Today’s New York Times Spelling Bee was an absolute delight for word lovers! The hive featured L as the center letter and the outer letters B, Y, I, N, A, F. At first glance, it seemed like a mix of letters that could form some common words, but the real thrill was uncovering the pangram—a word that uses all seven letters at least once. And what a word it was:
– INFALLIBLY

Let me take you through my thought process, the strategies I used, and the complete list of words you could form from today’s puzzle.

Step 1: Breaking Down the Hive

The Spelling Bee rules are simple:

• Every word must include the center letter (L).

• Words must be at least 4 letters long.

• You can use letters more than once.

Today’s letters: B, Y, I, N, A, F (plus L in the center). My first instinct was to look for common short words like ball, fail, and nail. These give momentum and help identify patterns that could lead to bigger words.

Step 2: Hunting for the Pangram

The holy grail of Spelling Bee is the pangram. After jotting down shorter words like final and filly, I noticed a cluster forming around infall-, which reminded me of the word infallible. That triggered the thought: what about INFALLIBLY?

I checked the letters:

• Does it include L?

• Does it use all letters?  (I, N, F, A, L, L, B, Y)

• Is it valid? Absolutely!

INFALLIBLY means “without error; with absolute certainty.” What a perfect pangram for a word puzzle that demands precision.

Step 3: Building the Complete Word List

While the pangram is the star, the real fun is maximizing your score by finding all possible words. Here are some highlights from today’s puzzle:

•  ABLY

• AFFABLY

• ALFALFA

• ALIBI

• ALLY

• BALL

• BAIL

• BILL

• BLAB

• BLABBY

• FAIL

• FINAL

• FILLY

• FLABBY

• FLYBY

• FLAY

• FLAN

• INFILL

• INLAY

• LABIA

• LAIN

• LANAI

• LILY

• NAIL

• INFALLIBLY  (Pangram)

There are more, but these are the most notable ones. Words like filly and anil might surprise you if you’re not familiar with them, proving that Spelling Bee sharpens your vocabulary daily.

How I Solved It

My process was simple:

1. Start small with four-letter words to warm up.

2. Look for common suffixes like -ally, -ly, and prefixes like in-.

3. When I wrote down final, my mind jumped to infallible, which led to INFALLIBLY. That “aha!” moment is what makes this game addictive.

Today’s Puzzle Stats

• Center Letter: L

• Pangram: INFALLIBLY

• Longest Word: INFALLIBLY (9 letters)

• Total Valid Words: 20+

Buzz-Worthy Takeaway

Today’s puzzle was a perfect blend of simplicity and challenge. It reminded me why I love the NYT Spelling Bee—it’s not just about guessing words; it’s about exploring language, spotting patterns, and discovering hidden gems like INFALLIBLY. If you found it too, give yourself a pat on the back!

“In a world full of guesses, play infallibly—because words matter.”