If you’ve been tackling today’s New York Times Spelling Bee, you probably know the satisfaction of finding the pangram. Today’s puzzle was a real brain teaser, and if you’re still stuck, don’t worry—I’ve got you covered with the pangram, all possible words, and the strategy I used to solve it.

Today’s Letters

The center letter is U, and the outer letters are: L, T, E, G, D, I

The rules remain the same:

• Every word must include the center letter U.

• Words must be at least four letters long.

• Letters can be repeated.

First Look

At first glance, this set offers some interesting letter combinations. The presence of U as the center letter, paired with consonants like L, T, G, D and vowels like I, E, makes for plenty of possibilities. My immediate thought was to look for common patterns like -ed, -lit, or -guide that could lead to larger words.

Finding the Pangram

When searching for the pangram, the key is to think about using all seven letters: U, L, T, E, G, D, I.

After rearranging mentally and jotting down a few options, it clicked—the pangram for today is:

Pangram: GUILTED

“Guilted” means to cover with or resemble gold leaf, but it can also refer to making someone feel guilty—a fascinating and versatile word! It uses every letter in the set, making it today’s crown jewel.

How I Solved It

Here’s the process I followed:

1. Start Small: I began with simple 4-letter words like glut, tide, and idle. This helps build momentum.

2. Spot Prefixes and Suffixes: I noticed useful prefixes like gui- (as in guide) and suffixes like -ed and -lit.

3. Look for Larger Words: Combining those hints, I stumbled upon guilt and then extended it to guilted. Bingo—the pangram!

Complete Word List

Here’s a comprehensive list of words that can be formed with today’s letters:

4-Letter Words

• glut

• tied

• tide

• gilt

• idle

• lite

• duel

• lied

• guid

5-Letter Words

• guide

• guild

• gilet

• tilde

• glute

• utile

6-Letter Words

• gutted

• tilted

• delude

• dilute

• dulled

• eluded

• glutei

• guided

• gullet

• lulled

7-Letter Word (Pangram!)

• guilted

• glutted

• glugged

• duetted

• diluted

• deluged

Strategy Tips

• Shuffle Constantly: Rearrange letters often to spot hidden patterns.

• Leverage Common Roots: Words like guide, guild, and guilt share roots, making them easy expansions.

• Focus on U: Since it’s mandatory, every guess should revolve around the center letter.

Takeaway from Today’s Puzzle

Today’s puzzle wasn’t too overwhelming but had enough twists to keep it engaging. The pangram guilted felt rewarding to find, especially because it’s a less common word. If you’re still working toward “Genius” status, keep going—use the tips above and you’ll rack up points quickly.

What about you? Did you find the pangram without help? Or did a different word give you that “aha” moment? Share your experience in the comments below!