SEP 30 2026

Spelling Bee September 30, 2026 Answers

All 62 valid words for the NYT Spelling Bee. Center letter: P.

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62
Total Words
305
Max Points
214
Genius Score
P
Center Letter

Today’s Pangrams

Tap to reveal the pangrams (spoiler)

Heads up — this shows the hardest words of the day.

⭐ Today’s Pangram
KNEECAPPED
Uses all 7 letters — worth 17 points
Also: PANCAKED

September 30, 2026 brought one of the more word-rich NYT Spelling Bee: 62 valid words, every single one containing the center letter P.

With 62 valid words, this was an unusually large puzzle — patient, systematic solvers had plenty of material to work with. The outer letters were A, C, D, E, K, N, and the longest answer aside from the pangram ran 10 letters for 10 points. Reaching Genius required 214 points out of a possible 305; see how this compares in the full answers archive.

The pangram used all 7 letters for 17 points — the highest-scoring word of the day (tap the spoiler above if you want it). If pangrams are where you get stuck, the pangram-spotting guide walks through the letter patterns that give them away.

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.

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✓ Official NYT Answers
This list is confirmed against NYT’s official answers for today. Words NYT doesn’t accept are marked with an orange box below.

Word List Hints — September 30, 2026

Prefer a nudge over the full answer key? Here is how the 62 words for the September 30, 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 \ Len4567810Total
A121·1·5
C112···4
D1·31229
E1·····1
K11·2·15
N2·1···3
P1281131·35
Total19121864362

Two-letter starts

AP5CA4DA1DE8EP1KA1KE1KN3NA2NE1PA15PE20

All 62 Words — Sorted by Length

Tap to reveal all 62 answers (spoiler)

Spoiler warning — the complete answer list is below.

10 Letters4 words
DEADPANNED 10
DEPENDENCE 10
KNEECAPPED ★ 17
DEPENDANCE 10
8 Letters6 words
APPENDED 8
DEEPENED 8
DEPENDED 8
PANCAKED ★ 15
PANACEAN 8
PENANCED 8
7 Letters8 words
DEADPAN 7
KNEECAP 7
KNEEPAD 7
PANACEA 7
PANCAKE 7
PENANCE 7
KNAPPED 7
KNEEPAN 7
6 Letters24 words
APPEND 6
CANAPE 6
CAPPED 6
DAPPED 6
DEEPEN 6
DEPEND 6
NAPPED 6
PACKED 6
PADDED 6
PANDAN 6
PANNED 6
PEAKED 6
PECKED 6
PEEKED 6
PEEPED 6
PENDED 6
PENNED 6
PEPPED 6
KEPPED 6
KEPPEN 6
PANADA 6
PEACED 6
PEENED 6
PENNAE 6
5 Letters18 words
APACE 5
APNEA 5
CAPED 5
KAPPA 5
PACED 5
PAEAN 5
PANDA 5
PANED 5
PEACE 5
PECAN 5
PENCE 5
PENNE 5
APEAK 5
APEEK 5
NAPPE 5
PANNE 5
PEKAN 5
PENNA 5
4 Letters25 words
APED 1
CAPE 1
DEEP 1
EPEE 1
KEEP 1
NAPE 1
NEAP 1
PACE 1
PACK 1
PANE 1
PAPA 1
PEAK 1
PECK 1
PEED 1
PEEK 1
PEEN 1
PEEP 1
PEKE 1
PEND 1
CEPE 1
KAPA 1
KNAP 1
NEEP 1
PACA 1
PEAN 1
Pangram ★ — uses all 7 letters High Value (8+ pts) Standard Valid word — not in NYT’s official list P= required center letter
Scroll to see all 62 words

What the Words Mean

Definitions for the September 30, 2026 answers — so you know exactly what you found, or what you missed. Pangrams are marked ★.

Tap to reveal all 56 definitions (spoiler)

Spoiler warning — every answer word is spelled out and defined below.

