NYT Spelling Bee Answers for June 20, 2025

Spelling Bee "Hive" Board for June 20, 2025

Game Summary

Spelling Bee "Hive" Board for June 20, 2025
Center LetterP
Outer Lettersa, b, e, h, l, t
# of Pangrams1 (Perfect: none)
Total Words61 words
Total Points287 points
Genius Level201 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 June 20, 2025

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.

4567891011Σ
A-33-211-10
B11------2
E1-------1
H2--11--15
L12------3
P1556441--35
T211-1---5
Σ2212105821161

Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints

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

A
AL×3
AP×7
B
BE×1
BL×1
E
EP×1
H
HE×5
L
LA×1
LE×2
P
PA×18
PE×9
PH×1
PL×7
T
TA×2
TE×3

Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints

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

A
ALE×1
ALP×2
APP×7
B
BEE×1
BLE×1
E
EPE×1
H
HEA×1
HEE×1
HEL×2
HEP×1
L
LAP×1
LEA×2
P
PAE×1
PAL×11
PAP×2
PAT×4
PEA×2
PEB×1
PEE×3
PEL×2
PET×1
PHA×1
PLA×3
PLE×4
T
TAP×2
TEE×1
TEL×1
TEP×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)
al...... AL8The set of letters used when writing in a language.
al...AL5The first letter of the Proto-Canaanite alphabet, and its descendants in descended Semitic scripts, such as Phoenician 𐤀‎ (ʾ, ʾaleph), Aramaic 𐡀‎ (ʾ), Classical Syriac ܐ‎ ('ālaph), Hebrew א‎ (aleph) and Arabic ا‎ (ʾalif).
al...AL5The name of the first letter of the Greek alphabet (Α,  α), followed by beta. In the Latin alphabet it is the predecessor to A.
ap....AP6To fill with horror; to dismay.
ap....AP6An application to a superior court or judge for a decision or order by an inferior court or judge to be reviewed and overturned. The legal document or form by which such an application is made; also, the court case in which the application is argued. A person's legal right to apply to court for such a review.
ap........AP10That may be appealed, or sent to a higher court for judgement.
ap.......AP9That can be (legally) appealed to, especially of a court that hears appeals of decisions by a lower court.
ap......AP8A respondent.
ap...AP5A common, round fruit produced by the tree Malus domestica, cultivated in temperate climates.
ap....AP6a small program module that runs under the control of a larger application, typically a web browser
be..BE4The sound produced by the horn of a car, or any similar sound.
bl...BL5A brief high-pitched sound, as from some electronic device.
ep..EP4A sharp-pointed dueling sword with a bell-shaped guard, used (with the end blunted) in sport fencing.
he..HE4A crowd; a throng; a multitude or great number of people.
he.....HE7A piece or wedge that raises the heel of a shoe.
he..HE4Action given to provide assistance; aid.
he......HE8Capable of being helped.
he.........HE11An athlete who competes in the heptathlon.
la...LA5Each of the two triangular pieces of cloth on the front of a jacket or coat that are folded back below the throat, leaving a triangular opening between.
le..LE4To jump.
le...LE5simple past tense and past participle of leap
pa....PA6A savory Valencian dish made of rice, cooked in a frying pan with vegetables and meat or shellfish.
pa....PA6An open-sided dwelling with a thatched roof made of dried palm leaves.
pa.......PA9Pleasing to the taste, tasty.
pa.....PA7Pertaining to the palate.
pa....PA6The roof of the mouth, separating the cavities of the mouth and nose in vertebrates.
pa..PA4Light in color.
pa.....PA7A thin board on which a painter lays and mixes colours.
pa..PA4Senses relating to cloth. Fine cloth, especially purple cloth used for robes. A heavy cloth laid over a coffin or tomb; a shroud laid over a corpse. A piece of cardboard, covered with linen and embroidered on one side, used to cover the chalice during the Eucharist. A cloth used for various purposes on the altar in a church, such as a corporal (“cloth on which elements of the Eucharist are placed”) or frontal (“drapery covering the front of an altar”).
pa....PA6A portable platform, usually designed to be easily moved by a forklift, on which goods can be stacked, for transport or storage.
pa..PA4Synonym of pedipalp.
pa......PA8Capable of being touched, felt or handled; touchable, tangible.
pa.....PA7To examine or otherwise explore through touch, particularly in reference to an area or organ of the human body.
pa..PA4Dad, daddy, father; a familiar or old-fashioned term of address to one’s father.
pa...PA5Having to do with the pope or the papacy.
pa..PA4The head, particularly the top or crown.
pa.....PA7The sesamoid bone of the knee; the kneecap.
pa......PA8plural of patella
pa..PA4A trail for the use of, or worn by, pedestrians.
pe..PE4A loud sound, or a succession of loud sounds, as of bells, thunder, cannon, shouts, laughter, of a multitude, etc.
pe..PE4Soil formed of dead but not fully decayed plants found in bog areas, often burned as fuel.
pe....PE6A small stone, especially one rounded by the action of water.
pe..PE4To remove the skin or outer covering of.
pe......PE8Capable of being peeled.
pe..PE4A short, soft, high-pitched sound, as made by a baby bird.
pe....PE6A small, compressed, hard chunk of matter.
pe..PE4The skin of a beast with the hair on; a raw or undressed hide; a skin preserved with the hairy or woolly covering on it.
pe...PE5One of the component parts of the corolla of a flower. It applies particularly, but not necessarily only, when the corolla consists of separate parts, that is when the petals are not connately fused. Petals are often brightly colored.
ph..PH4Excellent; cool; very good.
pl..PL4A plot of land; a lot.
pl...PL5A slightly curved but almost flat dish from which food is served or eaten.
pl......PL8A small colorless disk-shaped particle found in the blood of mammals, which plays an important role in the formation of blood clots.
pl..PL4An appeal, petition, urgent prayer or entreaty.
pl...PL5A fold in the fabric of a garment, usually a skirt, as a part of the design of the garment, with the purpose of adding controlled fullness and freedom of movement, or taking up excess fabric. There are many types of pleats, differing in their construction and appearance.
pl..PL4A commoner, a member of the lower class of a society.
pl...PL5A plebeian, a member of the lower class of Roman citizens.
ta..TA4A kind of cloth prepared by the Polynesians from the inner bark of the paper mulberry.
ta..TA4Flexible material in a roll with a sticky surface on one or both sides; adhesive tape.
te....TE6A cone-shaped tent traditionally used by many native peoples of the Great Plains of North America.
te......TE8A person with telepathic ability, capable of reading the thoughts of others around them.
te...TE5Alternative form of teepee

