Spoiler warning: This guide starts with graduated clues and reveals the spangram and full answer list farther down. NYT Strands game #276, published Wednesday, December 4, 2024, uses the clue “I now pronounce you …” as a misdirection: the puzzle is about diacritical marks, not a wedding ceremony.
Progressive hints for Strands #276
Try each clue before moving to the next. The first hints point toward the topic without giving away the words; the final section reveals the solutions.
- Theme clue: “I now pronounce you …”
- Think about: accents and how words are pronounced. The theme is marks added to letters that can indicate pronunciation.
- Spangram clue: “Where’s that accent from?” It runs vertically from the top edge to the bottom edge.
- Answer initials: UM, TI, AC, GR, CE, CI. The spangram begins with DI.
How to play this puzzle
Drag or tap letters to form words. Found theme words remain highlighted, and finding three non-theme words earns an in-game hint. The spangram describes the theme and connects opposite sides of the board.
Spangram and answers
Spangram: DIACRITICS. TechRadar places its start at the top, fourth column, and its end at the bottom, second column.
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The six theme words are:
- GRAVE
- ACUTE
- TILDE
- UMLAUT
- CEDILLA
- CIRCUMFLEX
Sources and puzzle identification
The answer set and date are corroborated by guides from TechRadar, Parade, and Forbes. These are secondary puzzle guides; an official NYT archive record for this historical puzzle was not available in the cited sources.
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