NYT Spelling Bee Answers for September 30, 2026
Today's NYT Spelling Bee uses center letter P with outer letters A, C, D, E, K, N. The puzzle contains 62 words worth 305 points, including 2 pangrams. The longest word is 10 letters. To reach Genius you need 214 points; Queen Bee requires all 305 points. Today is a bingo — every letter starts at least one word. Compared with the eight-year average of about 183 points per puzzle, this is a larger-than-average day.
Game Summary
| Center Letter | P |
|---|---|
| Outer Letters | a, c, d, e, k, n |
| # of Pangrams | 2 (Perfect: none) |
| Total Words | 62 words |
| Total Points | 305 points |
| Genius Level | 214 points |
| Bingo? | Yes |
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 | 1 | 2 | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | 5 |
| C | 1 | 1 | 2 | - | - | - | - | 4 |
| D | 1 | - | 3 | 1 | 2 | - | 2 | 9 |
| E | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 |
| K | 1 | 1 | - | 2 | - | - | 1 | 5 |
| N | 2 | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | 3 |
| P | 12 | 8 | 11 | 3 | 1 | - | - | 35 | Σ | 19 | 12 | 18 | 6 | 4 | - | 3 | 62 |
Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding two letters.
| A | AP×5 |
|---|---|
| C | CA×4 |
| D | DA×1 DE×8 |
| E | EP×1 |
| K | KA×1 KE×1 KN×3 |
| N | NA×2 NE×1 |
| P | PA×15 PE×20 |
Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding three letters.
| A | APA×1 APE×1 APN×1 APP×2 |
|---|---|
| C | CAN×1 CAP×3 |
| D | DAP×1 DEA×2 DEE×3 DEP×3 |
| E | EPE×1 |
| K | KAP×1 KEE×1 KNE×3 |
| N | NAP×2 NEA×1 |
| P | PAC×4 PAD×1 PAE×1 PAN×8 PAP×1 PEA×3 PEC×3 PEE×6 PEK×1 PEN×6 PEP×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) |
|---|---|---|
| kn........ † | KN10 | simple past and past participle of kneecap |
| pa...... † | PA8 | simple past and past participle of pancake |
| ap... | AP5 | Quickly, rapidly, with speed. |
| ap.. | AP4 | simple past tense and past participle of ape |
| ap... | AP5 | The cessation of breathing, most often in reference to transient instances thereof during sleep. |
| ap.... | AP6 | To hang or attach to, as by a string, so that the thing is suspended |
| ap...... | AP8 | simple past tense and past participle of append |
| ca.... | CA6 | Alternative spelling of canapé |
| ca.. | CA4 | A piece or point of land, extending beyond the adjacent coast into a sea or lake; a promontory; a headland. |
| ca... | CA5 | Wearing a cape or capes. |
| ca.... | CA6 | simple past tense and past participle of cap |
| da.... | DA6 | simple past tense and past participle of dap |
| de..... | DE7 | Deliberately impassive or expressionless. |
| de........ | DE10 | simple past tense and past participle of deadpan |
| de.. | DE4 | Extending far away from a point of reference, especially downwards. Extending far down from the top, or surface, to the bottom, literally or figuratively. |
| de.... | DE6 | To make deep or deeper |
| de...... | DE8 | simple past tense and past participle of deepen |
| de.... | DE6 | To be contingent or conditioned; to have something as a necessary condition; to hinge on. |
| de...... | DE8 | simple past tense and past participle of depend |
| de........ | DE10 | The state of being dependent, of relying upon another. |
| ep.. | EP4 | A sharp-pointed dueling sword with a bell-shaped guard, used (with the end blunted) in sport fencing. |
| ka... | KA5 | The tenth letter of the Greek alphabet. |
| ke.. | KE4 | To continue in (a course or mode of action); not to intermit or fall from; to uphold or maintain. |
| kn..... | KN7 | The flat, roundish bone in the knee. |
| kn..... | KN7 | Alternative spelling of knee pad |
| na.. | NA4 | The back part of the neck. |
| na.... | NA6 | simple past tense and past participle of nap |
| ne.. | NE4 | The tongue or pole of a cart or other vehicle drawn by two animals. |
| pa.. | PA4 | Step. A step taken with the foot. The distance covered in a step (or sometimes two), either vaguely or according to various specific set measurements. |
| pa... | PA5 | simple past tense and past participle of pace |
