How to Play NYT Spelling Bee

Spelling Bee gives you seven letters in a honeycomb and asks you to build as many words as you can — always using the center letter.

The rules

• Words must be at least four letters long.
• Every word must include the center letter.
• Letters can be reused as often as you like.
• Only the seven letters shown are allowed; no proper nouns or hyphens.
• Every puzzle has at least one pangram using all seven letters.

Scoring & ranks

• 4-letter words = 1 point; longer words = 1 point per letter.
• A pangram earns a 7-point bonus.
• Ranks climb from Beginner to Genius (~70% of points); finding every word earns Queen Bee.

Strategy

1. Brainstorm words around the center letter first.
2. Hunt the pangram early for a big point swing.
3. Don't ignore short 4-letter words — they add up fast.

Need today's hive? See today's Spelling Bee answers.