Spelling Bee NYT: Answers For Today's Puzzle

Spelling Bee FAQs

What is NYT Spelling Bee?

Spelling Bee is a daily word puzzle from the New York Times. You get 7 letters arranged in a honeycomb: one center letter (in yellow) and six surrounding letters. The goal is to make as many valid words as possible using only those letters.

What is a pangram in Spelling Bee?

A pangram is a word that uses all 7 letters at least once. Pangrams earn a 7-point bonus on top of the base word score. Most puzzles have one pangram; some have two or more.

How does Spelling Bee scoring work?

4-letter words score 1 point. 5-letter: 5 pts, 6-letter: 6 pts, 7-letter: 7 pts. Words with 8+ letters score 7 pts plus 7 for each extra letter (e.g. 8 letters = 14 pts). Pangrams add a 7-point bonus to their base score.

What is the center letter in Spelling Bee?

The center letter (shown in yellow in the honeycomb) must appear in every word you submit. You can use it once or multiple times, but it cannot be omitted.

What is the minimum word length in Spelling Bee?

Words must be at least 4 letters long. Shorter words are not accepted.

Can you repeat letters in Spelling Bee?

Yes. You can use any of the 7 letters multiple times in a single word (e.g. "beekeeper" uses "e" four times). You must only use letters from the puzzle—no outside letters.

Does Spelling Bee allow proper nouns?

No. Proper nouns, hyphenated words, and contractions are not accepted. The puzzle uses a standard dictionary of common English words.

When does the NYT Spelling Bee update?

A new puzzle is published every day at midnight Eastern time. Yesterday's puzzle stays playable, but the answers page switches to the new day.

What is Genius in Spelling Bee?

Genius is a ranking that means you've reached 70% of the maximum possible score for that puzzle. The exact point threshold varies by puzzle.

What is Queen Bee in Spelling Bee?

Queen Bee means you've found every valid word in the puzzle—100% of the answers. It's the highest achievement in Spelling Bee.

How many words are usually in a Spelling Bee puzzle?

Most puzzles have roughly 20–40 unique words, depending on the letter set. Some puzzles have more; pangram-rich letter combinations can yield 50+ words.

Are there any words that are always valid in Spelling Bee?

No. Valid answers depend entirely on the 7 letters chosen for that day. A word accepted in one puzzle may be invalid in another.

How do I find the pangram?

Think of words that use all 7 letters. Often the pangram relates to a theme (e.g. animals, actions). Try suffixes like -ING, -ED, -ER and prefixes to extend 6-letter words into pangrams.

Is there a time limit in Spelling Bee?

No. You can take as long as you like. The puzzle is available for the whole day, and you can pause and return anytime before it resets.

Can I play past Spelling Bee puzzles?

On the NYT site, only today's and yesterday's puzzles are available. Our Spelling Bee Solver can help you practice with any letter set.

Why wasn't my word accepted in Spelling Bee?

The word might not be in the puzzle's dictionary, it might be a proper noun, hyphenated, or a contraction. It could also be too short (under 4 letters) or use letters not in the puzzle.

Do you need a NYT subscription to play Spelling Bee?

Yes. Spelling Bee is part of the New York Times Games subscription. You can play a limited number of puzzles for free, but full access requires a subscription.

What's the difference between Spelling Bee and Wordle?

Wordle asks you to guess one 5-letter word in 6 tries. Spelling Bee gives you 7 letters and asks you to find many words of 4+ letters. Spelling Bee has no guess limit and focuses on vocabulary breadth.

Do you need a NYT subscription to play Spelling Bee?

Spelling Bee is part of the New York Times Games. A limited number of puzzles are free; full access requires a NYT Games subscription.