NYT Spelling Bee Answers for January 5, 2026
Game Summary
| Center Letter | A |
|---|---|
| Outer Letters | g, i, k, n, o, y |
| # of Pangrams | 1 (Perfect: 1) |
| Total Words | 35 words |
| Total Points | 152 points |
| Genius Level | 106 points |
| Bingo? | No |
Table of Contents
As you scroll down this page, the clues get progressively more revealing. So scroll slowly!
- Spelling Bee Grid
- Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints
- Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints
- Extra Letter Hints (Incrementally Revealing) 🤯
- Today's Complete Solution
- Answer Definitions
If you're just here for a list of NYT Spelling Bee answers, Jump down to the answers ↓ (Spoiler Alert!).
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.
| 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | Σ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 3 | 5 | 1 | - | 1 | 10 |
| G | 3 | 1 | - | 3 | - | 7 |
| I | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| K | 1 | 1 | - | - | 1 | 3 |
| N | 2 | 2 | - | 2 | 1 | 7 |
| O | 2 | - | - | 1 | - | 3 |
| Y | 3 | - | - | 2 | - | 5 | Σ | 14 | 9 | 1 | 8 | 3 | 35 |
Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding two letters.
| A | AG×4 AK×1 AN×5 |
|---|---|
| G | GA×6 GO×1 |
| I | |
| K | KA×2 KO×1 |
| N | NA×6 NO×1 |
| O | OA×1 OK×2 |
| Y | YA×4 YO×1 |
Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding three letters.
| A | AGA×1 AGI×1 AGO×2 AKI×1 ANG×1 ANI×1 ANN×2 ANO×1 |
|---|---|
| G | GAG×2 GAI×2 GAN×2 GON×1 |
| I | |
| K | KAY×2 KOA×1 |
| N | NAA×1 NAG×2 NAN×3 NON×1 |
| O | OAK×1 OKA×2 |
| Y | YAK×1 YAN×3 YOG×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 (†).
| Word | 2L Ref | Definition (click to reveal) |
|---|---|---|
| ok..... † | OK7 | No definition found; request failed |
| ag... | AG5 | Another time; once more. |
| ag... | AG5 | present participle of age |
| ag.. | AG4 | In eager desire, eager, astir. |
| ag... | AG5 | Extreme pain. |
| ak.. | AK4 | Of the same kin; related by blood. |
| an.... | AN6 | An inflammatory infection of the throat, particularly quinsy. |
| an... | AN5 | A negatively charged ion. |
| an... | AN5 | To disturb or irritate, especially by continued or repeated acts; to bother with unpleasant deeds. |
| an...... | AN8 | Causing irritation or annoyance; troublesome; vexatious. |
| an.. | AN4 | Straight away; at once. |
| ga.. | GA4 | Mentally senile. |
| ga..... | GA7 | present participle of gag |
| ga.. | GA4 | To acquire possession of. |
| ga..... | GA7 | present participle of gain |
| ga.. | GA4 | To go; walk; proceed. |
| ga..... | GA7 | a leader used to attach a fishhook to the main line, especially in commercial fishing |
| go... | GO5 | Contraction of going to when followed by an infinitive verb: used to express a future action. |
| ka... | KA5 | A type of small boat, covered over by a surface deck, powered by the occupant or occupants using a double-bladed paddle in a sitting position, from a hole in the surface deck |
| ka...... | KA8 | No definition found; request failed |
| ko.. | KO4 | A story about a Zen master and his student, sometimes like a riddle, other times like a fable, which has become an object of Zen study, and which, when meditated upon, may unlock mechanisms in the Zen student’s mind leading to satori. |
| na.. | NA4 | A type of round, flat bread baked in a tandoor popular in South and Central Asian cuisine. |
| na..... | NA7 | present participle of nag |
| na... | NA5 | Prone to nag, irritable. |
| na.. | NA4 | A banana. |
| na... | NA5 | A child's nurse. |
| na...... | NA8 | present participle of nanny |
| no..... | NO7 | A polygon with nine sides and nine angles; an enneagon. |
| oa.. | OA4 | Resembling or characteristic of the oak tree or its wood. |
| ok.. | OK4 | Alternative spelling of OK |
| ya..... | YA7 | No definition found; request failed |
| ya.. | YA4 | A principle in Chinese and related East Asian philosophies associated with bright, hot, masculine, etc. elements of the natural world. |
| ya.. | YA4 | A sudden, vigorous pull (sometimes defined as mass times jerk, or rate of change of force). |
| ya..... | YA7 | No definition found; request failed |
| yo.. | YO4 | Any of several Hindu or Buddhist disciplines aimed at training the consciousness for a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquillity; especially a system of exercises practiced to promote control of the body and mind. |
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.