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.

  • alphabet  (AL8)
  • aleph  (AL5)
  • alpha  (AL5)
  • appall  (AP6)
  • appeal  (AP6)
  • appealable  (AP10)
  • appellate  (AP9)
  • appellee  (AP8)
  • apple  (AP5)
  • applet  (AP6)
  • beep  (BE4)
  • bleep  (BL5)
  • epee  (EP4)
  • heap  (HE4)
  • heeltap  (HE7)
  • help  (HE4)
  • helpable  (HE8)
  • heptathlete  (HE11)
  • lapel  (LA5)
  • leap  (LE4)
  • leapt  (LE5)
  • paella  (PA6)
  • palapa  (PA6)
  • palatable  (PA9)
  • palatal  (PA7)
  • palate  (PA6)
  • pale  (PA4)
  • palette  (PA7)
  • pall  (PA4)
  • pallet  (PA6)
  • palp  (PA4)
  • palpable  (PA8)
  • palpate  (PA7)
  • papa  (PA4)
  • papal  (PA5)
  • pate  (PA4)
  • patella  (PA7)
  • patellae  (PA8)
  • path  (PA4)
  • peal  (PE4)
  • peat  (PE4)
  • pebble  (PE6)
  • peel  (PE4)
  • peelable  (PE8)
  • peep  (PE4)
  • pellet  (PE6)
  • pelt  (PE4)
  • petal  (PE5)
  • phat  (PH4)
  • plat  (PL4)
  • plate  (PL5)
  • platelet  (PL8)
  • plea  (PL4)
  • pleat  (PL5)
  • pleb  (PL4)
  • plebe  (PL5)
  • tapa  (TA4)
  • tape  (TA4)
  • teepee  (TE6)
  • telepath  (TE8)
  • tepee  (TE5)

