Answers for May 17, 2026
Complete verified solutions for the May 17, 2026 NYT Spelling Bee puzzle. All 54 words, pangrams, and point totals included below.
Last updated: May 17, 2026 at 3:00 AM EST
Looking for Spelling Bee Answers Today? (2026-09-15)
📊 Today's Puzzle Insights
How today's puzzle compares to all-time Spelling Bee history
📊 Words by Length
🅱️ Words Starting with Each Letter
| Metric | Today | Average | Record High | Record Low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Words | 54 | ~44.2 | 77 | 16 |
| Total Points | 212 | ~205.15 | 406 | 60 |
| Avg Word Length | 5.06 | ~5.42 | 6.689655172413793 | 4.578947368421052 |
| Pangram Count | 2 | ~1.49 | 4 | 1 |
📅 Previous Puzzles with This Pangram
This is the first time this pangram has appeared in our archives.
🧩 Pangram Pattern Analysis
Today's featured pangram is CARTLOAD. It consists of 8 letters with a vowel-to-consonant ratio of 38% (3 vowels and 5 consonants).
- ⚡ Structure: Standard pangram (features letter repetition)
- ⚡ Repeated letters: A (x2)
Today's featured pangram is DOCTORAL. It consists of 8 letters with a vowel-to-consonant ratio of 38% (3 vowels and 5 consonants).
- ⚡ Structure: Standard pangram (features letter repetition)
- ⚡ Repeated letters: O (x2)
📚 Etymology & Word Origins
The word displays linguistic traits typical of Latinate vocabulary, evolving through latin-derived prefixes and suffixes.
The word displays linguistic traits typical of Latinate vocabulary, evolving through latin-derived prefixes and suffixes.
The word displays linguistic traits typical of Latinate vocabulary, evolving through latin-derived prefixes and suffixes.
🚫 Rejected Word List
These valid English words can be formed with today's letters but were not accepted by the NYT editor:
Pangrams
4-Letter Words25 words
5-Letter Words15 words
6-Letter Words5 words
7-Letter Words5 words
8-Letter Words3 words
9-Letter Words1 words
About Today's Spelling Bee Puzzle
Today's NYT Spelling Bee features L as the center letter, with 54 words worth 212 points total. The pangram is "cartload" — a 8-letter word that uses all seven hive letters.
You need 148 points to reach Genius rank. Want to solve it yourself first? Our hints page gives you two-letter lists without revealing the full answers.
New to Spelling Bee? Check out our complete rules guide or beginner's guide to learn the basics.
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