Spelling Bee hints & answers: Sep 27, 2026

This page shows spoiler-layered hints and full answers for the NYT Spelling Bee hive published on Sep 27, 2026 (2026-09-27).

Hive overview

This hive centers on F with six outer letters. It has 78 stored words, 4 pangrams, and about 431 available points before rank thresholds.

Show structure hint

This hive has 78 playable words worth about 431 points in total. Aim to unlock the pangram and a few long words early to get ahead of the ranking curve.

There are 4 pangrams hidden in this hive.

Show word-count hints

Word count matrix (starting letter × length):

	4	5	6	7+	Σ
F	4 letters17	5 letters9	6 letters12	7+ letters7	Total45
D	4 letters1	5 letters–	6 letters7	7+ letters5	Total13
E	4 letters–	5 letters1	6 letters–	7+ letters1	Total2
I	4 letters–	5 letters–	6 letters1	7+ letters3	Total4
L	4 letters2	5 letters–	6 letters1	7+ letters1	Total4
N	4 letters–	5 letters–	6 letters–	7+ letters2	Total2
U	4 letters–	5 letters1	6 letters–	7+ letters7	Total8
Σ	4 letters20	5 letters11	6 letters21	7+ letters26	Total78

Approximate rank thresholds for this hive:

Good Start: 0 pts
Moving Up: 9 pts
Good: 22 pts
Solid: 34 pts
Nice: 65 pts
Great: 108 pts
Amazing: 172 pts
Genius: 302 pts
Queen Bee: 431 pts

Check your current score in the NYT game to see how close you are to each rank.

Show two-letter and length counts

Counts use the available unique accepted answers; they do not add dictionary guesses.

By length: 4 letters: 20 · 5 letters: 11 · 6 letters: 21 · 7 letters: 14 · 8 letters: 7 · 9 letters: 3 · 10 letters: 1 · 11 letters: 1

By first two letters: DE: 10 · DU: 3 · ED: 1 · EL: 1 · FE: 11 · FI: 16 · FL: 7 · FU: 11 · IN: 4 · LI: 2 · LU: 2 · NE: 1 · NU: 1 · UN: 8

Pangram 1

Show length and score

9 letters; worth 16 points. Some hive letters appear more than once.

Show letter pattern

The pangram starts with N and ends with D: N•••••••D.

Reveal this pangram

NULLIFIED

Show score and letter coverage

NULLIFIED: 9 letter points + 7 pangram bonus = 16 points. Uses all seven letters: D, E, F, I, L, N, U.

Pangram 2

Show length and score

7 letters; worth 14 points. A perfect pangram: each hive letter appears once.

Show letter pattern

The pangram starts with U and ends with D: U•••••D.

Reveal this pangram

UNFILED

Show score and letter coverage

UNFILED: 7 letter points + 7 pangram bonus = 14 points. Uses all seven letters: D, E, F, I, L, N, U.

Pangram 3

Show length and score

8 letters; worth 15 points. Some hive letters appear more than once.

Show letter pattern

The pangram starts with U and ends with D: U••••••D.

Reveal this pangram

UNFILLED

Show score and letter coverage

UNFILLED: 8 letter points + 7 pangram bonus = 15 points. Uses all seven letters: D, E, F, I, L, N, U.

Pangram 4

Show length and score

11 letters; worth 18 points. Some hive letters appear more than once.

Show letter pattern

The pangram starts with U and ends with D: U•••••••••D.

Reveal this pangram

UNFULFILLED

Show score and letter coverage

UNFULFILLED: 11 letter points + 7 pangram bonus = 18 points. Uses all seven letters: D, E, F, I, L, N, U.

Reveal full answer list (spoiler)

Full answer list for this hive (alphabetical):

WordLengthScorePangram

DEFEND
6
6
No
DEFENDED
8
8
No
DEFIED
6
6
No
DEFILE
6
6
No
DEFILED
7
7
No
DEFINE
6
6
No
DEFINED
7
7
No
DEFUND
6
6
No
DEFUNDED
8
8
No
DEIFIED
7
7
No
DUFF
4
1
No
DUFFEL
6
6
No
DUFFLE
6
6
No
EDIFIED
7
7
No
ELFIN
5
5
No
FEED
4
1
No
FEEL
4
1
No
FELID
5
5
No
FELINE
6
6
No
FELL
4
1
No
FELLED
6
6
No
FEND
4
1
No
FENDED
6
6
No
FENNEL
6
6
No
FEUD
4
1
No
FEUDED
6
6
No
FIDDLE
6
6
No
FIDDLED
7
7
No
FIEF
4
1
No
FIELD
5
5
No
FIELDED
7
7
No
FIEND
5
5
No
FIFE
4
1
No
FIFED
5
5
No
FILE
4
1
No
FILED
5
5
No
FILL
4
1
No
FILLED
6
6
No
FIND
4
1
No
FINE
4
1
No
FINED
5
5
No
FINNED
6
6
No
FLED
4
1
No
FLEE
4
1
No
FLIED
5
5
No
FLUE
4
1
No
FLUFF
5
5
No
FLUFFED
7
7
No
FLUID
5
5
No
FUDDLE
6
6
No
FUDDLED
7
7
No
FUEL
4
1
No
FUELED
6
6
No
FULFILL
7
7
No
FULFILLED
9
9
No
FULL
4
1
No
FUND
4
1
No
FUNDED
6
6
No
FUNNEL
6
6
No
FUNNELED
8
8
No
INFIDEL
7
7
No
INFIELD
7
7
No
INFILL
6
6
No
INFILLED
8
8
No
LIFE
4
1
No
LIFELINE
8
8
No
LUFF
4
1
No
LUFFED
6
6
No
NEEDFUL
7
7
No
NULLIFIED
9
16
Yes
UNDEFENDED
10
10
No
UNDEFINED
9
9
No
UNFED
5
5
No
UNFILED
7
14
Yes
UNFILLED
8
15
Yes
UNFULFILLED
11
18
Yes
UNFUNDED
8
8
No
UNIFIED
7
7
No

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