Today's NYT Spelling Bee Answers & Hints

Today's NYT Spelling Bee uses center letter H with outer letters A, C, E, I, L, T. The puzzle contains 79 words worth 353 points, including 2 pangrams. The longest word is 10 letters. To reach Genius you need 247 points; Queen Bee requires all 353 points. Today is a bingo — every letter starts at least one word. Compared with the eight-year average of about 183 points per puzzle, this is a larger-than-average day.

Game Summary

Spelling Bee "Hive" Board for September 20, 2026
Center LetterH
Outer Lettersa, c, e, i, l, t
# of Pangrams2 (Perfect: 1)
Total Words79 words
Total Points353 points
Genius Level247 points
Bingo?Yes

Table of Contents

As you scroll down this page, the clues get progressively more revealing. So scroll slowly!

  1. Spelling Bee Grid
  2. Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints
  3. Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints
  4. Extra Letter Hints (Incrementally Revealing) 🤯
  5. Today's Complete Solution
  6. Answer Definitions

If you're just here for a list of NYT Spelling Bee answers, Jump down to the answers ↓ (Spoiler Alert!).

Spelling Bee "Hive" Board for September 20, 2026

Spelling Bee Grid

The following table shows the standard Spelling Bee summary grid, which lists word lengths across the top and letters down the left-hand side. The cell where the word lengths and letters intersect displays the number of words in today's puzzle with the corresponding first letter and word length.

45678910Σ
A1-121--5
C56542--22
E21-1---4
H125431--25
I1------1
L252----9
T453---113
Σ272215104-179

Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints

The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding two letters.

A
AC×1
AT×4
C
CA×4
CH×17
CL×1
E
EA×1
ET×3
H
HA×11
HE×10
HI×4
I
IT×1
L
LA×3
LE×4
LI×2
T
TA×1
TE×6
TH×4
TI×2

Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints

The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding three letters.

A
ACH×1
ATH×2
ATT×2
C
CAC×2
CAT×2
CHA×6
CHE×2
CHI×9
CLI×1
E
EAC×1
ETC×1
ETH×2
H
HAI×1
HAL×5
HAT×5
HEA×4
HEC×1
HEE×1
HEL×4
HIA×1
HIL×2
HIT×1
I
ITC×1
L
LAT×3
LEA×1
LEC×1
LEE×1
LET×1
LIT×2
T
TAC×1
TEA×1
TEC×2
TEE×2
TEL×1
THA×2
THE×2
TIL×1
TIT×1

Extra Letter Hints (Incrementally Revealing)

The table below lists all of the solutions to today's puzzle, but they're concealed. You can click the plus button (+) to reveal additional letters, one-by-one.

Concealed definitions are provided as additional clues. You can toggle concealment of the definitions by clicking on the concealer bar or the text that appears when the definition is visible.

Pangrams are marked with a dagger symbol ().

