, with each word containing the center letter. Our tool will help you discover all possible combinations.

    Rules of the Game

    • Words must have at least 4 letters
    • Words must include the center letter
    • Letters can be used more than once
    • The NYT word list excludes obscure, hyphenated, or proper nouns
    • 4-letter words are worth 1 point each
    • Longer words earn 1 point per letter
    • Pangrams (words that use all 7 letters) earn 7 extra points

    Scoring Ranks

    Beginner: 0 points
    Good Start: 2 points
    Moving Up: 5 points
    Good: 8 points
    Solid: 15 points
    Nice: 25 points
    Great: 40 points
    Amazing: 50 points
    Genius: 70 points
    Queen Bee: Find all words!

    Our tool analyzes the daily puzzle and finds all valid words, helping you achieve "Genius" status and maybe even reach "Queen Bee" by finding all possible words!

    Frequently Asked Questions

    What is a pangram in Spelling Bee?

    A pangram is a word that uses all 7 letters from the honeycomb at least once. Pangrams are worth 7 bonus points on top of their regular letter points. Finding all pangrams is key to reaching Genius and Queen Bee levels.

    How many points do I need to reach Genius in Spelling Bee?

    Genius rank requires earning approximately 70% of the maximum possible points for that day's puzzle. The exact point threshold varies daily based on how many words and pangrams are available.

    What is Queen Bee rank in Spelling Bee?

    Queen Bee is the highest rank in Spelling Bee, achieved only by finding every single valid word in the puzzle. It's the ultimate challenge and requires discovering all words, including obscure ones.

    Spelling Bee strategy & tips

    Hunt the pangram first

    Every Spelling Bee has at least one pangram — a word that uses all seven letters — and it’s worth a 7-point bonus on top of its length score. Finding it early is the biggest single swing in your score and often reveals the “shape” of the day’s vocabulary.

    To find it, list the seven letters and look for likely combinations: a pangram almost always needs the center letter plus every outer letter, so scan for common roots that can absorb all of them (think “-ING,” “-TION,” or a compound).

    Mine prefixes and suffixes

    Most of your word count comes from systematically extending stems. Once you find a valid base word, try every legal affix:

    • Suffixes: -ING, -ED, -ER, -EST, -LY, -TION, -MENT, -NESS (only if the needed letters are present).
    • Prefixes: RE-, UN-, DE-, OUT-, OVER- when those letters are in the set.
    • Plurals and verb forms: if S is available, most nouns and verbs double your entries.

    Working stem-by-stem instead of guessing randomly is how players clear the higher ranks — our Spelling Bee tips guide walks through the full stem-mining routine.

    The ranks, and what “Genius” really takes

    Spelling Bee scores you up a ladder — Beginner, Good Start, Moving Up, Good, Solid, Nice, Great, Amazing, Genius — with Queen Bee reserved for finding every single word. Genius is about 70% of the total possible points, so you do not need every word to hit it; you need the long words and the pangram.

    Prioritize length: a 7- or 8-letter word is worth far more than several 4-letter words, so when you’re close to a rank, reach for longer entries.

    Rules that trip people up

    • Every word must include the center letter — no exceptions.
    • Words must be at least four letters; three-letter words don’t count.
    • Letters can be reused as many times as you like (e.g. if the set allows it, “LEVEL” or “MAMMA”-style repetition is fine).
    • No proper nouns, hyphenated words, or obscure/offensive entries — the dictionary is curated.

    Words people consistently miss

    The Bee loves slightly old-fashioned or less-common-but-valid words — things like NatterING, words with unusual letter doublings, and short interjections. If you’re a few words short of a rank, try less obvious vowel combinations and uncommon four-letter words before assuming you’ve found everything — or check your blind spots with our Spelling Bee solver.

    A fresh Spelling Bee is released daily; the letters and pangram change each day, so the skill is the search method, not memorization. Past puzzles live in the Spelling Bee archive if you want extra practice.