The NYT Spelling Bee puzzle for 28 January 2026 offered a satisfying challenge that rewarded careful observation and flexible thinking. At first glance, the letter set looked simple, but the presence of both V and U hinted that a longer, more descriptive word might be hiding beneath the surface.

Today’s Letter Set

From today’s honeycomb, the letters were:

Center letter: L
Outer letters: O, F, R, U, A, V

As always, Spelling Bee rules apply:

• Words must be at least four letters long

• Every word must include the center letter L

• Only the given letters may be used

• Letters may be repeated

Today’s Pangram

The pangram for today’s puzzle is:

FLAVORFUL

This word uses all seven letters from the grid and repeats some letters, which makes it a regular pangram rather than a perfect one. It fits the puzzle naturally and aligns well with the vocabulary style often used in NYT Spelling Bee puzzles.

Daily NYT Spelling Bee pangram cheat sheet

How I Solved Today’s Puzzle

I began the solve by anchoring myself to the center letter L and forming short, familiar words. Words like LOAF, ORAL, and OVAL appeared quickly and helped confirm that the puzzle leaned toward common English vocabulary rather than obscure terms.

Next, I noticed something important. The combination of F, L, A, V, O, R, and U strongly suggested descriptive words related to taste or texture. When V and U appear together in a Spelling Bee grid, they often signal longer adjectives.

Rearranging the letters made FLAVORFUL stand out clearly. It includes the center letter, uses all seven letters, and follows all NYT Spelling Bee rules. Once the pangram was identified, the rest of the grid became easier to clear, as many shorter words are embedded within it.

All Valid Words

Below is a complete list of accepted words that can be formed using today’s letters. All words include L and meet NYT Spelling Bee requirements.

• FALL
• FOAL
• FOOL
• FOUL
• FUL;
• FURL
• LAVA
• LOAF
• LOLL
• LUAU
• LUFF
• LULU
• ORAL
• OVAL
• ROLL

• AFOUL
• ALOOF
• AURAL
• FLOOR
• FLORA
• FLOUR
• FLUFF
• LARVA
• LOOFA
• OFFAL
• RURAL
• UVULA
• VALOR
• VULVA

• FLAVOR
• FLORAL
• LARVAL
• OVULAR
• UVULAR
• VULVAL
• VULVAR

• FLAVORFUL (pangram)
• ALFALFA
• AURORAL
• FALLOFF

Note: NYT’s internal dictionary may exclude regional or archaic forms. FLAVORFUL is the confirmed pangram and primary solution for today.

Strategy Tips from Today’s Puzzle

• Build outward from the center letter using L plus vowels

• Look for descriptive adjectives when multiple vowels appear

• Longer pangrams often hide inside familiar everyday words

• Once the pangram is found, mine it for smaller answers

Unlocking the Final Layers

The 28 January 2026 Spelling Bee puzzle was clean, balanced, and rewarding. FLAVORFUL is a strong pangram that feels earned rather than forced, making today’s solve especially satisfying.

This puzzle was a good reminder that patience and pattern recognition often matter more than speed when working through the Spelling Bee grid.