Word2L RefDefinition (click to reveal)
at...... AT8Having to do with athletes.
et..... ET7Of or relating to the study of ethics.
ac..AC4To suffer pain; to be the source of, or be in, pain, especially continued dull pain; to be distressed.
at.....AT7A participant in a group of sporting activities which includes track and field, road running, cross country running and racewalking.
at....AT6To fasten, to join to (literally and figuratively).
at.....AT7Alternative form of attaché
ca...CA5A store of things that may be required in the future, which can be retrieved rapidly, protected or hidden in some way.
ca....CA6A seal, as of a letter.
ca...CA5The act of seizing or capturing.
ca......CA8Alternative form of catch-all
ch..CH4A female gypsy.
ch....CH6No definition found; request failed
ch.....CH7A large drinking cup, often having a stem and base and used especially for formal occasions and religious ceremonies.
ch.....CH7A traditional bread eaten by Ashkenazi Jews, usually braided for the Sabbath and round for a yom tov.
ch..CH4To be engaged in informal conversation.
ch.....CH7No definition found; request failed
ch...CH5To violate rules in order to gain, or attempt to gain, advantage from a situation.
ch.....CH7A distinctive member (Acinonyx jubatus) of the cat family, slightly smaller than the leopard, but with proportionately longer limbs and a smaller head. It is native to Africa and also credited with being the fastest terrestrial animal.
ch..CH4A Mexican sage grown for its edible seeds, Salvia hispanica.
ch..CH4Elegant, stylish.
ch...CH5A Latin-American girl; a Latina.
ch....CH6Affectedly trendy; chic and stylish in a pretentious way.
ch....CH6The milky latex of the sapodilla tree, used after coagulation as the principal ingredient of chewing gum
ch...CH5The pungent, spicy fresh or dried fruit of any of several cultivated varieties of capsicum peppers, used in cooking.
ch...CH5A moderate, but uncomfortable and penetrating coldness.
ch..CH4A child or babe; a young, small, or insignificant person or animal.
ch......CH8Alternative spelling of chit-chat
cl....CL6Alternative form of cliché
ea..EA4All; every; qualifying a singular noun, indicating all examples of the thing so named seen as individual or separate items (compare every).
et..ET4To cut into a surface with an acid or other corrosive substance in order to make a pattern. Best known as a technique for creating printing plates, but also used for decoration on metal, and, in modern industry, to make circuit boards.
et...ET5Moral, relating to morals.
ha..HA4Balls or pieces of ice falling as precipitation, often in connection with a thunderstorm.
ha...HA5Permissible, according to Muslim religious customs, to have or do.
ha..HA4Sound, entire, healthy; robust, not impaired.
ha....HA6Native salt; sodium chloride NaCl as a mineral; rock salt.
ha..HA4A corridor; a hallway.
ha..HA4To limp; move with a limping gait.
ha...HA5A horizontal door in a floor or ceiling.
ha.....HA7A small, light axe with a short handle; a tomahawk.
ha..HA4An object of hatred.
ha..HA4third-person singular simple present indicative form of have
ha...HA5The fundamental form of yoga that focuses on asanas
he..HE4To make better from a disease, wound, etc.; to revive or cure.
he....HE6The state of being free from physical or psychological disease, illness, or malfunction; wellness.
he..HE4Thermal energy.
he...HE5A tract of level uncultivated land with sandy soil and scrubby vegetation; heathland.
he....HE6Very busy with activity and confusion.
he..HE4The rear part of the foot, where it joins the leg.
he......HE8Of or relating to the Sun, especially rising and setting with the sun.
he.....HE7In the shape of a helix.
he..HE4A place of torment where some or all sinners and evil spirits are believed to go after death.
he.....HE7No definition found; request failed
hi....HI6Relating to a hiatus.
hi..HI4An elevated landmass smaller than a mountain.
hi..HI4The handle of a sword, consisting of grip, guard, and pommel, designed to facilitate use of the blade and afford protection to the hand.
hi...HI5A sudden pull.
it..IT4A sensation felt on an area of the skin that causes a person or animal to want to scratch said area.
la...LA5To close or lock as if with a latch.
la..LA4A thin, narrow strip, fastened to the rafters, studs, or floor beams of a building, for the purpose of supporting a covering of tiles, plastering, etc.
la...LA5To invite; bid; ask.
le...LE5A quantity of wood ashes, through which water passes, and thus imbibes the alkali.
le..LE4A strong, lecherous desire or craving.
le...LE5An aquatic blood-sucking annelid of class Hirudinea, especially Hirudo medicinalis.
le....LE6Of, pertaining to, or causing death; deadly; mortal; fatal.
li....LI6Synonym of lychee
li...LI5To go.
ta..TA4Clipping of tachometer.
te...TE5To pass on knowledge to.
te..TE4Technology.
te....TE6One who works with, or has an interest in, technology or computers.
te...TE5plural of tooth
te....TE6To grow teeth.
te........TE10Healthcare facilitated by telecommunication technology, typically allowing a doctor or other healthcare professional to interact with a patient visually and audibly.
th..TH4Introducing a clause which is the subject or object of a verb (such as one involving reported speech), or which is a complement to a previous statement.
th....TH6Straw, rushes, or similar, used for making or covering the roofs of buildings, or of stacks of hay or grain.
th..TH4Objective and reflexive case of thou.
th...TH5The eighth letter of the Modern Greek alphabet, ninth in Old Greek: Θ, θ.
ti...TI5Agricultural labour; husbandry.
ti...TI5A tenth.

Today's Complete Solution

The words that follow are a complete listing of all acceptable words in today's New York Time Spelling Bee puzzle.