APACE
adverb Quickly
APED
noun Any of various primates with short tails or no tail at all
APNEA
noun Transient cessation of respiration
APPEND
verb Add to the very end
APPENDED
verb Add to the very end
CANAPE
noun An appetizer consisting usually of a thin slice of bread or toast spread with caviar or cheese or other savory food
CAPE
noun A strip of land projecting into a body of water
CAPED
noun A strip of land projecting into a body of water
CAPPED
adjective Used especially of front teeth having (artificial) crowns
DEADPAN
adjective Deliberately impassive in manner
DEADPANNED
adjective Deliberately impassive in manner
DEEP
noun The central and most intense or profound part
DEEPEN
verb Make more intense, stronger, or more marked
DEEPENED
verb Make more intense, stronger, or more marked
DEPEND
verb Be contingent upon (something that is elided)
DEPENDED
verb Be contingent upon (something that is elided)
DEPENDENCE
noun The state of relying on or being controlled by someone or something else
EPEE
noun A fencing sword similar to a foil but with a heavier blade
KAPPA
noun The 10th letter of the Greek alphabet
KEEP
noun The financial means whereby one lives
KNEECAP
noun A small flat triangular bone in front of the knee that protects the knee joint
KNEECAPPED ★
noun A small flat triangular bone in front of the knee that protects the knee joint
NAPE
noun The back side of the neck
NAPPED
adjective Having soft nap produced by brushing
NEAP
noun A less than average tide occurring at the first and third quarters of the moon
PACE
noun The rate of moving (especially walking or running)
PACED
noun The rate of moving (especially walking or running)
PACK
noun A large indefinite number
PACKED
adjective Extremely crowed or filled to capacity
PADDED
adjective Softened by the addition of cushions or padding
PAEAN
noun A formal expression of praise
PANACEA
noun The goddess of healing
PANCAKE
noun A flat cake of thin batter fried on both sides on a griddle
PANCAKED ★
noun A flat cake of thin batter fried on both sides on a griddle
PANDA
noun Large black-and-white herbivorous mammal of bamboo forests of China and Tibet
PANE
noun Sheet glass cut in shapes for windows or doors
PANED
noun Sheet glass cut in shapes for windows or doors
PANNED
noun Cooking utensil consisting of a wide metal vessel
PAPA
noun An informal term for a father
PEACE
noun The state prevailing during the absence of war
PEAK
noun The most extreme possible amount or value
PEAKED
adjective Somewhat ill or prone to illness
PECAN
noun Wood of a pecan tree
PECK
noun A large number or amount or extent
PECKED
noun A large number or amount or extent
PEED
noun Liquid excretory product
PEEK
noun A secret look
PEEKED
noun A secret look
PEEN
noun The part of a hammerhead opposite the flat striking surface (may have various shapes)
PEEP
noun The short weak cry of a young bird
PEEPED
noun The short weak cry of a young bird
PEKE
noun A Chinese breed of small short-legged dogs with a long silky coat and broad flat muzzle
PENANCE
noun Remorse for your past conduct
PENNE
noun Pasta in short tubes with diagonally cut ends
PENNED
noun Pasta in short tubes with diagonally cut ends
PEPPED
noun Liveliness and energy

Word definitions from WordNet® 3.1, Princeton University.

Miss Words Like These Every Week?

The players who find DEADPANNED and DEPENDENCE consistently know their Latin and Greek roots. These books teach the exact system that unlocks words like KNEECAPPED before you ever see the puzzle.

See the Books →
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Frequently Asked Questions

September 30, 2026's puzzle contained 62 valid words, above average, giving solvers more paths to reach Genius than most puzzles offer. Every answer used the center letter P; the pangram KNEECAPPED was worth 17 points, the maximum score was 305, and Genius required 214 points. The longest word, DEADPANNED, scored 10. There was also 1 additional pangram: PANCAKED.
The pangram for September 30, 2026 was KNEECAPPED. A pangram uses all 7 letters of the puzzle at least once — in this case A, C, D, E, K, N, P — and earns a 7-point bonus on top of its length score, making KNEECAPPED worth 17 points total. Finding the pangram is the fastest way to jump from Amazing to Genius in a single word. There was also 1 additional pangram: PANCAKED.
62 words were accepted in the September 30, 2026 puzzle — above average, giving solvers more paths to reach Genius than most puzzles offer. Lengths ran from 1-point 4-letter words up to 10 letters, every entry containing the center letter P and drawing only on A, C, D, E, K, N, P. Letters may repeat, and the 4-letter minimum always applies.
The Genius threshold for September 30, 2026 was 214 points — exactly 70% of the maximum score of 305. The NYT scoring tiers work as follows: Beginner starts at 7 points, Amazing requires roughly 153 points (50% of max), and Genius requires 214 points (70% of max). Queen Bee requires finding all 62 words for the maximum 305 points. Most competitive solvers aim for Genius; Queen Bee is reserved for completionists.
September 30, 2026's letters were A, C, D, E, K, N, P, with P in the center — required in every answer — surrounded by A, C, D, E, K, N. Valid words run 4+ letters, may repeat letters freely, and must be dictionary words; proper nouns and hyphenated forms never count.

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