Today’s Spelling Bee grid looked deceptively simple, yet it unfolded into one of those quietly satisfying puzzles that reward patience and word intuition. The center letter was L, and the outer letters were E, U, I, N, D, and C.

At first glance, I saw the familiar -ine, -end, and -clu clusters that often hide the day’s pangram. But the more I played, the more I realized — this puzzle was all about connection, inclusion, and extension. And fittingly, the pangrams were INCLUDE and INCLUDED.

Spelling Bee puzzle solutions Getting Started – The First Word Trail

Whenever I open a new hive, I like to start small. I look for everyday 4-letter words that anchor the puzzle — something simple to build momentum.

The first few words that came naturally today were:

• line, lend, clue, cell, cine, and dune

That gave me an early sense of the letter chemistry. The L in the middle tied everything together beautifully — it became the bridge for every word formation. Soon, I found myself trying out combinations like inl-, cul-, and decl- — and that’s when things got interesting.

 Spotting the Hidden Pattern

Once I found incline, I knew I was on the right path. The “in-cl” pattern stood out — a classic sign that words like include and inclusive might exist in the mix.

After testing possibilities, INCLUDE clicked perfectly. It used every single letter in the hive (E, U, I, N, D, C, L) — the definition of a pangram!

And then, of course, its extended form INCLUDED also fit beautifully — giving us not one, but two pangrams for the day. Double pangram days are rare, but they feel extra rewarding.

 The Word List – Building the Hive

Once the pangrams were found, the rest flowed more smoothly. Here’s a breakdown of other possible valid words (based on typical Bee rules):

4-Letter Words

• cell
• clue
• cull
• deli
• dell
• dill
• duel
• dull
• idle
• lede
• lend
• lice
• lied
• lien
• line
• lull
• lulu
• lune
• null

5-Letter Words

• child
• celli
• clued
• elide
• elude
• idled
• lined
• linen
• lucid
• uncle

6-Letter Words

• celled
• clinic
• cuddle
• culled
• delude
• diddle
• dueled
• dulled
• elided
• eluded
• icicle
• lidded
• lulled
• needle
• nuclei

7+-Letter Words

• include  (Pangram)
• included (Pangram)
• cellule
• cuddled
• decline
• deluded
• diddled
• incline
• inclined
• lenience
• leucine
• needled
• unlined

That’s a tidy mix of logical word roots and extensions, all orbiting around that includ- theme.

 The Thought Process Behind Solving

This puzzle worked well because it demanded root-word recognition rather than random guessing. Recognizing clud, cline, and lucid as Latin-based roots helped unlock higher-scoring words quickly.

The trick was to mentally visualize how these fragments could expand:

• clue → include → included

• line → incline → inclined

• lucid → lucidly

Once those patterns emerged, the rest became an exercise in patience and thoroughness.

 Reflection & Takeaways

Today’s hive felt meaningful beyond the letters. Both pangrams — INCLUDE and INCLUDED — resonate with the spirit of the Bee itself: connection, inclusion, and completeness.

In a way, it mirrored the solving process — you start with scattered fragments and gradually “include” everything until the picture feels whole.

It also served as a gentle reminder of why I love the Spelling Bee — it trains your mind to think laterally, to find structure in chaos, and to celebrate small linguistic victories.

 Final Summary

• Center Letter: L

• Outer Letters: E, U, I, N, D, C

• Pangrams: INCLUDE, INCLUDED

• Total Words Found: ~35

• Difficulty Level: Moderate

• Theme: Connection, Inclusion, and Expansion

Buzzing Off with a Bang

Today’s puzzle wasn’t flashy, but it was deeply satisfying — a linguistic meditation on completion itself. The moment I found INCLUDE, I smiled; when INCLUDED followed soon after, it felt poetic.

Whether you’re chasing “Genius” rank or just here for the joy of words, this hive was a perfect reminder: the more you include, the more complete the experience becomes.