Next to the answer word you'll see the two-letter reference (2L Ref) in parentheses. We added that 2L Ref for easier translation of the spoiler-avoidant language you see on the Spelling Bee Forum and Twitter. The 2L Ref signifies a word's two start letters followed by the total number of letters in the word.

  • athletic  (AT8)
  • ethical  (ET7)
  • ache  (AC4)
  • athlete  (AT7)
  • attach  (AT6)
  • attache  (AT7)
  • cache  (CA5)
  • cachet  (CA6)
  • catch  (CA5)
  • catchall  (CA8)
  • chai  (CH4)
  • chalet  (CH6)
  • chalice  (CH7)
  • challah  (CH7)
  • chat  (CH4)
  • chattel  (CH7)
  • cheat  (CH5)
  • cheetah  (CH7)
  • chia  (CH4)
  • chic  (CH4)
  • chica  (CH5)
  • chichi  (CH6)
  • chicle  (CH6)
  • chili  (CH5)
  • chill  (CH5)
  • chit  (CH4)
  • chitchat  (CH8)
  • cliche  (CL6)
  • each  (EA4)
  • etch  (ET4)
  • ethic  (ET5)
  • hail  (HA4)
  • halal  (HA5)
  • hale  (HA4)
  • halite  (HA6)
  • hall  (HA4)
  • halt  (HA4)
  • hatch  (HA5)
  • hatchet  (HA7)
  • hate  (HA4)
  • hath  (HA4)
  • hatha  (HA5)
  • heal  (HE4)
  • health  (HE6)
  • heat  (HE4)
  • heath  (HE5)
  • hectic  (HE6)
  • heel  (HE4)
  • heliacal  (HE8)
  • helical  (HE7)
  • hell  (HE4)
  • hellcat  (HE7)
  • hiatal  (HI6)
  • hill  (HI4)
  • hilt  (HI4)
  • hitch  (HI5)
  • itch  (IT4)
  • latch  (LA5)
  • lath  (LA4)
  • lathe  (LA5)
  • leach  (LE5)
  • lech  (LE4)
  • leech  (LE5)
  • lethal  (LE6)
  • litchi  (LI6)
  • lithe  (LI5)
  • tach  (TA4)
  • teach  (TE5)
  • tech  (TE4)
  • techie  (TE6)
  • teeth  (TE5)
  • teethe  (TE6)
  • telehealth  (TE10)
  • that  (TH4)
  • thatch  (TH6)
  • thee  (TH4)
  • theta  (TH5)
  • tilth  (TI5)
  • tithe  (TI5)

