Friday, October 16, 2026

Spelling Bee hints today, October 16

Today's NYT Spelling Bee hints, one at a time: from gentle numbers to a hint for every word, with no spoilers until you tap.

Updated October 16, 5:06 p.m. ET by BeeHints

Step 1: Today's numbers

The gentlest hint: how big today's puzzle is.

Word count, points and pangrams

Every hint stays hidden until you tap it. In a hurry? Open them all at once.

Step 2: Letter grid

How many words start with each letter, by length. The center letter is highlighted. How to read it

Spelling Bee letter grid for October 16
First letter	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total
b	3	1	-	7	1	-	-	12
g (center letter)	4	-	1	4	3	-	-	12
i	-	-	1	1	1	-	-	3
n	-	-	1	1	-	-	-	2
p	2	-	2	7	-	-	-	11
r	2	1	-	7	-	-	-	10
u	-	1	2	-	-	2	1	6
Total	11	3	7	27	5	2	1	56

Counts only, no words

Step 3: Two-letter list

The first two letters of every word, with counts. What this means

First two letters, no words

Step 4: Pangram clue

Pangrams use all seven letters. This clue gives the first letter, the length and a hint.

First letter, length and a clue

Step 5: A hint for every word

Each card shows the first two letters, the length and a short dictionary clue, or a spelling hint when we have no clue for that word yet. Tap Show to peek at one word.

b12 words

br4 letters
Has only one vowel.
bu4 letters
Has only one vowel.
bu4 letters
Has only one vowel.
br5 letters
Has only one vowel.
bi7 letters
Ends in -ING.
bi7 letters
Ends in -ING.
br7 letters
Ends in -ING.
br7 letters
Ends in -ING.
bu7 letters
Ends in -ING.
bu7 letters
(verb) To cause to be consumed by fire.
bu7 letters, pangram
Ends in -ING.
br8 letters
Ends in -ING.

g12 words

gr4 letters
Has only one vowel.
gr4 letters
Has only one vowel.
gr4 letters
Has only one vowel.
gu4 letters
Uses one letter twice.
gi6 letters
Ends in -ING.
gi7 letters
Ends in -ING.
gi7 letters
Ends in -ING.
gr7 letters
Ends in -ING.
gu7 letters
Ends in -ING.
gr8 letters
Ends in -ING.
gr8 letters
(verb) To take hold of, particularly with the hand.
gr8 letters
Ends in -ING.

i3 words

in6 letters
Ends in -ING.
in7 letters
Ends in -ING.
in8 letters
Ends in -ING.

n2 words

ni6 letters
Ends in -RI.
ni7 letters
Ends in -ING.

p11 words

pi4 letters
Has only one vowel.
pr4 letters
Has only one vowel.
pi6 letters
Ends in -ING.
pi6 letters
Ends in -ING.
pi7 letters
Ends in -ING.
pi7 letters
Ends in -ING.
pi7 letters
Ends in -ING.
pr7 letters
Ends in -ING.
pu7 letters
Ends in -ING.
pu7 letters
Ends in -ING.
pu7 letters
Ends in -ING.

r10 words

ri4 letters
(noun) (physical) A solid object in the shape of a circle.
ru4 letters
Has only one vowel.
ru5 letters
Has 2 vowels.
ri7 letters
Ends in -ING.
ri7 letters
Ends in -ING.
ri7 letters
Ends in -ING.
ri7 letters
Ends in -ING.
ru7 letters
Ends in -ING.
ru7 letters
Ends in -ING.
ru7 letters
Ends in -ING.

u6 words

un5 letters
Has 2 vowels.
up6 letters
Ends in -ING.
ur6 letters
Ends in -ING.
un9 letters
Ends in -ING.
un9 letters
Ends in -ING.
up10 letters, pangram
Ends in -ING.

First two letters and length of every word

Clues adapted from Wiktionary definitions (CC BY-SA 4.0) via the Free Dictionary API.

Step 6: Still stuck?

All of today's answers, hidden until you tap

Reveal one word or the whole list.

See today's answers Play unlimited

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Next puzzle every day at 3 a.m. ET

How to use these Spelling Bee hints

BeeHints is built as a ladder. The higher you climb, the more each hint gives away, so you can stop at the exact moment the puzzle clicks again. Most players only need the first two or three steps.

Start with the numbers. Knowing the word and point totals tells you how far you are from Genius. If you have found most of the short words, the gap is usually in the longer ones.

Then use the grid. Compare it with your list. A gap such as two missing six-letter words starting with one letter gives your brain a target instead of a blank page.

The two-letter list is the sharpest tool. Seeing that two words start with a pair you have not tried often breaks a long stall. Try common endings like -ING, -ED or -ION on those starts (the puzzle accepts them only when the letters allow it).

Save the clues for last. A clue per word is close to an answer, so peek at one, find the word yourself and go back to hunting. When you are done, the full answer list shows what you missed, and our word tracker checks your list against today's puzzle without spoilers.

Questions and answers

When do new Spelling Bee hints come out?

The puzzle changes every day at 3 a.m. Eastern time. BeeHints checks for it every hour from then on, so new hints and answers are usually ready by about 3:10 a.m. Eastern.

How many words are in today's Spelling Bee?

The October 16 puzzle has 56 words worth 339 points in total, including 2 pangrams. You need 237 points for Genius.

What is the two-letter list?

It shows the first two letters of every answer and how many words start with them. AN 3, for example, means three words begin with AN. It is the most popular nudge because it narrows the search without naming a word.

How do I read the letter grid?

Each row is a first letter and each column a word length. The number where they meet is how many words start with that letter and have that many letters. The last column and row are totals.

Do the hints spoil the answers?

No. Every hint stays covered until you tap it, and words are shown one at a time. The full list lives on a separate answers page, so you only see it if you go there.

Is BeeHints the official Spelling Bee site?

No. BeeHints is an independent fan site and is not affiliated with The New York Times. You play the puzzle itself on the New York Times website or app.