NYT Spelling Bee Answers for October 4, 2026
Today's NYT Spelling Bee uses center letter G with outer letters H, I, N, O, P, W. The puzzle contains 51 words worth 304 points, including 2 pangrams. The longest word is 9 letters. To reach Genius you need 213 points; Queen Bee requires all 304 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 | G |
|---|---|
| Outer Letters | h, i, n, o, p, w |
| # of Pangrams | 2 (Perfect: none) |
| Total Words | 51 words |
| Total Points | 304 points |
| Genius Level | 213 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 | Σ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | 4 | 1 | - | 4 | - | - | 9 |
| H | 1 | - | 2 | 4 | - | - | 7 |
| I | - | - | 1 | - | - | - | 1 |
| N | 1 | - | 1 | 1 | - | - | 3 |
| O | - | 1 | 1 | 2 | - | - | 4 |
| P | 3 | - | 2 | 7 | - | 1 | 13 |
| W | 1 | - | 4 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 14 | Σ | 10 | 2 | 11 | 22 | 4 | 2 | 51 |
Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding two letters.
| G | GI×2 GO×7 |
|---|---|
| H | HI×2 HO×5 |
| I | IN×1 |
| N | NI×2 NO×1 |
| O | ON×1 OP×1 OW×2 |
| P | PH×1 PI×7 PO×5 |
| W | WH×5 WI×7 WO×2 |
Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding three letters.
| G | GIG×1 GIN×1 GOI×1 GON×2 GOO×2 GOW×2 |
|---|---|
| H | HIG×1 HIN×1 HOG×1 HON×1 HOO×1 HOP×2 |
| I | INN×1 |
| N | NIG×1 NIP×1 NOG×1 |
| O | ONG×1 OPI×1 OWI×1 OWN×1 |
| P | PHO×1 PIG×1 PIN×5 PIP×1 POG×2 PON×1 POO×1 POP×1 |
| W | WHI×3 WHO×2 WIG×1 WIN×5 WIP×1 WOO×1 WOW×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) |
|---|---|---|
| wh...... † | WH8 | present participle of whoop |
| wh...... † | WH8 | Exceptionally great or large. |
| gi..... | GI7 | gerund of gig (in various senses). The act of engaging in a musical performance, acting in a theatre production, etc. The practice of working at a job, especially one that is freelance or temporary, or done on an on-demand basis. The act of catching or fishing with a gig or fizgig. |
| gi..... | GI7 | present participle of gin |
| go... | GO5 | present participle of go |
| go.. | GO4 | A percussion instrument consisting of a metal disk that emits a sonorous sound when struck with a soft hammer. |
| go..... | GO7 | present participle of gong |
| go.. | GO4 | A thug; a usually muscular henchman with little intelligence (also known as a 'hired goon'). |
| go.. | GO4 | A thick, slimy substance; goo. |
| go.. | GO4 | A loose, flowing upper garment. |
| go..... | GO7 | present participle of gown |
| hi.. | HI4 | Physically elevated, extending above a base or average level: Very elevated; extending or being far above a base; tall; lofty. |
| hi..... | HI7 | present participle of hinge |
| ho..... | HO7 | present participle of hog |
| ho.... | HO6 | present participle of hone |
| ho..... | HO7 | present participle of hoop |
| ho.... | HO6 | present participle of hope |
| ho..... | HO7 | hop picking, the practice of picking hops; for Londoners a holiday period working in the hop gardens of Kent. |
| in.... | IN6 | A period of play in which members of a visiting baseball team attempt to hit a baseball pitched by the opposing home team until three players are called out, followed by a similar attempt by members of the home baseball team against the visiting team's pitching. There are nine or more innings in a regulation baseball game. |
| ni.. | NI4 | near, close by |
| ni..... | NI7 | present participle of nip |
| no.... | NO6 | A small mug, cup or ladle. |
| on..... | ON7 | Continuing, permanent, lasting. |
| op..... | OP7 | present participle of opine |
| ow... | OW5 | Still to be paid; owed as a debt. |
| ow.... | OW6 | present participle of own |
| ph..... | PH7 | present participle of phone |
| pi..... | PI7 | Damned (used as a mild intensive). |
| pi.. | PI4 | A high-pitched, short and somewhat sharp sound. |
| pi..... | PI7 | present participle of ping |
| pi.... | PI6 | present participle of pine |
| pi....... | PI9 | present participle of pinion |
| pi..... | PI7 | present participle of pin |
| pi.... | PI6 | present participle of pipe |
| po.. | PO4 | To use a pogo stick. |
| po..... | PO7 | present participle of pogo |
| po.. | PO4 | A stench, a bad smell. |
| po..... | PO7 | The act of a wave (or other vessel) striking the stern of a vessel. |
| po..... | PO7 | The act or sound of something that pops. |
| wh...... | WH8 | present participle and gerund of whing |
| wh..... | WH7 | present participle of whine |
| wh...... | WH8 | The punishment of being whipped. |
| wi..... | WI7 | present participle of wig |
| wi.. | WI4 | An appendage of an animal's (bird, bat, insect) body that enables it to fly |
| wi..... | WI7 | present participle of wing |
| wi.... | WI6 | present participle of wine |
| wi..... | WI7 | present participle of win |
| wi....... | WI9 | present participle of winnow |
| wi.... | WI6 | present participle of wipe |
| wo.... | WO6 | present participle of woo |
| wo.... | WO6 | present participle of wow |
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.