Answer Definitions

  • athletic (adjective): Having to do with athletes.
  • ethical (adjective): Of or relating to the study of ethics.
  • ache (verb): To suffer pain; to be the source of, or be in, pain, especially continued dull pain; to be distressed.
  • athlete (noun): A participant in a group of sporting activities which includes track and field, road running, cross country running and racewalking.
  • attach (verb): To fasten, to join to (literally and figuratively).
  • attache (noun): Alternative form of attaché
  • cache (noun): A store of things that may be required in the future, which can be retrieved rapidly, protected or hidden in some way.
  • cachet (noun): A seal, as of a letter.
  • catch (noun): The act of seizing or capturing.
  • catchall (noun): Alternative form of catch-all
  • chai (noun): A female gypsy.
  • chalet (n/a): No definition found; request failed
  • chalice (noun): A large drinking cup, often having a stem and base and used especially for formal occasions and religious ceremonies.
  • challah (noun): A traditional bread eaten by Ashkenazi Jews, usually braided for the Sabbath and round for a yom tov.
  • chat (verb): To be engaged in informal conversation.
  • chattel (n/a): No definition found; request failed
  • cheat (verb): To violate rules in order to gain, or attempt to gain, advantage from a situation.
  • cheetah (noun): A distinctive member (Acinonyx jubatus) of the cat family, slightly smaller than the leopard, but with proportionately longer limbs and a smaller head. It is native to Africa and also credited with being the fastest terrestrial animal.
  • chia (noun): A Mexican sage grown for its edible seeds, Salvia hispanica.
  • chic (adjective): Elegant, stylish.
  • chica (noun): A Latin-American girl; a Latina.
  • chichi (adjective): Affectedly trendy; chic and stylish in a pretentious way.
  • chicle (noun): The milky latex of the sapodilla tree, used after coagulation as the principal ingredient of chewing gum
  • chili (noun): The pungent, spicy fresh or dried fruit of any of several cultivated varieties of capsicum peppers, used in cooking.
  • chill (noun): A moderate, but uncomfortable and penetrating coldness.
  • chit (noun): A child or babe; a young, small, or insignificant person or animal.
  • chitchat (noun): Alternative spelling of chit-chat
  • cliche (noun): Alternative form of cliché
  • each (determiner): All; every; qualifying a singular noun, indicating all examples of the thing so named seen as individual or separate items (compare every).
  • etch (verb): To cut into a surface with an acid or other corrosive substance in order to make a pattern. Best known as a technique for creating printing plates, but also used for decoration on metal, and, in modern industry, to make circuit boards.
  • ethic (adjective): Moral, relating to morals.
  • hail (noun): Balls or pieces of ice falling as precipitation, often in connection with a thunderstorm.
  • halal (adjective): Permissible, according to Muslim religious customs, to have or do.
  • hale (adjective): Sound, entire, healthy; robust, not impaired.
  • halite (noun): Native salt; sodium chloride NaCl as a mineral; rock salt.
  • hall (noun): A corridor; a hallway.
  • halt (verb): To limp; move with a limping gait.
  • hatch (noun): A horizontal door in a floor or ceiling.
  • hatchet (noun): A small, light axe with a short handle; a tomahawk.
  • hate (noun): An object of hatred.
  • hath (verb): third-person singular simple present indicative form of have
  • hatha (noun): The fundamental form of yoga that focuses on asanas
  • heal (verb): To make better from a disease, wound, etc.; to revive or cure.
  • health (noun): The state of being free from physical or psychological disease, illness, or malfunction; wellness.
  • heat (noun): Thermal energy.
  • heath (noun): A tract of level uncultivated land with sandy soil and scrubby vegetation; heathland.
  • hectic (adjective): Very busy with activity and confusion.
  • heel (noun): The rear part of the foot, where it joins the leg.
  • heliacal (adjective): Of or relating to the Sun, especially rising and setting with the sun.
  • helical (adjective): In the shape of a helix.
  • hell (proper noun): A place of torment where some or all sinners and evil spirits are believed to go after death.
  • hellcat (n/a): No definition found; request failed
  • hiatal (adjective): Relating to a hiatus.
  • hill (noun): An elevated landmass smaller than a mountain.
  • hilt (noun): The handle of a sword, consisting of grip, guard, and pommel, designed to facilitate use of the blade and afford protection to the hand.
  • hitch (noun): A sudden pull.
  • itch (noun): A sensation felt on an area of the skin that causes a person or animal to want to scratch said area.
  • latch (verb): To close or lock as if with a latch.
  • lath (noun): A thin, narrow strip, fastened to the rafters, studs, or floor beams of a building, for the purpose of supporting a covering of tiles, plastering, etc.
  • lathe (verb): To invite; bid; ask.
  • leach (noun): A quantity of wood ashes, through which water passes, and thus imbibes the alkali.
  • lech (noun): A strong, lecherous desire or craving.
  • leech (noun): An aquatic blood-sucking annelid of class Hirudinea, especially Hirudo medicinalis.
  • lethal (adjective): Of, pertaining to, or causing death; deadly; mortal; fatal.
  • litchi (noun): Synonym of lychee
  • lithe (verb): To go.
  • tach (noun): Clipping of tachometer.
  • teach (verb): To pass on knowledge to.
  • tech (noun): Technology.
  • techie (noun): One who works with, or has an interest in, technology or computers.
  • teeth (noun): plural of tooth
  • teethe (verb): To grow teeth.
  • telehealth (noun): Healthcare facilitated by telecommunication technology, typically allowing a doctor or other healthcare professional to interact with a patient visually and audibly.
  • that (conjunction): Introducing a clause which is the subject or object of a verb (such as one involving reported speech), or which is a complement to a previous statement.
  • thatch (noun): Straw, rushes, or similar, used for making or covering the roofs of buildings, or of stacks of hay or grain.
  • thee (pronoun): Objective and reflexive case of thou.
  • theta (noun): The eighth letter of the Modern Greek alphabet, ninth in Old Greek: Θ, θ.
  • tilth (noun): Agricultural labour; husbandry.
  • tithe (noun): A tenth.

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