NYT Spelling Bee Answers for June 22, 2026

Spelling Bee "Hive" Board for June 22, 2026

Game Summary

Spelling Bee "Hive" Board for June 22, 2026
Center LetterC
Outer Lettersa, e, h, i, l, m
# of Pangrams1 (Perfect: none)
Total Words55 words
Total Points229 points
Genius Level160 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 22, 2026

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.

45678Σ
A3-11-5
C91142228
E11---2
H---213
I-11--2
L431--8
M331--7
Σ201985355

Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints

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

A
AC×5
C
CA×8
CE×3
CH×12
CI×1
CL×4
E
EA×1
EM×1
H
HA×1
HE×2
I
IC×1
IL×1
L
LA×3
LE×3
LI×2
M
MA×3
ME×1
MI×3

Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints

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

A
ACA×2
ACC×1
ACH×1
ACM×1
C
CAC×1
CAL×3
CAM×4
CEL×3
CHA×3
CHE×1
CHI×8
CIL×1
CLA×2
CLI×2
E
EAC×1
EMC×1
H
HAM×1
HEL×2
I
ICI×1
ILI×1
L
LAC×1
LAI×2
LEA×1
LEC×1
LEE×1
LIC×1
LIL×1
M
MAC×1
MAL×2
MEC×1
MIC×2
MIM×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)
ch...... CH8Of or relating to chemistry.
ac....AC6A shrub or tree of the tribe Acacieae.
ac..AC4Any of several South American palms, of the genus Euterpe, having a dark purple drupe.
ac.....AC7To shout; to call out.
ac..AC4To suffer pain; to be the source of, or be in, pain, especially continued dull pain; to be distressed.
ac..AC4A high point: the highest point of any range, the most developed stage of any process, or the culmination of any field or historical period.
ca...CA5A store of things that may be required in the future, which can be retrieved rapidly, protected or hidden in some way.
ca..CA4A telephone conversation; a phone call.
ca...CA5A marsh plant native to cooler areas throughout the northern hemisphere, Calla palustris, having pale green flowers in a white spathe.
ca..CA4Peaceful, quiet, especially free from anger and anxiety.
ca..CA4simple past tense of come
ca...CA5A beast of burden, much used in desert areas, of the genus Camelus.
ca......CA8Any plant of the genus Camellia, shrubs and small trees native to Asia; Camellia japonica is the most popular as a garden plant; Camellia sinensis is the tea plant.
ca..CA4A camisole.
ce....CE6Of, pertaining to or located within the abdomen or abdominal cavity.
ce..CE4A single-room dwelling for a hermit.
ce...CE5plural of cello
ch..CH4A female gypsy.
ch.....CH7A large drinking cup, often having a stem and base and used especially for formal occasions and religious ceremonies.
ch.....CH7A traditional bread eaten by Ashkenazi Jews, usually braided for the Sabbath and round for a yom tov.
ch..CH4A Mexican sage grown for its edible seeds, Salvia hispanica.
ch..CH4Elegant, stylish.
ch...CH5A Latin-American girl; a Latina.
ch....CH6Affectedly trendy; chic and stylish in a pretentious way.
ch....CH6The milky latex of the sapodilla tree, used after coagulation as the principal ingredient of chewing gum
ch...CH5The pungent, spicy fresh or dried fruit of any of several cultivated varieties of capsicum peppers, used in cooking.
ch...CH5A moderate, but uncomfortable and penetrating coldness.
ch...CH5A musical instrument producing a sound when struck, similar to a bell (e.g. a tubular metal bar) or actually a bell. Often used in the plural to refer to the set: the chimes.
ci...CI5plural of cilium
cl...CL5A demand of ownership made for something.
cl..CL4A bivalve mollusk of many kinds, especially those that are edible; for example the soft-shell clam (Mya arenaria), the hard clam (Mercenaria mercenaria), the sea clam or hen clam (Spisula solidissima), and other species. The name is said to have been given originally to the Tridacna gigas, a huge East Indian bivalve.
cl....CL6Alternative form of cliché
cl...CL5A particular region defined by its weather or climate.
ea..EA4All; every; qualifying a singular noun, indicating all examples of the thing so named seen as individual or separate items (compare every).
em...EM5Alternative form of MC in its senses as Master of ceremonies. A rapper.
ha.....HA7Japanese amberjack, Pacific yellowtail (Seriola quinqueradiata).
he......HE8Of or relating to the Sun, especially rising and setting with the sun.
he.....HE7In the shape of a helix.
ic....IC6A drooping, tapering shape of ice.
il...IL5Relating to the ilium.
la..LA4A light fabric containing patterns of holes, usually built up from a single thread.
la..LA4A layperson, as opposed to a member of the clergy.
la....LA6Of or pertaining to a layperson, layman, laywoman, or laypeople (laity).
le...LE5A quantity of wood ashes, through which water passes, and thus imbibes the alkali.
le..LE4A strong, lecherous desire or craving.
le...LE5An aquatic blood-sucking annelid of class Hirudinea, especially Hirudo medicinalis.
li..LI4plural of louse
li...LI5A large shrub of the genus Syringa, especially Syringa vulgaris, bearing white, pale-pink, or purple flowers.
ma..MA4A heavy fighting club.
ma...MA5Pertaining to apples.
ma....MA6Intention to harm or deprive in an illegal or immoral way. Desire to take pleasure in another's misfortune.
me...ME5Alternative form of Mecca; a place to which a group of people (for example shoppers) are drawn.
mi..MI4Any of a group of hydrous aluminosilicate minerals characterized by highly perfect cleavage, so that they readily separate into very thin leaves, more or less elastic.
mi..MI4plural of mouse
mi...MI5To imitate, especially in order to ridicule.