- whooping† (WH8)
- whopping† (WH8)
- gigging (GI7)
- ginning (GI7)
- going (GO5)
- gong (GO4)
- gonging (GO7)
- goon (GO4)
- goop (GO4)
- gown (GO4)
- gowning (GO7)
- high (HI4)
- hinging (HI7)
- hogging (HO7)
- honing (HO6)
- hooping (HO7)
- hoping (HO6)
- hopping (HO7)
- inning (IN6)
- nigh (NI4)
- nipping (NI7)
- noggin (NO6)
- ongoing (ON7)
- opining (OP7)
- owing (OW5)
- owning (OW6)
- phoning (PH7)
- pigging (PI7)
- ping (PI4)
- pinging (PI7)
- pining (PI6)
- pinioning (PI9)
- pinning (PI7)
- piping (PI6)
- pogo (PO4)
- pogoing (PO7)
- pong (PO4)
- pooping (PO7)
- popping (PO7)
- whinging (WH8)
- whining (WH7)
- whipping (WH8)
- wigging (WI7)
- wing (WI4)
- winging (WI7)
- wining (WI6)
- winning (WI7)
- winnowing (WI9)
- wiping (WI6)
- wooing (WO6)
- wowing (WO6)
Answer Definitions
- whooping† (verb): present participle of whoop
- whopping† (adjective): Exceptionally great or large.
- gigging (noun): gerund of gig (in various senses). The act of engaging in a musical performance, acting in a theatre production, etc. The practice of working at a job, especially one that is freelance or temporary, or done on an on-demand basis. The act of catching or fishing with a gig or fizgig.
- ginning (verb): present participle of gin
- going (verb): present participle of go
- gong (noun): A percussion instrument consisting of a metal disk that emits a sonorous sound when struck with a soft hammer.
- gonging (verb): present participle of gong
- goon (noun): A thug; a usually muscular henchman with little intelligence (also known as a 'hired goon').
- goop (noun): A thick, slimy substance; goo.
- gown (noun): A loose, flowing upper garment.
- gowning (verb): present participle of gown
- high (adjective): Physically elevated, extending above a base or average level: Very elevated; extending or being far above a base; tall; lofty.
- hinging (verb): present participle of hinge
- hogging (verb): present participle of hog
- honing (verb): present participle of hone
- hooping (verb): present participle of hoop
- hoping (verb): present participle of hope
- hopping (noun): hop picking, the practice of picking hops; for Londoners a holiday period working in the hop gardens of Kent.
- inning (noun): A period of play in which members of a visiting baseball team attempt to hit a baseball pitched by the opposing home team until three players are called out, followed by a similar attempt by members of the home baseball team against the visiting team's pitching. There are nine or more innings in a regulation baseball game.
- nigh (adjective): near, close by
- nipping (verb): present participle of nip
- noggin (noun): A small mug, cup or ladle.
- ongoing (adjective): Continuing, permanent, lasting.
- opining (verb): present participle of opine
- owing (adjective): Still to be paid; owed as a debt.
- owning (verb): present participle of own
- phoning (verb): present participle of phone
- pigging (adjective): Damned (used as a mild intensive).
- ping (noun): A high-pitched, short and somewhat sharp sound.
- pinging (verb): present participle of ping
- pining (verb): present participle of pine
- pinioning (verb): present participle of pinion
- pinning (verb): present participle of pin
- piping (verb): present participle of pipe
- pogo (verb): To use a pogo stick.
- pogoing (verb): present participle of pogo
- pong (noun): A stench, a bad smell.
- pooping (noun): The act of a wave (or other vessel) striking the stern of a vessel.
- popping (noun): The act or sound of something that pops.
- whinging (verb): present participle and gerund of whing
- whining (verb): present participle of whine
- whipping (noun): The punishment of being whipped.
- wigging (verb): present participle of wig
- wing (noun): An appendage of an animal's (bird, bat, insect) body that enables it to fly
- winging (verb): present participle of wing
- wining (verb): present participle of wine
- winning (verb): present participle of win
- winnowing (verb): present participle of winnow
- wiping (verb): present participle of wipe
- wooing (verb): present participle of woo
- wowing (verb): present participle of wow