NYT Spelling Bee Answers for August 20, 2026
Complete verified solutions for the August 20, 2026 NYT Spelling Bee puzzle. All 47 words, pangrams, and point totals included below.
Last updated: August 20, 2026 at 3:00 AM ET
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π Puzzle insights for August 20, 2026
Historical comparisons use our archive of 190 daily NYT Spelling Bee puzzles starting May 2, 2026 (2026-05-02).
π§ Genius path (high-value words first)
Reaching Genius (183 pts) takes about 24 words (188 points) if you prioritize the highest-scoring answers first β typical of a late-day push, not a minimum word count.
- 0 four-letter words Β· 0 pts
- 1 fiveβsix-letter words Β· 6 pts
- 23 seven-plus-letter words Β· 182 pts
High-value examples in this path: quoting, outgunning, intuiting, intuition, igniting, ignitionβ¦
Tricky spots on this hive often hide 10-letter stems such as outgunning, intuition, intuiting, untuning. After you pass 92 points, sweep those lengths before chasing Queen Bee.
π Words by Length
π ±οΈ Words Starting with Each Letter
| Metric | August 20, 2026 | Average | Record High | Record Low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Words | 47 | ~45.3 | 79 | 16 |
| Total Points | 262 | ~211.8 | 431 | 60 |
| Avg Word Length | 6.19 | ~5.4 | 6.689655172413793 | 4.578947368421052 |
| Pangram Count | 1 | ~1.5 | 4 | 1 |
π Previous Puzzles with This Pangram
This is the first time this pangram has appeared in our archives.
π§© Pangram Pattern Analysis
Today's featured pangram is QUOTING. It consists of 7 letters with a vowel-to-consonant ratio of 43% (3 vowels and 4 consonants).
- β‘ Structure: Perfect pangram (uses each letter exactly once)
- β‘ Suffix: Ends with the common suffix
-ing
π Etymology & Word Origins
The word displays linguistic traits typical of Germanic/Old English vocabulary, evolving through traditional Anglo-Saxon suffixes and base structures.
The word displays linguistic traits typical of Germanic/Old English vocabulary, evolving through traditional Anglo-Saxon suffixes and base structures.
Contains the root ign, which is from the Latin "ignis", meaning "fire" (as in ignite).
π« Near-miss dictionary words
These valid English words can be formed with today's letters but were not accepted by the NYT editor:
Pangram
Try finding the longest word yourself first with our guide.
4-Letter Words12 words
5-Letter Words4 words
6-Letter Words8 words
7-Letter Words13 words
8-Letter Words7 words
9-Letter Words2 words
10-Letter Words1 words
About Today's Spelling Bee Puzzle
Today's NYT Spelling Bee features T as the center letter, with 47 words worth 262 points total. The pangram is "quoting" β a 7-letter word that uses all seven hive letters.
You need 183 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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