All 38 valid words for the NYT Spelling Bee. Center letter: O.
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With O required in every answer, the August 17, 2026 NYT Spelling Bee was a moderately challenging puzzle — 38 valid words in all.
With 38 valid words, this puzzle sat close to the typical range, rewarding players who systematically worked through every letter combination. The outer letters were D, G, I, P, R, Y, and the longest answer aside from the pangram ran 6 letters for 6 points. Reaching Genius required 81 points out of a possible 115; see how this compares in the full answers archive.
At 14 points, the pangram was the most valuable single word in the grid. 22 of the 38 answers were 4-letter words worth 1 point each, so the real climb toward Genius came from the longer finds — our Genius strategy guide breaks down how to spot them.
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 38 words for the August 17, 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 | 7 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| D | 5 | 5 | 1 | · | 11 |
| G | 6 | 3 | 1 | · | 10 |
| O | 2 | · | 1 | · | 3 |
| P | 6 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 10 |
| R | 2 | 1 | · | · | 3 |
| Y | 1 | · | · | · | 1 |
| Total | 22 | 11 | 4 | 1 | 38 |
DO7DR4GO6GR3GY1OD1OP1OR1PO4PR5PY1RI1RO2YO1
Spoiler warning — the complete answer list is below.
Definitions for the August 17, 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 DROOPY and GROGGY consistently know their Latin and Greek roots. These books teach the exact system that unlocks words like PRODIGY 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.
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