NYT Spelling Bee Hints for Sunday, September 20, 2026
Sunday, September 20, 2026
1️⃣ Official NYT Grid Matrix
Word count distribution across starting letters and word lengths.
| Letter | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 10 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 1 | - | 1 | 2 | 1 | - | 5 |
| C | 5 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 2 | - | 22 |
| E | 2 | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | 4 |
| H | 12 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 1 | - | 25 |
| I | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | 1 |
| L | 2 | 5 | 2 | - | - | - | 9 |
| T | 4 | 5 | 3 | - | - | 1 | 13 |
| TOTAL | 27 | 22 | 15 | 10 | 4 | 1 | 79 |
2️⃣ Two-Letter Tally
Two-letter prefixes with count of valid words.
3️⃣ Pangram Clues
Deduce the pangram(s) without spoiling the letters.
- • Starting Letter: A
- • Word Length: 8 letters
- • Ending Letter: C
- • Starting Letter: E
- • Word Length: 7 letters
- • Ending Letter: L
4️⃣ Word-Length Hints
Shows starting letter and length for every word.
A (5 words)
C (22 words)
E (4 words)
H (25 words)
I (1 words)
L (9 words)
T (13 words)
5️⃣ Complete Answer List
Full spoiler list of all 79 accepted words.
How to Decrypt the NYT Grid Matrix & Two-Letter Tallies Without Spoilers
The official New York Times Spelling Bee grid is not a cheat sheet—it is an analytical roadmap. When used methodically, it provides just enough structural information to guide your deductive reasoning without ruining the thrill of lexical discovery.
Step 1: Reading Rows and Columns in the Grid Matrix
The Grid Matrix organizes words along two axes: Starting Letter (Rows) and Word Length (Columns).
- Identify Empty Intersections: If a row shows a dash (—) under column 6, you know immediately not to waste time searching for 6-letter words with that initial letter.
- Pinpoint Remaining Targets: If your found wordlist contains three 5-letter words starting with a letter, and the matrix indicates a count of 4, you have a precise search target: "Find one more 5-letter word."
Step 2: Cross-Referencing the Two-Letter Tally
Once you know which letter row has missing words, open Level 2: Two-Letter Tally. Count how many words you have discovered for each two-letter stem (e.g. TA, TI, TO). If a stem is short by one word, you have successfully isolated your blind spot to that exact two-letter prefix without spoiling a single letter of the answer!
Step 3: Letter Doubling & Affix Compounding
Over 70% of missing words that prevent solvers from reaching Queen Bee are caused by two specific blind spots:
- Overlooked Doubled Letters: The brain assumes letters are unique unless prompted. Systematically test double letters: LL, TT, EE, OO, FF, PP.
- Modular Suffix Variations: If a verb stem is valid, test its past tense, gerund (-ing), noun form (-tion, -ment), and agent noun (-er, -or) forms.
Spelling Bee Hints: Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between hints and answers?
Hints provide structural and statistical cues (word counts, starting prefixes, length tallies, and syllable clues) that allow you to deduce solutions independently. Answers display the complete, spelled-out words directly. We recommend using hints first to preserve the intellectual satisfaction of the game.
What is Queen Bee rank and how many points are needed?
Queen Bee is the maximum achievable honor in the NYT Spelling Bee, awarded when you find every single valid word in the puzzle. For this puzzle, Queen Bee requires finding all 79 words and earning all 353 points.
What is a Bingo in Spelling Bee?
A "Bingo" occurs when the accepted word list includes at least one valid word starting with each of the seven letters in the hive. If one of the outer letters has a zero total in the Grid Matrix, that puzzle is not a Bingo.