| pa.. | PA4 | A bundle made up and prepared to be carried; especially, a bundle to be carried on the back, but also a load for an animal, a bale. |
| pa.... | PA6 | simple past and past participle of pack |
| pa.... | PA6 | Having padding. |
| pa... | PA5 | A chant or song, especially a hymn of thanksgiving for deliverance or victory, to Apollo or sometimes another god or goddess; hence any song sung to solicit victory in battle. |
| pa..... | PA7 | A remedy believed to cure all disease and prolong life that was originally sought by alchemists; a cure-all. |
| pa..... | PA7 | A thin batter cake fried in a pan or on a griddle in oil or butter; in particular: In England, an often unleavened cake similar to a crepe. In the US (and e.g. Scotland), a leavened, thicker, fluffier cake. |
| pa... | PA5 | The red panda (Ailurus fulgens), a small raccoon-like animal of northeast Asia with reddish fur and a long, ringed tail. |
| pa.... | PA6 | No definition found; request failed |
| pa.. | PA4 | An individual sheet of glass in a window, door, etc. |
| pa... | PA5 | Having panes. |
| pa.... | PA6 | simple past tense and past participle of pan |
| pa.. | PA4 | Dad, daddy, father; a familiar or old-fashioned term of address to one’s father. |
| pe... | PE5 | A state of tranquility, quiet, and harmony; absence of violence. For instance, a state free from civil disturbance. |
| pe.. | PE4 | A point; the sharp end or top of anything that terminates in a point; as, the peak, or front, of a cap. |
| pe.... | PE6 | Having a peak or peaks. |
| pe... | PE5 | A deciduous tree, Carya illinoinensis, of the central and southern United States, having deeply furrowed bark, pinnately compound leaves, and edible nuts. |
| pe.. | PE4 | To strike or pierce with the beak or bill (of a bird). |
| pe.... | PE6 | simple past tense and past participle of peck |
| pe.. | PE4 | simple past tense and past participle of pee |
| pe.. | PE4 | To look slyly, or with the eyes half closed, or through a crevice; to peep. |
| pe.... | PE6 | simple past tense and past participle of peek |
| pe.. | PE4 | The (often spherical) end of the head of a hammer opposite the main hammering end. |
| pe.. | PE4 | A short, soft, high-pitched sound, as made by a baby bird. |
| pe.... | PE6 | simple past tense and past participle of peep |
| pe.. | PE4 | Alternative letter-case form of Peke (“Pekinese dog”) |
| pe..... | PE7 | A voluntary self-imposed punishment for a sinful act or wrongdoing. It may be intended to serve as reparation for the act. |
| pe... | PE5 | plural of penny (the subunit of the pound sterling or Irish pound). |
| pe.. | PE4 | To hang down; to cause something to hang down |
| pe.... | PE6 | simple past tense and past participle of pend |
| pe... | PE5 | A type of short, diagonally cut pasta. |
| pe.... | PE6 | simple past tense and past participle of pen |
| pe.... | PE6 | simple past tense and past participle of pep |
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.
- kneecapped† (KN10)
- pancaked† (PA8)
- apace (AP5)
- aped (AP4)
- apnea (AP5)
- append (AP6)
- appended (AP8)
- canape (CA6)
- cape (CA4)
- caped (CA5)
- capped (CA6)
- dapped (DA6)
- deadpan (DE7)
- deadpanned (DE10)
- deep (DE4)
- deepen (DE6)
- deepened (DE8)
- depend (DE6)
- depended (DE8)
- dependence (DE10)
- epee (EP4)
- kappa (KA5)
- keep (KE4)
- kneecap (KN7)
- kneepad (KN7)
- nape (NA4)
- napped (NA6)
- neap (NE4)
- pace (PA4)
- paced (PA5)
- pack (PA4)
- packed (PA6)
- padded (PA6)
- paean (PA5)
- panacea (PA7)
- pancake (PA7)
- panda (PA5)
- pandan (PA6)
- pane (PA4)
- paned (PA5)
- panned (PA6)
- papa (PA4)
- peace (PE5)
- peak (PE4)
- peaked (PE6)
- pecan (PE5)
- peck (PE4)
- pecked (PE6)
- peed (PE4)
- peek (PE4)
- peeked (PE6)
- peen (PE4)
- peep (PE4)
- peeped (PE6)
- peke (PE4)
- penance (PE7)
- pence (PE5)
- pend (PE4)
- pended (PE6)
- penne (PE5)
- penned (PE6)
- pepped (PE6)
Answer Definitions
- kneecapped† (verb): simple past and past participle of kneecap
- pancaked† (verb): simple past and past participle of pancake
- apace (adverb): Quickly, rapidly, with speed.
