Today's NYT Strands is live for Friday, June 12, 2026 (Puzzle #831). Stuck on today's Strands? We've got progressive hints, from gentle nudges to full solutions, so you can solve at your own pace.
How Strands Works (New Players Start Here)
Strands hides themed words inside a 6x8 letter grid. Your mission: find every word connected to the day's theme. Letters link in any direction (horizontal, vertical, diagonal) and words can twist and turn. Every letter gets used exactly once.
The spangram is the key word or phrase that captures the theme and stretches across the entire board, touching opposite edges.
Need a boost? Find any 4+ letter word (even non-theme words) three times, and the game reveals a hint highlighting theme word letters.
Theme Decoder
Today's Theme Prompt: "Something to talk about"
What It Really Means
This puzzle is built around the anatomy of a speech or presentation. Every theme word is a structural element you'd find in any well-organized talk, essay, or argument.
Think About...
- The building blocks of a persuasive argument
- Standard sections in an essay or speech outline
- Terms a debate coach or writing teacher would use
Spangram Clues
Orientation: Wraps across the board (starts at the first letter of the first row, weaves across and down)
Letter Count: 13 letters
Starting Zone: First letter of the first row (top-left area)
Progressive Spangram Hints
Hint 1 (Gentle): This spangram is the category that contains every theme word on the board.
Hint 2 (Warmer): Think grammar class. This is the linguistic classification system for nouns, verbs, adjectives, and more.
Hint 3 (Almost There): First letter is P, last letter is H
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PARTSOFSPEECH
Word-by-Word Hints
Solve as many as you can before peeking. Each word includes escalating clues.
Word 1
Vague: The opening move that grabs attention.
Closer: The first element of a speech, designed to reel the audience in.
Letter Clue: Starts with H, 4 letters total
Answer
HOOK
Word 2
Vague: The issue or challenge being addressed.
Closer: The central difficulty or question the speaker aims to solve.
Letter Clue: Starts with P, 7 letters total
Answer
PROBLEM
Word 3
Vague: The main section where arguments live.
Closer: The core content section of a speech that contains the evidence and reasoning.
Letter Clue: Starts with B, 4 letters total
Answer
BODY
Word 4
Vague: The subject or focus of the discussion.
Closer: What the entire speech is actually about -- the central subject.
Letter Clue: Starts with T, 5 letters total
Answer
TOPIC
Word 5
Vague: The wrap-up that ties everything together.
Closer: The final section that summarizes arguments and leaves the audience with a takeaway.
Letter Clue: Starts with C, 10 letters total
Answer
CONCLUSION
Word 6
Vague: A specific claim or idea being argued.
Closer: A discrete argument or key takeaway the speaker wants the audience to understand.
Letter Clue: Starts with P, 5 letters total
Answer
POINT
Full Answers
Spangram: PARTSOFSPEECH
Theme Words:
- HOOK
- PROBLEM
- BODY
- TOPIC
- CONCLUSION
- POINT
Puzzle Debrief
Difficulty Rating: Easy to Moderate
Trickiest Word: PROBLEM (It's a common word with many meanings, but in this context it specifically refers to the "problem statement" section of a speech -- a less obvious connection than HOOK or CONCLUSION)
Our Take: This is a solid midweek puzzle that rewards anyone who has ever written a speech or essay. The spangram PARTSOFSPEECH does double duty -- it names the linguistic category while cleverly hinting at the "parts of a speech" structure hiding in the grid. Clean theme, no filler words, and a satisfying aha moment when the spangram clicks.