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.

  • chemical  (CH8)
  • acacia  (AC6)
  • acai  (AC4)
  • acclaim  (AC7)
  • ache  (AC4)
  • acme  (AC4)
  • cache  (CA5)
  • call  (CA4)
  • calla  (CA5)
  • calm  (CA4)
  • came  (CA4)
  • camel  (CA5)
  • camellia  (CA8)
  • cami  (CA4)
  • celiac  (CE6)
  • cell  (CE4)
  • celli  (CE5)
  • chai  (CH4)
  • chalice  (CH7)
  • challah  (CH7)
  • chia  (CH4)
  • chic  (CH4)
  • chica  (CH5)
  • chichi  (CH6)
  • chicle  (CH6)
  • chili  (CH5)
  • chill  (CH5)
  • chime  (CH5)
  • cilia  (CI5)
  • claim  (CL5)
  • clam  (CL4)
  • cliche  (CL6)
  • clime  (CL5)
  • each  (EA4)
  • emcee  (EM5)
  • hamachi  (HA7)
  • heliacal  (HE8)
  • helical  (HE7)
  • icicle  (IC6)
  • iliac  (IL5)
  • lace  (LA4)
  • laic  (LA4)
  • laical  (LA6)
  • leach  (LE5)
  • lech  (LE4)
  • leech  (LE5)
  • lice  (LI4)
  • lilac  (LI5)
  • mace  (MA4)
  • malic  (MA5)
  • malice  (MA6)
  • mecca  (ME5)
  • mica  (MI4)
  • mice  (MI4)
  • mimic  (MI5)

