NYT Spelling Bee Answers for April 9, 2026
Game Summary
| Center Letter | C |
|---|---|
| Outer Letters | a, e, f, m, n, t |
| # of Pangrams | 1 (Perfect: none) |
| Total Words | 32 words |
| Total Points | 149 points |
| Genius Level | 104 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 | 9 | 10 | Σ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 2 | - | 2 | 1 | - | - | - | 5 |
| C | 5 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | - | - | 12 |
| E | - | 2 | 2 | - | - | 1 | 1 | 6 |
| F | 2 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | 4 |
| M | 1 | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 3 |
| N | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| T | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | 2 | Σ | 11 | 7 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 32 |
Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding two letters.
| A | AC×4 AF×1 |
|---|---|
| C | CA×9 CE×3 |
| E | EF×3 EM×1 EN×2 |
| F | FA×3 FE×1 |
| M | MA×1 ME×2 |
| N | |
| T | TA×2 |
Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding three letters.
| A | ACC×1 ACE×1 ACM×1 ACN×1 AFF×1 |
|---|---|
| C | CAF×2 CAM×1 CAN×6 CEM×1 CEN×1 CET×1 |
| E | EFF×3 EMC×1 ENA×2 |
| F | FAC×3 FEN×1 |
| M | MAC×1 MEC×1 MEN×1 |
| N | |
| T | TAC×2 |
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) |
|---|---|---|
| ef........ † | EF10 | No definition found; request failed |
| ac.... | AC6 | A higher-pitched or stronger (louder or longer) articulation of a particular syllable of a word or phrase in order to distinguish it from the others or to emphasize it. |
| ac..... | AC7 | Any salt or ester of acetic acid. |
| ac.. | AC4 | A high point: the highest point of any range, the most developed stage of any process, or the culmination of any field or historical period. |
| ac.. | AC4 | A skin condition, usually of the face, that is common in adolescents. It is characterised by red pimples, and is caused by the inflammation of sebaceous glands through bacterial infection. |
| af.... | AF6 | To influence or alter. |
| ca.. | CA4 | Alternative form of café |
| ca.... | CA6 | Alternative spelling of kaftan |
| ca.. | CA4 | simple past tense of come |
| ca.... | CA6 | A high-kicking chorus line dance originating in France. |
| ca.. | CA4 | A plant with simple stems, like bamboo or sugar cane, or the stem thereof The slender, flexible main stem of a plant such as bamboo, including many species in the grass family Gramineae |
| ca... | CA5 | Any member of the genus Canna of tropical plants with large leaves and often showy flowers. |
| ca.. | CA4 | An argot, the jargon of a particular class or subgroup. |
| ca..... | CA7 | A vocal composition accompanied by instruments and generally containing more than one movement, typical of 17th and 18th century Italian music. |
| ca..... | CA7 | A small cafeteria or snack bar, especially one in a military establishment, school, or place of work. |
| ce.... | CE6 | A powdered substance produced by firing (calcining) calcium carbonate (limestone) and clay that develops strong cohesive properties when mixed with water. The main ingredient of concrete. |
| ce.. | CE4 | A subunit of currency equal to one-hundredth of the main unit of currency in many countries. Symbol: ¢. |
| ce...... | CE8 | Pertaining to the zoologic order Cetacea, or associated with species falling under that taxonomic hierarchy. |
| ef.... | EF6 | To erase (as anything impressed or inscribed upon a surface); to render illegible or indiscernible. |
| ef.... | EF6 | The result or outcome of a cause. |
| em... | EM5 | Alternative form of MC in its senses as Master of ceremonies. A rapper. |
| en... | EN5 | to make (a bill) into law |
| en....... | EN9 | The act of enacting, or the state of being enacted. |
| fa.. | FA4 | The front part of the head of a human or other animal, featuring the eyes, nose and mouth, and the surrounding area. |
| fa... | FA5 | Any one of the flat surfaces cut into a gem. |
| fa.. | FA4 | Something actual as opposed to invented. |
| fe... | FE5 | A thin artificial barrier that separates two pieces of land or forms a perimeter enclosing the lands of a house, building, etc. |
| ma.. | MA4 | A heavy fighting club. |
| me... | ME5 | Alternative form of Mecca; a place to which a group of people (for example shoppers) are drawn. |
| me.... | ME6 | A perceived threat or danger. |
| ta... | TA5 | An instruction indicating silence on the part of the performers of a piece. |
| ta.. | TA4 | The sense of touch; feeling. |
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.