- okaying† (OK7)
- again (AG5)
- aging (AG5)
- agog (AG4)
- agony (AG5)
- akin (AK4)
- angina (AN6)
- anion (AN5)
- annoy (AN5)
- annoying (AN8)
- anon (AN4)
- gaga (GA4)
- gagging (GA7)
- gain (GA4)
- gaining (GA7)
- gang (GA4)
- ganging (GA7)
- gonna (GO5)
- kayak (KA5)
- kayaking (KA8)
- koan (KO4)
- naan (NA4)
- nagging (NA7)
- naggy (NA5)
- nana (NA4)
- nanny (NA5)
- nannying (NA8)
- nonagon (NO7)
- oaky (OA4)
- okay (OK4)
- yakking (YA7)
- yang (YA4)
- yank (YA4)
- yanking (YA7)
- yoga (YO4)
Answer Definitions
- okaying† (n/a): No definition found; request failed
- again (adverb): Another time; once more.
- aging (verb): present participle of age
- agog (adjective): In eager desire, eager, astir.
- agony (noun): Extreme pain.
- akin (adjective): Of the same kin; related by blood.
- angina (noun): An inflammatory infection of the throat, particularly quinsy.
- anion (noun): A negatively charged ion.
- annoy (verb): To disturb or irritate, especially by continued or repeated acts; to bother with unpleasant deeds.
- annoying (adjective): Causing irritation or annoyance; troublesome; vexatious.
- anon (adverb): Straight away; at once.
- gaga (adjective): Mentally senile.
- gagging (verb): present participle of gag
- gain (verb): To acquire possession of.
- gaining (verb): present participle of gain
- gang (verb): To go; walk; proceed.
- ganging (noun): a leader used to attach a fishhook to the main line, especially in commercial fishing
- gonna (contraction): Contraction of going to when followed by an infinitive verb: used to express a future action.
- kayak (noun): A type of small boat, covered over by a surface deck, powered by the occupant or occupants using a double-bladed paddle in a sitting position, from a hole in the surface deck
- kayaking (n/a): No definition found; request failed
- koan (noun): A story about a Zen master and his student, sometimes like a riddle, other times like a fable, which has become an object of Zen study, and which, when meditated upon, may unlock mechanisms in the Zen student’s mind leading to satori.
- naan (noun): A type of round, flat bread baked in a tandoor popular in South and Central Asian cuisine.
- nagging (verb): present participle of nag
- naggy (adjective): Prone to nag, irritable.
- nana (noun): A banana.
- nanny (noun): A child's nurse.
- nannying (verb): present participle of nanny
- nonagon (noun): A polygon with nine sides and nine angles; an enneagon.
- oaky (adjective): Resembling or characteristic of the oak tree or its wood.
- okay (noun): Alternative spelling of OK
- yakking (n/a): No definition found; request failed
- yang (noun): A principle in Chinese and related East Asian philosophies associated with bright, hot, masculine, etc. elements of the natural world.
- yank (noun): A sudden, vigorous pull (sometimes defined as mass times jerk, or rate of change of force).
- yanking (n/a): No definition found; request failed
- yoga (noun): Any of several Hindu or Buddhist disciplines aimed at training the consciousness for a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquillity; especially a system of exercises practiced to promote control of the body and mind.