Spelling Bee
Spelling Bee gives you seven letters in a honeycomb. Make as many words as you can, and every word must use the letter in the middle.
Opens the real game on nytimes.com. Free, in a new tab.
How Spelling Bee works
Build a word. Tap letters or type them. Each word needs at least four letters and must include the center letter.
Reuse letters freely. You can use the same letter as many times as you like in one word.
Score points. Four letter words are worth 1 point. Longer words score one point per letter, and a pangram adds a bonus.
Climb the ranks. Your score moves you up a ladder of ranks. Genius is the usual goal, and Queen Bee means you found every word.
Aim for a rank. Each word adds points. Pangrams add a bonus. Climb toward Genius, or find every word for Queen Bee.
The Spelling Bee ranks
The New York Times Spelling Bee, edited by Sam Ezersky, scores you as you find words and moves you up a set of ranks. Genius is the goal most players chase. Queen Bee means you found every word on the list.
| Order | Rank |
|---|---|
| 1 | Beginner |
| 2 | Good Start |
| 3 | Moving Up |
| 4 | Good |
| 5 | Solid |
| 6 | Nice |
| 7 | Great |
| 8 | Amazing |
| 9 | Genius |
| Every word | Queen Bee |
Finding more words
- Try common endings with the center letter: ING, ED, ER and LY.
- Look for the pangram early. It uses all seven letters and scores the most.
- Shuffle the letters. A new layout breaks the patterns your eyes keep making.
- Spelling Bee Buddy, the official helper from the Times, shows how many words start with each pair of letters.
Is Spelling Bee free?
Free players can play part of the puzzle. The full game, with every rank and the Buddy, is for NYT Games subscribers.
Common Spelling Bee questions
What is a pangram in Spelling Bee?
A word that uses all seven letters at least once. Every puzzle has at least one.
Is Spelling Bee free?
Not fully. Free players get a limited version of today's puzzle, and the full game and archive are for NYT Games subscribers.
What is Queen Bee?
The rank you get for finding every accepted word in the puzzle. It sits above Genius.
Are there Spelling Bee answers today on Megadle?
Yes, on a separate Spelling Bee answers today page with hints first. This guide stays spoiler free: try endings like ING, ED and ER with the center letter.
Is the Spelling Bee game the same as a school spelling bee?
No. It is a word building puzzle from the New York Times, not a spoken contest.
Spelling Bee strategy
- Look for common endings first. Adding ING, ED or ER to a short word often makes a new one.
- Hunt for the pangram early. It is worth the most and often contains a long word you already found part of.
- Shuffle the honeycomb when you stall. A new letter order makes new words jump out.
- Proper nouns, hyphenated words and very rare words do not count, so do not waste time on them.
Spelling Bee in numbers
- Made by
- The New York Times, edited by Sam Ezersky
- Letters
- 7, one of them in the center
- Shortest word
- 4 letters
- Best word
- A pangram, which uses all seven letters
- Goal
- Climb the ranks to Genius, or find every word for Queen Bee
- Price
- Full game for NYT Games subscribers, limited for free players
- Category
- Word games, word grids
Facts checked on 2026-11-03. Spelling Bee belongs to The New York Times. Megadle is not linked to it.