The New York Times Spelling Bee for December 16, 2025 offers a mix of familiar and slightly tricky letter combinations. As always, every valid word must be at least four letters long and include the center letter. Today’s hive leans toward a balanced mix of consonants with a single vowel, making the puzzle feel thoughtful rather than overwhelming.

About today’s puzzle

With T in the center, today’s hive combines A, H, N, O, R, and W around it. The limited vowel count pushes you toward longer constructions and repeated letters. Overall, the puzzle feels moderately restrictive, rewarding careful pattern-spotting over rapid guessing.

NYT Spelling Bee Words and Answers: 16 December 2025

Here’s a best-effort list of words that fit today’s rules. Keep in mind: some are rare or unusual, so the official NYT list may vary:

  • than
  • that
  • thorn
  • north
  • worth
  • wrote
  • watch
  • wrath
  • want
  • worn
  • notary
  • author
  • thaw
  • throw

Pangram of the day

Hawthorn is today’s pangram, and it works beautifully with this letter set. The word uses every available letter in the hive while naturally including the required center T. It’s a real-world noun that doesn’t feel forced, which makes discovering it especially satisfying once you spot how “thorn” grows into something bigger.

Quick tactics for any puzzle

  • Start with the center letter
  • Play with prefixes and suffixes
  • Anagram your discoveries
  • Use repeated letters
  • Begin with easy 4-letter words

Final thoughts

December 16’s Spelling Bee is a steady, rewarding solve that favors patience and pattern recognition. How many words did you manage to find today, and did hawthorn jump out early or take some work?