Spelling Bee gives you seven letters and one question: how many words can you make? It is easy to start and hard to finish, which is why so many players chase the Genius rank every day. This guide covers the rules, the scoring, the ranks and the habits that find more words. For today’s full list, see today’s Spelling Bee answers and pangram.
What is NYT Spelling Bee?
Spelling Bee is a daily word game from NYT Games, edited by Sam Ezersky. Seven letters are arranged in a honeycomb called the hive, with one letter in the centre. You build as many words as you can from those letters, and every word must use the centre letter.
How to play NYT Spelling Bee
- Words must be at least four letters long.
- Every word must include the centre letter.
- Letters can be used more than once in the same word.
- Proper nouns, hyphenated words, offensive words and very obscure words are not accepted.
- Each accepted word adds points, and your points move you up through the ranks.
How Spelling Bee scoring works
- A four-letter word is worth 1 point.
- A longer word is worth 1 point per letter, so a six-letter word scores 6.
- A pangram is a word that uses all seven letters at least once. It scores its length plus a 7-point bonus.
- Every puzzle has at least one pangram.
Spelling Bee ranks
Your rank depends on the share of the day’s total points you have scored, so the number of points needed changes every day:
- Beginner: 0%
- Good Start: 2%
- Moving Up: 5%
- Good: 8%
- Solid: 15%
- Nice: 25%
- Great: 40%
- Amazing: 50%
- Genius: 70%
- Queen Bee: every word in the puzzle, a hidden rank above Genius
Spelling Bee tips and strategy
- Hunt the pangram first. It is the single biggest score. Try common endings such as -ING, -ED, -TION and -LY against the seven letters.
- Shuffle often. Rearranging the hive breaks the patterns your eyes are stuck on.
- Reuse letters. Double letters are allowed, and many players forget them.
- Build word families. One root can give several answers: add UN- or RE- to the front, and -ER, -ED or -ING to the end.
- Look for compound words. Two short answers often join into a third, longer one.
- Use the two-letter list. When you are stuck near Genius, knowing how many words start with each pair of letters shows you where to look.
More NYT puzzle help
- Today’s spelling bee answers and pangram, updated every day
- How to play NYT Pips
- How to play the NYT Mini Crossword
- How to play NYT Letter Boxed
- How to play NYT Connections
- How to play Wordle
- How to play NYT Strands
- All of today’s NYT puzzle hints and answers
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is a pangram in Spelling Bee?
A pangram is a word that uses all seven letters of the puzzle at least once. It earns a 7-point bonus on top of its length.
How many points do you need for Genius in Spelling Bee?
Genius is reached at 70% of the total points available that day, so the exact number changes with each puzzle.
What is Queen Bee in Spelling Bee?
Queen Bee is the hidden top rank, awarded for finding every word in the puzzle.
