AUG 2 2026

Spelling Bee August 2, 2026 Answers

All 74 valid words for the NYT Spelling Bee. Center letter: N.

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Total Words

406

Max Points

285

Genius Score

Center Letter

Today’s Pangrams

Tap to reveal the pangrams (spoiler)

Heads up — this shows the hardest words of the day.

⭐ Today’s Pangram

CHANNELED

Uses all 7 letters — worth 16 points

Also: DANCEHALL

With N required in every answer, the August 2, 2026 NYT Spelling Bee was one of the more word-rich puzzle — 74 valid words in all.

With 74 valid words, this was an unusually large puzzle — patient, systematic solvers had plenty of material to work with. The outer letters were A, C, D, E, H, L, and the longest answer aside from the pangram ran 9 letters for 9 points. Reaching Genius required 285 points out of a possible 406; see how this compares in the full answers archive.

At 16 points, the pangram was the most valuable single word in the grid. 16 of the 74 answers were 4-letter words worth 1 point each, so the real climb toward Genius came from the longer finds — our Genius strategy guide breaks down how to spot them.

Prefer to solve it yourself? Get spoiler-free hints for today's Spelling Bee instead — the words grouped by starting letter and length, with a nudge toward the pangram, so nothing is spoiled until you ask.

Word List Hints — August 2, 2026

Not ready to spoil the whole puzzle? The grid below shows how many of the August 2, 2026 answers start with each letter and how long they run, and the two-letter list gives the count for each opening pair. It is the fastest way to close out the last few words without seeing every answer.

Start \ Len	4	5	6	7	8	9	Total
A	2	1	2	1	1	·	7
C	2	4	6	6	2	2	22
D	1	1	3	1	1	2	9
E	1	2	2	2	1	·	8
H	1	2	2	2	2	·	9
L	4	2	4	·	·	·	10
N	5	·	2	2	·	·	9
Total	16	12	21	14	7	4	74

Two-letter starts

AC1AD2AN4CA12CH5CL5DA5DE4EL2EN6HA5HE4LA6LE4NA4NE5

All 74 Words — Sorted by Length

Tap to reveal all 74 answers (spoiler)

Spoiler warning — the complete answer list is below.

11 Letters1 word

CLEANHANDED ★ 18

10 Letters2 words

CHANDELLED ★ 17

CHANNELLED ★ 17

9 Letters6 words

CANCELLED 9

CHANNELED ★ 16

DANCEHALL ★ 16

DECADENCE 9

CALCANEAL 9

CHANDELLE ★ 16

8 Letters11 words

ANNEALED 8

CANCELED 8

CLENCHED 8

DEADENED 8

ENHANCED 8

HANDHELD 8

HEADLAND 8

CADENCED 8

CALCANEA 8

CALENDAL 8

CANALLED 8

7 Letters22 words

ADDENDA 7

CADENCE 7

CANDELA 7

CHANCED 7

CHANCEL 7

CHANNEL 7

CLEANED 7

DANDLED 7

ENHANCE 7

ENLACED 7

HANDLED 7

HENNAED 7

NACELLE 7

NEEDLED 7

CANALED 7

CANDLED 7

CANELLA 7

CENACLE 7

CLACHAN 7

DECANAL 7

LADENED 7

LALLAND 7

6 Letters31 words

ADDEND 6

ANNEAL 6

CANCAN 6

CANCEL 6

CANDLE 6

CANNED 6

CHANCE 6

CLENCH 6

DANCED 6

DANDLE 6

DEADEN 6

ENLACE 6

ENNEAD 6

HANDED 6

HANDLE 6

LANCED 6

LANDED 6

LEADEN 6

LEANED 6

NEEDED 6

NEEDLE 6

ACHENE 6

ANELED 6

ANLACE 6

CALLAN 6

CANCHA 6

CANNEL 6

DEANED 6

DECANE 6

DENNED 6

LALLAN 6

5 Letters19 words

ANNAL 5

CANAL 5

CANED 5

CANNA 5

CLEAN 5

DANCE 5

ELAND 5

ENDED 5

HENCE 5

HENNA 5

LADEN 5

LANCE 5

ACNED 5

ALAND 5

ALANE 5

ANELE 5

HANCE 5

NALED 5

NANCE 5

4 Letters20 words

ACNE 1

ANAL 1

CANE 1

CLAN 1

DEAN 1

ELAN 1

HAND 1

LAND 1

LANE 1

LEAN 1

LEND 1

NAAN 1

NADA 1

NANA 1

NEED 1

NENE 1

ALAN 1

ANNA 1

DENE 1

HAEN 1

Pangram ★ — uses all 7 letters High Value (8+ pts) Standard Valid word — not in NYT’s official list N= required center letter

Scroll to see all 74 words

What the Words Mean

Definitions for the August 2, 2026 answers — so you know exactly what you found, or what you missed. Pangrams are marked ★.

Tap to reveal all 69 definitions (spoiler)

Spoiler warning — every answer word is spelled out and defined below.

