All 36 valid words for the NYT Spelling Bee. Center letter: D.
💬 Join the discussionHeads up — this shows the hardest word of the day.
The NYT Spelling Bee for August 3, 2026 was a moderately challenging puzzle, with 36 valid words built entirely around the center letter D — which must appear in every answer.
With 36 valid words, this puzzle sat close to the typical range, rewarding players who systematically worked through every letter combination. The outer letters were F, I, L, O, R, Y, and the longest answer aside from the pangram ran 6 letters for 6 points. Reaching Genius required 96 points out of a possible 136; see how this compares in the full answers archive.
The pangram was worth 15 points — more than any other word that day. With answers ranging from 4 letters up to 6, working methodically from the shortest words up is the surest route to Genius; see the full method in our strategy guide.
Prefer to solve it yourself? Get spoiler-free hints for today's Spelling Bee instead — the words grouped by starting letter and length, with a nudge toward the pangram, so nothing is spoiled until you ask.
Prefer a nudge over the full answer key? Here is how the 36 words for the August 3, 2026 Spelling Bee break down — how many begin with each letter, at each word length — followed by the two-letter start list. Work these first, then reveal the complete list only if you get stuck.
| Start \ Len | 4 | 5 | 6 | 8 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| D | 6 | 10 | 3 | · | 19 |
| F | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 7 |
| I | 3 | 1 | · | · | 4 |
| L | 1 | 1 | 1 | · | 3 |
| O | 1 | 1 | · | · | 2 |
| R | 1 | · | · | · | 1 |
| Total | 15 | 14 | 6 | 1 | 36 |
DI4DO8DR7FI1FL3FO3ID4LO3OD2RO1
Spoiler warning — the complete answer list is below.
Definitions for the August 3, 2026 answers — so you know exactly what you found, or what you missed. Pangrams are marked ★.
Spoiler warning — every answer word is spelled out and defined below.
Word definitions from WordNet® 3.1, Princeton University.
The players who find DIDDLY and DROLLY consistently know their Latin and Greek roots. These books teach the exact system that unlocks words like FLORIDLY before you ever see the puzzle.
How did today go? Share your progress, favorite finds, or where you got stuck. Be kind — no spoilers-shaming.
No comments yet — be the first!