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About the Author

Amal Augustine

Founder, Spelling Better

50+ Quiz Wins Founder EdTech Builder Research Technology & Learning

Amal Augustine is the founder of Spelling Better, an innovative learning app designed to help students improve their spelling, vocabulary, and language skills through interactive and engaging methods.

He graduated from St. Stephen’s College, University of Delhi and is currently pursuing his Master’s degree at National Sun Yat-sen University, Taiwan, focusing on research and technology-driven learning.

A quiz enthusiast, Amal has won 50+ national-level quiz competitions. He enjoys reading science journals, programming, and exploring Computer Science innovations. Through Spelling Better, he aims to make vocabulary learning simple, enjoyable, and meaningful.

Spelling Bee, July 23, 2026 — Two Pangrams: CONFOUNDED & COFOUNDED

Spelling Bee Log — July 23, 2026

Today the hive hid two pangrams, one prefix apart.

Most days give you one pangram to hunt for. This one gave up two — COFOUNDED and CONFOUNDED, separated by a single letter and a world of meaning.

tap a letter — every word touches the gold center

One rule that never bends: every accepted word must contain the center F. No matter how clean a combination looks, if it skips the F, it doesn't count.

How I solved it

a log of the journey from first word to double pangram — tap any word marked ✦ for a definition

I always start the same way — lock in the center letter, then build outward from there. With F anchoring the puzzle, I worked through the short, obvious entries first:

all clicked into place quickly and gave me a feel for how the letters wanted to combine.

From there, I stretched into five-letter territory. came next, followed by — and that second word was the real signal. "Found" is practically begging to be extended with a prefix or suffix, and Spelling Bee puzzles love hiding pangrams exactly one step past a common root word.

I tested the obvious extension first: , seven letters, clean and valid. That confirmed the puzzle had a construction-and-founding theme running through it, so I kept pulling on that thread. Along the way I picked up and , plus , which felt like a happy accident of overlapping letters rather than a themed find.

FECUND — a slightly more advanced word meaning fertile or productive.

Then came the moment that changed the whole solve. I tried removing the "-ED" from FOUNDED and adding a prefix instead: , eight letters, a real verb meaning to confuse or baffle. That was my first real hint that this puzzle had more depth than a typical seven-letter set usually offers.

CONFOUND — to confuse or baffle.

I added the "-ED" back: CONFOUNDED. Ten letters, every single one of today's seven present, including two O's, two N's, and two D's. The hive turned gold, and I had my pangram.

Most solvers would stop right there. I didn't — and that instinct paid off. Going back to the prefix pattern, I swapped "con-" for "co-" and tested COFOUNDED, the past tense of "cofound," meaning to found something jointly with someone else. Nine letters, every required letter accounted for again. A second, completely different pangram, hiding one prefix away from the first.

⬡ two pangrams, one letter set — tap each to reveal the story ⬡

Pangram One

10 letters · two O's, two N's, two D's

CONFOUNDED — thoroughly confused or baffled. The word that turned the hive gold first, built by adding "-ed" back onto CONFOUND.

tap for the story

Pangram Two

9 letters · every required letter, again

COFOUNDED — the past tense of "cofound," meaning to found something jointly with someone else. Found by swapping "con-" for "co-" on the first pangram.

tap for the story

Spelling Bee, July 23, 2026 — Full Word List

Full word list

tap a word to check it off · ✦ marks a definition

4letters · 9 words
DOFF — to take off or remove, especially a hat or an item of clothing.
DUFF — chiefly British, a steamed suet pudding, often flavored with fruit.
5letters · 4 words
6letters · 13 words
FECUND — a slightly more advanced word meaning fertile or productive.
7letters · 2 words
COFOUND — to found or establish something jointly with someone else.
8letters · 7 words
CONFOUND — to confuse or baffle.
9+letters · 3 words (plus both pangrams below)

⬡ two pangrams, one letter set — tap each to reveal the story ⬡

Pangram One

10 letters · two O's, two N's, two D's

CONFOUNDED — thoroughly confused or baffled. Built by adding "-ed" back onto CONFOUND.

tap for the story

Pangram Two

9 letters · every required letter, again

COFOUNDED — the past tense of "cofound," meaning to found something jointly with someone else. Found by swapping "con-" for "co-" on the first pangram.

tap for the story

One prefix away

Today's puzzle was a masterclass in why persistence pays off in the Spelling Bee. Finding CONFOUNDED alone would have been a strong solve on any given day — but stopping there would have meant missing COFOUNDED entirely, a word built from the exact same letters wearing a slightly different prefix.

Once you land a pangram, don't assume the puzzle is finished with you.

It's a pattern worth remembering: check nearby prefixes and suffixes before moving on. Today, the difference between "con-" and "co-" was the difference between one pangram and two.

If you caught both COFOUNDED and CONFOUNDED without a hint, that's an excellent solve — this was not an easy pair to uncover. And if you only found one, take it as a nudge for tomorrow: the most rewarding answers in this puzzle often aren't hiding far from the ones you've already found. Sometimes they're just one prefix away.