The New York Times Spelling Bee for 28 November 2025, challenges players to find words of four or more letters that always include the center letter A. Today’s hive mixes a single vowel with strong consonants — deceptively open, with endings and prefixes that unlock many combinations if you spot common stems.

About today’s puzzle

Center letter A anchors the hive alongside Y, R, I, D, O, N. The set has just two vowels (A and O) and several consonant pairing opportunities, so it feels moderately open — many familiar suffixes and prefixes are possible, but some letters demand creative letter juggling.

NYT Spelling Bee Words and Answers: 28 NOVEMBER

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.

  • aria
  • arid
  • anon
  • airy
  • rain
  • raid
  • darn
  • yard
  • road
  • diary
  • annoy
  • arian
  • nadir
  • radon
  • radio
  • drain
  • radian
  • ordain
  • anion
  • andiron
  • android
  • ranid
  • radion

Pangram of the day

The pangram for 28 November is ordinary. It works because it uses every required letter from the hive — O, R, D, I, N, A, Y — while still being an everyday, familiar word. It’s neat that such a common adjective contains the full set; the repeated R helps tie the letters together into a smooth, recognizable word that many players spot once they try different endings.

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

Nice work if you played today — this hive rewarded a mix of obvious 4-letter hits and a few longer finds. Tell us how many words you found, or whether you spotted ordinary hiding in plain sight.