Answer Definitions

  • chemical (adjective): Of or relating to chemistry.
  • acacia (noun): A shrub or tree of the tribe Acacieae.
  • acai (noun): Any of several South American palms, of the genus Euterpe, having a dark purple drupe.
  • acclaim (verb): To shout; to call out.
  • ache (verb): To suffer pain; to be the source of, or be in, pain, especially continued dull pain; to be distressed.
  • 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.
  • cache (noun): A store of things that may be required in the future, which can be retrieved rapidly, protected or hidden in some way.
  • call (noun): A telephone conversation; a phone call.
  • calla (noun): A marsh plant native to cooler areas throughout the northern hemisphere, Calla palustris, having pale green flowers in a white spathe.
  • calm (adjective): Peaceful, quiet, especially free from anger and anxiety.
  • came (verb): simple past tense of come
  • camel (noun): A beast of burden, much used in desert areas, of the genus Camelus.
  • camellia (noun): Any plant of the genus Camellia, shrubs and small trees native to Asia; Camellia japonica is the most popular as a garden plant; Camellia sinensis is the tea plant.
  • cami (noun): A camisole.
  • celiac (adjective): Of, pertaining to or located within the abdomen or abdominal cavity.
  • cell (noun): A single-room dwelling for a hermit.
  • celli (noun): plural of cello
  • chai (noun): A female gypsy.
  • chalice (noun): A large drinking cup, often having a stem and base and used especially for formal occasions and religious ceremonies.
  • challah (noun): A traditional bread eaten by Ashkenazi Jews, usually braided for the Sabbath and round for a yom tov.
  • chia (noun): A Mexican sage grown for its edible seeds, Salvia hispanica.
  • chic (adjective): Elegant, stylish.
  • chica (noun): A Latin-American girl; a Latina.
  • chichi (adjective): Affectedly trendy; chic and stylish in a pretentious way.
  • chicle (noun): The milky latex of the sapodilla tree, used after coagulation as the principal ingredient of chewing gum
  • chili (noun): The pungent, spicy fresh or dried fruit of any of several cultivated varieties of capsicum peppers, used in cooking.
  • chill (noun): A moderate, but uncomfortable and penetrating coldness.
  • chime (noun): A musical instrument producing a sound when struck, similar to a bell (e.g. a tubular metal bar) or actually a bell. Often used in the plural to refer to the set: the chimes.
  • cilia (noun): plural of cilium
  • claim (noun): A demand of ownership made for something.
  • clam (noun): A bivalve mollusk of many kinds, especially those that are edible; for example the soft-shell clam (Mya arenaria), the hard clam (Mercenaria mercenaria), the sea clam or hen clam (Spisula solidissima), and other species. The name is said to have been given originally to the Tridacna gigas, a huge East Indian bivalve.
  • cliche (noun): Alternative form of cliché
  • clime (noun): A particular region defined by its weather or climate.
  • each (determiner): All; every; qualifying a singular noun, indicating all examples of the thing so named seen as individual or separate items (compare every).
  • emcee (noun): Alternative form of MC in its senses as Master of ceremonies. A rapper.
  • hamachi (noun): Japanese amberjack, Pacific yellowtail (Seriola quinqueradiata).
  • heliacal (adjective): Of or relating to the Sun, especially rising and setting with the sun.
  • helical (adjective): In the shape of a helix.
  • icicle (noun): A drooping, tapering shape of ice.
  • iliac (adjective): Relating to the ilium.
  • lace (noun): A light fabric containing patterns of holes, usually built up from a single thread.
  • laic (noun): A layperson, as opposed to a member of the clergy.
  • laical (adjective): Of or pertaining to a layperson, layman, laywoman, or laypeople (laity).
  • leach (noun): A quantity of wood ashes, through which water passes, and thus imbibes the alkali.
  • lech (noun): A strong, lecherous desire or craving.
  • leech (noun): An aquatic blood-sucking annelid of class Hirudinea, especially Hirudo medicinalis.
  • lice (noun): plural of louse
  • lilac (noun): A large shrub of the genus Syringa, especially Syringa vulgaris, bearing white, pale-pink, or purple flowers.
  • mace (noun): A heavy fighting club.
  • malic (adjective): Pertaining to apples.
  • malice (noun): Intention to harm or deprive in an illegal or immoral way. Desire to take pleasure in another's misfortune.
  • mecca (noun): Alternative form of Mecca; a place to which a group of people (for example shoppers) are drawn.
  • mica (noun): Any of a group of hydrous aluminosilicate minerals characterized by highly perfect cleavage, so that they readily separate into very thin leaves, more or less elastic.
  • mice (noun): plural of mouse
  • mimic (verb): To imitate, especially in order to ridicule.