- effacement† (EF10)
- accent (AC6)
- acetate (AC7)
- acme (AC4)
- acne (AC4)
- affect (AF6)
- cafe (CA4)
- caftan (CA6)
- came (CA4)
- cancan (CA6)
- cane (CA4)
- canna (CA5)
- cant (CA4)
- cantata (CA7)
- canteen (CA7)
- cement (CE6)
- cent (CE4)
- cetacean (CE8)
- efface (EF6)
- effect (EF6)
- emcee (EM5)
- enact (EN5)
- enactment (EN9)
- face (FA4)
- facet (FA5)
- fact (FA4)
- fence (FE5)
- mace (MA4)
- mecca (ME5)
- menace (ME6)
- tacet (TA5)
- tact (TA4)
Answer Definitions
- effacement† (n/a): No definition found; request failed
- accent (noun): A higher-pitched or stronger (louder or longer) articulation of a particular syllable of a word or phrase in order to distinguish it from the others or to emphasize it.
- acetate (noun): Any salt or ester of acetic acid.
- acme (noun): A high point: the highest point of any range, the most developed stage of any process, or the culmination of any field or historical period.
- acne (noun): A skin condition, usually of the face, that is common in adolescents. It is characterised by red pimples, and is caused by the inflammation of sebaceous glands through bacterial infection.
- affect (verb): To influence or alter.
- cafe (noun): Alternative form of café
- caftan (noun): Alternative spelling of kaftan
- came (verb): simple past tense of come
- cancan (noun): A high-kicking chorus line dance originating in France.
- cane (noun): A plant with simple stems, like bamboo or sugar cane, or the stem thereof The slender, flexible main stem of a plant such as bamboo, including many species in the grass family Gramineae
- canna (noun): Any member of the genus Canna of tropical plants with large leaves and often showy flowers.
- cant (noun): An argot, the jargon of a particular class or subgroup.
- cantata (noun): A vocal composition accompanied by instruments and generally containing more than one movement, typical of 17th and 18th century Italian music.
- canteen (noun): A small cafeteria or snack bar, especially one in a military establishment, school, or place of work.
- cement (noun): A powdered substance produced by firing (calcining) calcium carbonate (limestone) and clay that develops strong cohesive properties when mixed with water. The main ingredient of concrete.
- cent (noun): A subunit of currency equal to one-hundredth of the main unit of currency in many countries. Symbol: ¢.
- cetacean (adjective): Pertaining to the zoologic order Cetacea, or associated with species falling under that taxonomic hierarchy.
- efface (verb): To erase (as anything impressed or inscribed upon a surface); to render illegible or indiscernible.
- effect (noun): The result or outcome of a cause.
- emcee (noun): Alternative form of MC in its senses as Master of ceremonies. A rapper.
- enact (verb): to make (a bill) into law
- enactment (noun): The act of enacting, or the state of being enacted.
- face (noun): The front part of the head of a human or other animal, featuring the eyes, nose and mouth, and the surrounding area.
- facet (noun): Any one of the flat surfaces cut into a gem.
- fact (noun): Something actual as opposed to invented.
- fence (noun): A thin artificial barrier that separates two pieces of land or forms a perimeter enclosing the lands of a house, building, etc.
- mace (noun): A heavy fighting club.
- mecca (noun): Alternative form of Mecca; a place to which a group of people (for example shoppers) are drawn.
- menace (noun): A perceived threat or danger.
- tacet (verb): An instruction indicating silence on the part of the performers of a piece.
- tact (noun): The sense of touch; feeling.