NYT Spelling Bee Answers — May 12, 2026
All words, pangrams, center letter & Genius score
Below are all 38 answers to the New York Times Spelling Bee for May 12, 2026 (Tuesday). The honeycomb shows the seven letters with the required C center letter; pangrams are highlighted. Genius is 141 points.
Words38
Max Points201
Pangrams2
Genius141
Pangrams: COMBATANT, NONCOMBATANT
All answers, grouped by length
4letter answers10 words
BANCCAMOCANTCOATCOCACOMACOMBCOOTTACOTACT
5letter answers7 words
BACONCACAOCANNACANONCOCOACOMBOCOMMA
6letter answers13 words
BOBCATCABANACANCANCANNONCANNOTCANTONCOCOONCOMBATCOMMONCOTTONNONCOMOCTANTTOMCAT
7letter answers5 words
CANTATACONCOCTCONTACTTOBACCOTOCCATA
8letter answers1 word
CATACOMB
9letter answers1 word
COMBATANT
12letter answers1 word
NONCOMBATANT
How the Spelling Bee works
The New York Times Spelling Bee gives you seven letters arranged in a honeycomb, with one required center letter. Build as many words as you can — every word must be at least four letters long and must use the center letter, and letters can be reused. Find a word that uses all seven letters and you've got a pangram, worth 7 bonus points. Reach the Genius rank by scoring 70% of the day's maximum.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many answers are in the May 12, 2026 Spelling Bee?
There are 38 valid answers worth 201 points, including 2 pangrams. Genius requires 141 points.
What is the pangram?
The pangrams are COMBATANT, NONCOMBATANT. Pangrams use all seven letters and earn 7 bonus points.
What is the center letter?
The required center letter is C. Every valid answer must contain it.
How does scoring work?
4-letter words score 1 point; longer words score 1 point per letter; pangrams add 7 bonus points. Genius is 70% of the maximum score.
Other recent Spelling Bee answers
July 6, 2026July 5, 2026July 4, 2026July 3, 2026July 1, 2026June 30, 2026June 29, 2026June 28, 2026June 27, 2026June 26, 2026June 25, 2026June 24, 2026June 23, 2026June 22, 2026June 21, 2026June 20, 2026June 19, 2026June 18, 2026June 17, 2026June 16, 2026June 15, 2026June 14, 2026June 13, 2026June 12, 2026June 11, 2026June 10, 2026June 9, 2026June 8, 2026June 7, 2026June 6, 2026June 5, 2026June 4, 2026June 3, 2026June 2, 2026June 1, 2026May 31, 2026May 30, 2026May 29, 2026May 28, 2026May 27, 2026May 26, 2026May 25, 2026May 24, 2026May 23, 2026May 22, 2026May 21, 2026May 20, 2026May 19, 2026May 18, 2026May 17, 2026May 16, 2026May 15, 2026May 14, 2026May 13, 2026May 11, 2026May 10, 2026May 9, 2026May 8, 2026May 7, 2026