WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2026 • UPDATED 3:00 AM ET

Spelling Bee Hints Today (October 21, 2026)

Welcome to the daily hint page for the NYT Spelling Bee. Instead of handing you the whole word list, we give you progressive clues for today’s hive: letter counts, two-letter pairs and a word-length grid.

Open one level at a time, check it against the words you have already found, and stop as soon as you can solve again. That way you still get the satisfaction of finding the words yourself.

See Today’s Answers
Pangram Hint
Your 5 Hint Levels
1Basic InfoCounts only
2Letter DistributionStarting letters
3Two-Letter TallyStarting pairs
4Word Length GridLengths by letter
5Full AnswersLast resort
CHOOSE YOUR HINT LEVEL

Reveal Hints One Step at a Time

1Basic InfoLetters, word count, points and pangram count
56
Total words
244
Total points
2
Pangrams
171
Genius score

Center letter: L. Outer letters: A, D, I, P, R, Y. Pangrams are hidden here, so nothing is spoiled.

When to use it: Open this first if you only want to know how big the puzzle is. Knowing there are 56 words and 2 pangrams helps you decide how long to keep hunting before you ask for more help.

2Letter DistributionHow many words start with each letter

How many words begin with each letter. Look for the letter where you have found the fewest.

a
7
d
10
i
4
l
10
p
16
r
9

When to use it: Use this when you have found a good number of words but feel stuck. Compare the bar for each letter with your own list. If P has 16 words and you only have six, you know exactly where to look next.

3Two-Letter TallyStarting pairs and how many words each has

Words starting with each two-letter pair. Compare each count to your list to find the missing words.

ai
2 words
al
2 words
ap
2 words
ar
1 word
da
3 words
di
5 words
dr
2 words
id
3 words
il
1 word
la
5 words
li
5 words
pa
11 words
pi
3 words
pl
2 words
ra
5 words
ri
4 words

When to use it: This is the strongest level for closing small gaps. Each pair is a short list you can check against your found words, so a missing word is much easier to spot than in a full grid.

4Word Length GridWords organized by letter count

Words by starting letter and length. Use it to chase the long, high-value words.

Letter4L5L6L7L8L9L10LTotal
A2221–––7
D2511––110
I31–––––4
L72––1––10
P525211–16
R32211––9
All221410531156

When to use it: Use this when you have most of the short words and want the longer, higher-scoring ones. Words of seven letters or more are worth the most points, and this table shows which starting letters still hold one.

5Full AnswersMost revealing level

This is the most revealing level, so save it for last. When you are ready to see the words themselves, open the full list.

Open Today’s Answers

When to use it: Keep this for the end. Once you open the answers, the puzzle is solved for you, so try every other level first.

TODAY’S PUZZLE

What Today’s Hive Looks Like

Before you open any hint level, it helps to know what kind of puzzle you are facing. Today’s hive has 56 valid words worth 244 points, and you need 171 points to reach Genius. That is a fairly typical size, so a steady pace should get you there.

The shape of the list matters more than the total. Short words dominate: 22 of the 56 words have only four letters, which is about 39% of the list. Another 14 words have five letters. These are the easy points, and most players will find them within the first few minutes.

The long words are where the rankings are won. There are only 5 words with seven letters, 3 with eight letters, and a single word each at nine and ten letters. Because every word of seven letters or more scores heavily, finding even one or two of them can push you over the Genius line.

Today’s center letter is L, so every word must contain it. The outer letters are A, D, I, P, R and Y. Two pangrams use all seven letters, and each earns a 7-point bonus on top of its length score.

Hive at a Glance
Center letterL
Outer lettersA D I P R Y
Total words56
Total points244
Pangrams2
Genius score171 pts
Biggest pairPA · 11 words
Longest word10 letters
HOW IT WORKS

How to Use Today’s Hints

Start at Level 1 and stop as soon as you can solve again. The two-letter tally is usually enough: compare each pair with the words you have found, and any shortfall is a blind spot.

For example, PA starts 11 words in today’s hive. If you have fewer than 11, a few are still hiding there. Use the length grid when you are missing long words.

If you are still stuck after the grid, try the pangram page for a gentle clue, or open the full answers. There is no wrong way to play, so use as much or as little help as you like.

Suggested Order
1.Play a first pass with no hints.
2.Check the letter distribution for thin spots.
3.Use the two-letter tally to close exact gaps.
4.Open the length grid to hunt long words.
5.Read the full answers only as a last resort.
PLAYER TIPS

Six Tips to Find More Words

Hints work best when you pair them with a good search habit. These simple tips help players of every level.

1
Start with the short words
Find the easy four- and five-letter words first. They build your score and give you a base to compare against the hint tables.
2
Use the center letter
Every word needs L. If you feel stuck, try adding L to common prefixes and endings, such as words that end in -LY.
3
Hunt by pairs
Pick one two-letter pair and list every word you can think of that starts with it. Then compare the total with the tally.
4
Look for plurals and forms
Check whether you have the -ED, -ING, -ER and -S forms of the words you already found. Related forms are easy to miss.
5
Aim for the long words
Long words score the most. Try combining common word parts, and check your guesses against the length grid.
6
Take a break
A short walk away from the puzzle often helps. Many players find new words the moment they come back with fresh eyes.
GLOSSARY

Spelling Bee Terms Explained

Pangram
A word that uses all seven letters at least once. It earns a 7-point bonus.
Center letter
The letter in the middle of the hive. Every valid word must include it.
Genius
The rank you reach at 70% of the day’s total points.
Queen Bee
The rank for finding every valid word in the puzzle.
Two-letter tally
A count of how many words start with each two-letter pair.
Hive
The seven-letter honeycomb that makes up the day’s puzzle.
QUICK ANSWERS

Frequently Asked Questions

No. Levels 1 to 4 show counts only. No words are listed until you open the full answers.

Most players find the two-letter tally best. Today PA alone has 11 words, so a shortfall there is easy to spot.

You need 171 points, which is 70% of today’s 244-point total.

They refresh at 3:00 AM Eastern Time, when the new puzzle goes live.

Level 1 shows the pangram count. For more, visit the pangram page.

No. Hints are a way to keep playing when you are stuck. The levels are designed so you can take only as much help as you want.

It is a list showing how many words start with each two-letter pair, such as PA or DI. Matching it against your own list shows where words are missing.

Some combinations are rare. A pair with a single word is often easy to forget, so check those pairs carefully.

Yes. You can play unlimited free puzzles in the game section of SBeeHub.us.

Yes. The hive is the same worldwide each day, so the counts and grids are identical for every player.

Still Stuck on Today’s Hive?

Open the full answers, browse the archive or try the pangram finder.

Today’s Answers
Pangram Finder

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