- aped (verb): simple past tense and past participle of ape
- apnea (noun): The cessation of breathing, most often in reference to transient instances thereof during sleep.
- append (verb): To hang or attach to, as by a string, so that the thing is suspended
- appended (verb): simple past tense and past participle of append
- canape (noun): Alternative spelling of canapé
- cape (noun): A piece or point of land, extending beyond the adjacent coast into a sea or lake; a promontory; a headland.
- caped (adjective): Wearing a cape or capes.
- capped (verb): simple past tense and past participle of cap
- dapped (verb): simple past tense and past participle of dap
- deadpan (adjective): Deliberately impassive or expressionless.
- deadpanned (verb): simple past tense and past participle of deadpan
- deep (adjective): Extending far away from a point of reference, especially downwards. Extending far down from the top, or surface, to the bottom, literally or figuratively.
- deepen (verb): To make deep or deeper
- deepened (verb): simple past tense and past participle of deepen
- depend (verb): To be contingent or conditioned; to have something as a necessary condition; to hinge on.
- depended (verb): simple past tense and past participle of depend
- dependence (noun): The state of being dependent, of relying upon another.
- epee (noun): A sharp-pointed dueling sword with a bell-shaped guard, used (with the end blunted) in sport fencing.
- kappa (noun): The tenth letter of the Greek alphabet.
- keep (verb): To continue in (a course or mode of action); not to intermit or fall from; to uphold or maintain.
- kneecap (noun): The flat, roundish bone in the knee.
- kneepad (noun): Alternative spelling of knee pad
- nape (noun): The back part of the neck.
- napped (verb): simple past tense and past participle of nap
- neap (noun): The tongue or pole of a cart or other vehicle drawn by two animals.
- pace (noun): Step. A step taken with the foot. The distance covered in a step (or sometimes two), either vaguely or according to various specific set measurements.
- paced (verb): simple past tense and past participle of pace
- pack (noun): A bundle made up and prepared to be carried; especially, a bundle to be carried on the back, but also a load for an animal, a bale.
- packed (verb): simple past and past participle of pack
- padded (adjective): Having padding.
- paean (noun): A chant or song, especially a hymn of thanksgiving for deliverance or victory, to Apollo or sometimes another god or goddess; hence any song sung to solicit victory in battle.
- panacea (noun): A remedy believed to cure all disease and prolong life that was originally sought by alchemists; a cure-all.
- pancake (noun): A thin batter cake fried in a pan or on a griddle in oil or butter; in particular: In England, an often unleavened cake similar to a crepe. In the US (and e.g. Scotland), a leavened, thicker, fluffier cake.
- panda (noun): The red panda (Ailurus fulgens), a small raccoon-like animal of northeast Asia with reddish fur and a long, ringed tail.
- pandan (n/a): No definition found; request failed
- pane (noun): An individual sheet of glass in a window, door, etc.
- paned (adjective): Having panes.
- panned (verb): simple past tense and past participle of pan
- papa (noun): Dad, daddy, father; a familiar or old-fashioned term of address to one’s father.
- peace (noun): A state of tranquility, quiet, and harmony; absence of violence. For instance, a state free from civil disturbance.
- peak (noun): A point; the sharp end or top of anything that terminates in a point; as, the peak, or front, of a cap.
- peaked (adjective): Having a peak or peaks.
- pecan (noun): A deciduous tree, Carya illinoinensis, of the central and southern United States, having deeply furrowed bark, pinnately compound leaves, and edible nuts.
- peck (verb): To strike or pierce with the beak or bill (of a bird).
- pecked (verb): simple past tense and past participle of peck
- peed (verb): simple past tense and past participle of pee
- peek (verb): To look slyly, or with the eyes half closed, or through a crevice; to peep.
- peeked (verb): simple past tense and past participle of peek
- peen (noun): The (often spherical) end of the head of a hammer opposite the main hammering end.
- peep (noun): A short, soft, high-pitched sound, as made by a baby bird.
- peeped (verb): simple past tense and past participle of peep
- peke (noun): Alternative letter-case form of Peke (“Pekinese dog”)
- penance (noun): A voluntary self-imposed punishment for a sinful act or wrongdoing. It may be intended to serve as reparation for the act.
- pence (noun): plural of penny (the subunit of the pound sterling or Irish pound).
- pend (verb): To hang down; to cause something to hang down
- pended (verb): simple past tense and past participle of pend
- penne (noun): A type of short, diagonally cut pasta.
- penned (verb): simple past tense and past participle of pen
- pepped (verb): simple past tense and past participle of pep