What is Spelling Bee?
Spelling Bee is a daily word-building game from the New York Times. Find words from seven displayed letters, always including the center letter, to build a score and move through ranks.
How to play Spelling Bee
- Study the seven-letter hive and identify the center letter.
- Enter words of at least four letters that include the center letter; letters may be reused.
- Keep finding accepted words to score points and progress through the game's ranks.
Scoring and ranks
Four-letter words score one point; longer words score one point per letter. A pangram uses all seven letters and earns a seven-point bonus. The game reports ranks as the score grows.
Why play Spelling Bee
It is an open-ended daily word hunt for players who prefer accumulating possibilities to solving a single answer.
Tips for finding more words
Scan for common suffixes and prefixes after the obvious short words are gone. Shuffle or take a short break when the letter layout stops suggesting words.
Frequently asked questions
Must every word use the center letter?
Yes. The NYT's rules say each entered word must include it.
Can letters be reused?
Yes.
What is a pangram?
A word using all seven letters; it earns a seven-point bonus.
Modes
Daily hive — The current page presents a dated Spelling Bee.
Archive — The current NYT page advertises archive access through subscription.