ACNE: noun An inflammatory disease involving the sebaceous glands of the skin
ADDEND: noun A number that is added to another number (the augend)
ANAL: adjective Of or related to the anus
ANNEAL: verb Bring to a desired consistency, texture, or hardness by a process of gradually heating and cooling
ANNEALED: verb Bring to a desired consistency, texture, or hardness by a process of gradually heating and cooling
CADENCE: noun The accent in a metrical foot of verse
CANAL: noun An indistinct surface feature of Mars once thought to be a system of channels
CANCAN: noun A high-kicking dance of French origin performed by a female chorus line
CANCEL: noun A notation cancelling a previous sharp or flat
CANCELED: noun A notation cancelling a previous sharp or flat
CANCELLED: adjective No longer planned or scheduled
CANDELA: noun The basic unit of luminous intensity adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites
CANDLE: noun Stick of wax with a wick in the middle
CANE: noun A stick that people can lean on to help them walk
CANED: noun A stick that people can lean on to help them walk
CANNA: noun Any plant of the genus Canna having large sheathing leaves and clusters of large showy flowers
CANNED: adjective Recorded for broadcast
CHANCE: noun A possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances
CHANCED: noun A possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances
CHANCEL: noun Area around the altar of a church for the clergy and choir
CHANNEL: noun A path over which electrical signals can pass
CHANNELED ★: noun A path over which electrical signals can pass
CLAN: noun Group of people related by blood or marriage
CLEAN: noun A weightlift in which the barbell is lifted to shoulder height and then jerked overhead
CLEANED: noun A weightlift in which the barbell is lifted to shoulder height and then jerked overhead
CLENCH: noun A small slip noose made with seizing
CLENCHED: adjective Closed or squeezed together tightly
DANCE: noun An artistic form of nonverbal communication
DANCED: noun An artistic form of nonverbal communication
DANDLE: verb Move (a baby) up and down in one's arms or on one's knees
DANDLED: verb Move (a baby) up and down in one's arms or on one's knees
DEADEN: verb Make vague or obscure or make (an image) less visible
DEADENED: adjective Devoid of physical sensation
DEAN: noun An administrator in charge of a division of a university or college
DECADENCE: noun The state of being degenerate in mental or moral qualities
ELAN: noun A feeling of strong eagerness (usually in favor of a person or cause)
ELAND: noun Either of two large African antelopes of the genus Taurotragus having short spirally twisted horns in both sexes
ENDED: adjective Having come or been brought to a conclusion
ENHANCE: verb Increase
ENHANCED: adjective Increased or intensified in value or beauty or quality
ENLACE: verb Spin, wind, or twist together
ENLACED: verb Spin, wind, or twist together
ENNEAD: noun The cardinal number that is the sum of eight and one
HAND: noun The (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
HANDED: adjective Having or involving the use of hands
HANDHELD: adjective Small and light enough to be operated while you hold it in your hands
HANDLE: noun The appendage to an object that is designed to be held in order to use or move it
HANDLED: adjective Having a usually specified type of handle
HEADLAND: noun A natural elevation (especially a rocky one that juts out into the sea)
HENCE: adverb From that fact or reason or as a result
HENNA: noun A reddish brown dye used especially on hair
HENNAED: noun A reddish brown dye used especially on hair
LADEN: verb Remove with or as if with a ladle
LANCE: noun A long pointed rod used as a tool or weapon
LANCED: noun A long pointed rod used as a tool or weapon
LAND: noun The land on which real estate is located
LANDED: adjective Owning or consisting of land or real estate
LANE: noun A narrow way or road
LEADEN: adjective Darkened with overcast
LEAN: noun The property possessed by a line or surface that departs from the vertical
LEANED: noun The property possessed by a line or surface that departs from the vertical
LEND: verb Bestow a quality on
NAAN: noun Leavened bread baked in a clay oven in India
NACELLE: noun A streamlined enclosure for an aircraft engine
NADA: noun A quantity of no importance
NEED: noun A condition requiring relief
NEEDED: adjective Necessary for relief or supply
NEEDLE: noun The leaf of a conifer
NEEDLED: adjective Of trees whose leaves are acerate

Word definitions from WordNet® 3.1, Princeton University.

Miss Words Like These Every Week?

The players who find CANCELLED and DECADENCE consistently know their Latin and Greek roots. These books teach the exact system that unlocks words like CHANNELED before you ever see the puzzle.

See the Books →

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Spelling Bee answer for August 2, 2026?

There were 74 valid words in the August 2, 2026 Spelling Bee, above average, giving solvers more paths to reach Genius than most puzzles offer. The pangram CHANNELED (16 points) led a list built around the center letter N, with a maximum score of 406 and a Genius threshold of 285. CANCELLED was the longest word at 9 points. There was also 1 additional pangram: DANCEHALL.

Which word is the pangram in the August 2, 2026 Spelling Bee?

CHANNELED was the August 2, 2026 pangram. Pangrams use every one of the 7 letters — A, C, D, E, H, L, N — at least once and collect a 7-point bonus on top of length, so CHANNELED scored 16 points, the most of any word that day. No single find moves you toward Genius faster. There was also 1 additional pangram: DANCEHALL.

How many valid words are in the August 2, 2026 Spelling Bee?

The August 2, 2026 Spelling Bee had 74 valid words, which is above average, giving solvers more paths to reach Genius than most puzzles offer. The word list ranged from 4-letter words worth 1 point each to 9-letter words. All 74 words contain the center letter N and use only the 7 letters A, C, D, E, H, L, N. Words must be at least 4 letters long and may reuse any letter.

What is the Genius score for Spelling Bee August 2, 2026?

Reaching Genius on August 2, 2026 took 285 points — 70% of the day's 406-point maximum. For context on the tiers: Beginner begins around 9 points and Amazing lands near 203 (half the maximum) before Genius at 285. Queen Bee requires finding all 74 words for the maximum 406 points. Genius is the everyday target; Queen Bee is the completionist's badge.

What are the 7 letters in the August 2, 2026 Spelling Bee?

The 7 letters for the August 2, 2026 Spelling Bee were A, C, D, E, H, L, N. The center letter — N — must appear in every valid word. The outer letters were A, C, D, E, H, L. Every valid word must be at least 4 letters, use only these 7 letters (repeats allowed), and appear in a standard dictionary. Proper nouns, hyphenated words, and obscure terms are excluded.

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