The New York Times Spelling Bee for December 17, 2025 delivers a balanced puzzle that encourages both short bursts and longer builds. Every accepted word must be at least four letters long and include the center letter. Today’s letter set feels flexible and rhythmic, with repeated-letter opportunities and vowel combinations that help momentum once you crack the pattern.
About today’s puzzle
The center letter P shapes nearly every strong find today. Surrounding letters A, I, L, T, U, and D create a vowel-friendly mix that feels open rather than restrictive. The hive rewards repetition and pattern recognition, especially when you start stacking familiar syllables.
NYT Spelling Bee Words and Answers: December 17, 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.
- pail
- pall
- palapa
- palatal
- palatial
- pallid
- palp
- papa
- papal
- papilla
- pill
- pipit
- pita
- pitapat
- plaid
Pangram of the day
The pangram for today is plaudit. It works because it cleanly uses every letter in the hive, anchored by the central P. The word feels elegant and slightly literary, which makes it easy to miss at first glance. Once spotted, it often unlocks confidence to explore similar sound patterns nearby.
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 17’s puzzle is a satisfying mix of flow and focus. If you leaned into repetition, the board likely opened up nicely. How many words did you find today—and did you catch plaudit before peeking at the answers?
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