NOV 5 2026

Spelling Bee November 5, 2026 Answers

All 42 valid words for the NYT Spelling Bee. Center letter: P.

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42
Total Words
249
Max Points
175
Genius Score
P
Center Letter

Today’s Pangram

Tap to reveal the pangram (spoiler)

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

⭐ Today’s Pangram
PIVOTING
Uses all 7 letters — worth 15 points

November 5, 2026 brought a generous NYT Spelling Bee: 42 valid words, every single one containing the center letter P.

With 42 valid words, this puzzle offered more paths to Genius than most, though finding every word still required broad vocabulary coverage. The outer letters were G, I, N, O, T, V, and the longest answer aside from the pangram ran 11 letters for 11 points. Reaching Genius required 175 points out of a possible 249; see how this compares in the full answers archive.

The pangram used all 7 letters for 15 points — the highest-scoring word of the day (tap the spoiler above if you want it). If pangrams are where you get stuck, the pangram-spotting guide walks through the letter patterns that give them away.

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.

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✓ Official NYT Answers
This list is confirmed against NYT’s official answers for today. Words NYT doesn’t accept are marked with an orange box below.

Word List Hints — November 5, 2026

Prefer a nudge over the full answer key? Here is how the 42 words for the November 5, 2026 Spelling Bee break down — how many begin with each letter, at each word length — followed by the two-letter start list. Work these first, then reveal the complete list only if you get stuck.

Start \ Len45678911Total
G1······1
N···1···1
O··22·1·5
P565931130
T1·22···5
Total7691432142

Two-letter starts

GO1NI1OP5PI19PO11TI3TO2

All 42 Words — Sorted by Length

Tap to reveal all 42 answers (spoiler)

Spoiler warning — the complete answer list is below.

11 Letters1 word
PINPOINTING 11
9 Letters2 words
OPTIONING 9
PINIONING 9
8 Letters4 words
PINPOINT 8
PIVOTING ★ 15
POINTING 8
NONPOINT 8
7 Letters18 words
NIPPING 7
OPINING 7
OPINION 7
PIGGING 7
PINGING 7
PINNING 7
PITTING 7
POGOING 7
PONTOON 7
POOPING 7
POPPING 7
POTTING 7
TIPPING 7
TOPPING 7
GIPPING 7
PIPPING 7
POGONIP 7
PONGING 7
6 Letters11 words
OPTING 6
OPTION 6
PINING 6
PINION 6
PIPING 6
PIPPIN 6
POTION 6
TIPTOP 6
TOPING 6
PIGGIN 6
PONTON 6
5 Letters13 words
PINOT 5
PINTO 5
PIPIT 5
PITON 5
PIVOT 5
POINT 5
GIPON 5
OPING 5
PIING 5
PINGO 5
PINON 5
POTTO 5
TOPOI 5
4 Letters10 words
GOOP 1
PING 1
PINT 1
POGO 1
PONG 1
POOP 1
TIPI 1
PION 1
POON 1
TOPI 1
Pangram ★ — uses all 7 letters High Value (8+ pts) Standard Valid word — not in NYT’s official list P= required center letter
Scroll to see all 42 words

What the Words Mean

Definitions for the November 5, 2026 answers — so you know exactly what you found, or what you missed. Pangrams are marked ★.

Tap to reveal all 40 definitions (spoiler)

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

GOOP
noun Any thick, viscous matter
NIPPING
adjective Capable of wounding
OPINING
verb Express one's opinion openly and without fear or hesitation
OPINION
noun A personal belief or judgment that is not founded on proof or certainty
OPTING
verb Select as an alternative over another
OPTION
noun The right to buy or sell property at an agreed price
OPTIONING
noun The right to buy or sell property at an agreed price
PIGGING
noun Domestic swine
PING
noun A river in western Thailand
PINGING
noun A river in western Thailand
PINING
noun A feeling of deep longing
PINION
noun A gear with a small number of teeth designed to mesh with a larger wheel or rack
PINIONING
noun A gear with a small number of teeth designed to mesh with a larger wheel or rack
PINNING
noun A mutual promise of a couple not to date anyone else
PINOT
noun Any of several purple or white wine grapes used especially for Burgundies and champagnes
PINPOINT
noun A very brief moment
PINPOINTING
noun A very brief moment
PINT
noun A British imperial capacity measure (liquid or dry) equal to 4 gills or 568.26 cubic centimeters
PINTO
noun A spotted or calico horse or pony
PIPING
noun A thin strip of covered cord used to edge hems
PIPIT
noun A songbird that lives mainly on the ground in open country
PIPPIN
noun Any of numerous superior eating apples with yellow or greenish yellow skin flushed with red
PITON
noun A metal spike with a hole for a rope
PITTING
noun The formation of small pits in a surface as a consequence of corrosion
PIVOT
noun The person in a rank around whom the others wheel and maneuver
PIVOTING ★
noun The person in a rank around whom the others wheel and maneuver
POINT
noun A geometric element that has position but no extension
POINTING
noun A geometric element that has position but no extension
PONG
noun An unpleasant smell
PONTOON
noun A floating structure (as a flat-bottomed boat) that serves as a dock or to support a bridge
POOP
noun Obscene terms for feces
POOPING
noun Obscene terms for feces
POPPING
noun A sharp explosive sound as from a gunshot or drawing a cork
POTION
noun A medicinal or magical or poisonous beverage
POTTING
noun Metal or earthenware cooking vessel that is usually round and deep
TIPI
noun A Native American tent
TIPPING
noun The extreme end of something
TIPTOP
noun The highest level or degree attainable
TOPING
noun The upper part of anything
TOPPING
noun A flavorful addition on top of a dish

Word definitions from WordNet® 3.1, Princeton University.

Miss Words Like These Every Week?

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

See the Books →
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Frequently Asked Questions

November 5, 2026's puzzle contained 42 valid words, within the typical range for NYT Spelling Bee puzzles. Every answer used the center letter P; the pangram PIVOTING was worth 15 points, the maximum score was 249, and Genius required 175 points. The longest word, PINPOINTING, scored 11.
The pangram for November 5, 2026 was PIVOTING. A pangram uses all 7 letters of the puzzle at least once — in this case G, I, N, O, P, T, V — and earns a 7-point bonus on top of its length score, making PIVOTING worth 15 points total. Finding the pangram is the fastest way to jump from Amazing to Genius in a single word.
42 words were accepted in the November 5, 2026 puzzle — within the typical range for NYT Spelling Bee puzzles. Lengths ran from 1-point 4-letter words up to 11 letters, every entry containing the center letter P and drawing only on G, I, N, O, P, T, V. Letters may repeat, and the 4-letter minimum always applies.
The Genius threshold for November 5, 2026 was 175 points — exactly 70% of the maximum score of 249. The NYT scoring tiers work as follows: Beginner starts at 5 points, Amazing requires roughly 125 points (50% of max), and Genius requires 175 points (70% of max). Queen Bee requires finding all 42 words for the maximum 249 points. Most competitive solvers aim for Genius; Queen Bee is reserved for completionists.
November 5, 2026's letters were G, I, N, O, P, T, V, with P in the center — required in every answer — surrounded by G, I, N, O, T, V. Valid words run 4+ letters, may repeat letters freely, and must be dictionary words; proper nouns and hyphenated forms never count.

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