Answer Definitions

  • alphabet (noun): The set of letters used when writing in a language.
  • aleph (noun): The first letter of the Proto-Canaanite alphabet, and its descendants in descended Semitic scripts, such as Phoenician 𐤀‎ (ʾ, ʾaleph), Aramaic 𐡀‎ (ʾ), Classical Syriac ܐ‎ ('ālaph), Hebrew א‎ (aleph) and Arabic ا‎ (ʾalif).
  • alpha (noun): The name of the first letter of the Greek alphabet (Α,  α), followed by beta. In the Latin alphabet it is the predecessor to A.
  • appall (verb): To fill with horror; to dismay.
  • appeal (noun): An application to a superior court or judge for a decision or order by an inferior court or judge to be reviewed and overturned. The legal document or form by which such an application is made; also, the court case in which the application is argued. A person's legal right to apply to court for such a review.
  • appealable (adjective): That may be appealed, or sent to a higher court for judgement.
  • appellate (adjective): That can be (legally) appealed to, especially of a court that hears appeals of decisions by a lower court.
  • appellee (noun): A respondent.
  • apple (noun): A common, round fruit produced by the tree Malus domestica, cultivated in temperate climates.
  • applet (noun): a small program module that runs under the control of a larger application, typically a web browser
  • beep (noun): The sound produced by the horn of a car, or any similar sound.
  • bleep (noun): A brief high-pitched sound, as from some electronic device.
  • epee (noun): A sharp-pointed dueling sword with a bell-shaped guard, used (with the end blunted) in sport fencing.
  • heap (noun): A crowd; a throng; a multitude or great number of people.
  • heeltap (noun): A piece or wedge that raises the heel of a shoe.
  • help (noun): Action given to provide assistance; aid.
  • helpable (adjective): Capable of being helped.
  • heptathlete (noun): An athlete who competes in the heptathlon.
  • lapel (noun): Each of the two triangular pieces of cloth on the front of a jacket or coat that are folded back below the throat, leaving a triangular opening between.
  • leap (verb): To jump.
  • leapt (verb): simple past tense and past participle of leap
  • paella (noun): A savory Valencian dish made of rice, cooked in a frying pan with vegetables and meat or shellfish.
  • palapa (noun): An open-sided dwelling with a thatched roof made of dried palm leaves.
  • palatable (adjective): Pleasing to the taste, tasty.
  • palatal (adjective): Pertaining to the palate.
  • palate (noun): The roof of the mouth, separating the cavities of the mouth and nose in vertebrates.
  • pale (adjective): Light in color.
  • palette (noun): A thin board on which a painter lays and mixes colours.
  • pall (noun): Senses relating to cloth. Fine cloth, especially purple cloth used for robes. A heavy cloth laid over a coffin or tomb; a shroud laid over a corpse. A piece of cardboard, covered with linen and embroidered on one side, used to cover the chalice during the Eucharist. A cloth used for various purposes on the altar in a church, such as a corporal (“cloth on which elements of the Eucharist are placed”) or frontal (“drapery covering the front of an altar”).
  • pallet (noun): A portable platform, usually designed to be easily moved by a forklift, on which goods can be stacked, for transport or storage.
  • palp (noun): Synonym of pedipalp.
  • palpable (adjective): Capable of being touched, felt or handled; touchable, tangible.
  • palpate (verb): To examine or otherwise explore through touch, particularly in reference to an area or organ of the human body.
  • papa (noun): Dad, daddy, father; a familiar or old-fashioned term of address to one’s father.
  • papal (adjective): Having to do with the pope or the papacy.
  • pate (noun): The head, particularly the top or crown.
  • patella (noun): The sesamoid bone of the knee; the kneecap.
  • patellae (noun): plural of patella
  • path (noun): A trail for the use of, or worn by, pedestrians.
  • peal (noun): A loud sound, or a succession of loud sounds, as of bells, thunder, cannon, shouts, laughter, of a multitude, etc.
  • peat (noun): Soil formed of dead but not fully decayed plants found in bog areas, often burned as fuel.
  • pebble (noun): A small stone, especially one rounded by the action of water.
  • peel (verb): To remove the skin or outer covering of.
  • peelable (adjective): Capable of being peeled.
  • peep (noun): A short, soft, high-pitched sound, as made by a baby bird.
  • pellet (noun): A small, compressed, hard chunk of matter.
  • pelt (noun): The skin of a beast with the hair on; a raw or undressed hide; a skin preserved with the hairy or woolly covering on it.
  • petal (noun): One of the component parts of the corolla of a flower. It applies particularly, but not necessarily only, when the corolla consists of separate parts, that is when the petals are not connately fused. Petals are often brightly colored.
  • phat (adjective): Excellent; cool; very good.
  • plat (noun): A plot of land; a lot.
  • plate (noun): A slightly curved but almost flat dish from which food is served or eaten.
  • platelet (noun): A small colorless disk-shaped particle found in the blood of mammals, which plays an important role in the formation of blood clots.
  • plea (noun): An appeal, petition, urgent prayer or entreaty.
  • pleat (noun): A fold in the fabric of a garment, usually a skirt, as a part of the design of the garment, with the purpose of adding controlled fullness and freedom of movement, or taking up excess fabric. There are many types of pleats, differing in their construction and appearance.
  • pleb (noun): A commoner, a member of the lower class of a society.
  • plebe (noun): A plebeian, a member of the lower class of Roman citizens.
  • tapa (noun): A kind of cloth prepared by the Polynesians from the inner bark of the paper mulberry.
  • tape (noun): Flexible material in a roll with a sticky surface on one or both sides; adhesive tape.
  • teepee (noun): A cone-shaped tent traditionally used by many native peoples of the Great Plains of North America.
  • telepath (noun): A person with telepathic ability, capable of reading the thoughts of others around them.
  • tepee (noun): Alternative form of teepee