NYT Spelling Bee Solver
Stuck on today's hive? Enter your 7 letters and we'll find every valid word — pangrams included, no judgment. (The judgment comes later, privately, when you realize GLINT was right there the whole time.)
Enter the golden center letter first, then the six outer letters. The solver handles the rest — which is to say, it does the part you were pretending was optional.
0/6 letters entered
How the Spelling Bee Solver Works
Enter the center letter and the 6 outer letters from today's hive. The solver checks every word in our 186,000-word dictionary against the official rules: 4 letters minimum, center letter present, only hive letters used. It does this faster than you can second-guess your own spelling, which is the point.
Pangrams — words using all 7 hive letters at least once — are pulled to the top and highlighted in gold because they're worth the most points and are, in my professional opinion, the whole reason to play. The remaining words are sorted longest-first, since longer words score more and are the ones you're most likely to have missed while staring at the hexagon going "there has to be something with a Q in it."
The spoiler gate is intentional. Most players want the pangram — it unlocks "Genius" rank and a quiet sense of accomplishment — without spoiling every 4-letter word they could still find themselves. Reveal the full list when you've earned it, or when you're out of time. Both are valid. I don't judge. (Maybe I do, slightly, but I keep it to myself.)
Spelling Bee Scoring Quick Reference
The scoring system rewards length, which means every extra letter is literally worth a point. This is the most efficient scoring rubric in any NYT game, and yet here we all are, grinding out 4-letter words for 1 point each.
How to Get Today's NYT Spelling Bee Answers
The NYT Spelling Bee resets each day at midnight Eastern. If you want to find today's valid words — or just the pangram — here's how to use this solver:
- 1.Open the Spelling Bee on the NYT site or app. You'll see the hive: one center letter in the golden hexagon, six outer letters arranged around it.
- 2.Enter the center letter in the first field above. This is the letter that must appear in every valid word — also the letter responsible for roughly half of all "wait, that doesn't work" moments.
- 3.Enter the six outer letters in any order in the second field.
- 4.Hit Find Words. Pangrams appear at the top. The full word list is behind the spoiler gate — reveal it when you're ready, or just grab the pangram and finish the rest yourself.
Strategy note: if you're chasing Genius rank, prioritize 6-, 7-, and 8-letter words. They score more points per find, and the 4-letter words — while satisfying — are the slow road to the threshold. Get the pangram first, then work your way down by length.
Frequently asked questions
What is a pangram in the NYT Spelling Bee?
A pangram is a word that uses all 7 hive letters at least once. Every puzzle has at least one — the NYT guarantees it, which is the one promise the puzzle makes and actually keeps. Pangrams score 1 point per letter plus a 7-point bonus, making them the highest-value words in any given hive.
How does NYT Spelling Bee scoring work?
4-letter words are worth 1 point each. Words of 5 or more letters score 1 point per letter. Pangrams earn that length score plus a 7-point bonus on top. Reaching "Queen Bee" means finding every valid word — a goal that sounds reasonable until you realize the puzzle has 60 words and you have a job.
What words count in the Spelling Bee?
Words must be at least 4 letters, must contain the center letter, and may only use the 7 hive letters — any of which can be reused. Proper nouns and hyphenated words are out. Obscure words are technically in, which is why NAIRU showed up that one Tuesday and everyone went quietly insane.
Can letters be repeated in the Spelling Bee?
Yes — any hive letter can appear more than once in a valid word. This is why long words like SEVENTEEN or COMMITTEE can be valid if the letters are all in the hive. It also means the puzzle is harder than it looks, which I appreciate because the alternative is thinking you are bad at English.
How many words are in a typical Spelling Bee puzzle?
Most puzzles contain between 25 and 80 valid words. The NYT chooses letter combinations to keep the list manageable while ensuring at least one pangram. The average player finds maybe half the list and calls it a win. This is correct behavior.
How do I use this solver for today's NYT Spelling Bee?
Open today's Spelling Bee on the NYT site or app. Enter the center letter (the one in the golden hexagon) in the first field. Enter the six outer letters in any order in the second field. Hit Find Words. Pangrams appear immediately at the top. The remaining words are behind the spoiler gate — you can check just the pangram and leave the rest for yourself, or reveal everything when you're done. Either approach is valid. There is no wrong way to decide you are finished.
What's the difference between Genius and Queen Bee?
The NYT ranks progress from Beginner through Good Start, Moving Up, Good, Solid, Nice, Great, Amazing, Genius, and finally Queen Bee. Genius requires roughly 70% of the maximum possible score for that puzzle. Queen Bee requires finding every single valid word — including the ones you've never seen before and will immediately forget. Most players treat Genius as the finish line and move on with their day. This is the correct decision.
Why does the solver show words the NYT puzzle won't accept?
The NYT edits the Spelling Bee word list manually and removes some valid dictionary words — typically offensive terms, archaic words, or proper nouns that slipped through. Our solver runs against a standard 186,000-word English dictionary, not the NYT's curated list. If a word appears here but the puzzle rejects it, that's almost certainly why. The NYT's exact list is not published, so there's no way to filter for it precisely. When in doubt, try it — the puzzle just says "not in word list" and moves on.