GamePlay: Entering Words in the Puzzle
The goal of the Spelling Bee puzzle is to find words that have been selected by the puzzle editor from among all possible words that can be derived from the given letter set. Here’s a guide to entering words into the puzzle, with that goal in mind.
The Spelling Bee puzzle page (shown below and described HERE) features a honeycomb with seven different letters; six of the letters are arranged around the seventh letter in the center (the "center letter"). This honeycomb is sometimes called “the hive.”
Try to form words using these seven letters, and enter them as you find them into the space provided, labeled “Type or Click.”
Using a keyboard on a laptop or PC, you can select and enter letters, and you can use the backspace key to delete the letter(s) you most recently typed. The “Enter” key on your keyboard will function as the “Enter” button, and the spacebar will shuffle the letters. You can also use the mouse or keypad to click on “Delete,” “Shuffle,” or “Enter” as needed.
When playing in a browser on a mobile device, just tap the letters to enter them, and tap the “Delete,” “Shuffle,” or “Enter” buttons to take action.
Try to form words using these seven letters, and enter them as you find them into the space provided, labeled “Type or Click.”
Using a keyboard on a laptop or PC, you can select and enter letters, and you can use the backspace key to delete the letter(s) you most recently typed. The “Enter” key on your keyboard will function as the “Enter” button, and the spacebar will shuffle the letters. You can also use the mouse or keypad to click on “Delete,” “Shuffle,” or “Enter” as needed.
When playing in a browser on a mobile device, just tap the letters to enter them, and tap the “Delete,” “Shuffle,” or “Enter” buttons to take action.
Look for Words That Meet the Rules
As you look for words in the honeycomb, keep the New York Times’ Spelling Bee "How to Play" rules in mind: How to Play Spelling BeeCreate words using letters from the hive.• Words must contain at least 4 letters.• Words must include the center letter.• Our word list does not include words that are obscure, hyphenated, or proper nouns.• No cussing either, sorry.• Letters can be used more than once.Score points to increase your rating.• 4-letter words are worth 1 point each.• Longer words earn 1 point per letter.• Each puzzle includes at least one “pangram” which uses every letter. These are worth 7 extra points!
As you look for words in the honeycomb, keep the New York Times’ Spelling Bee "How to Play" rules in mind: How to Play Spelling BeeCreate words using letters from the hive.• Words must contain at least 4 letters.• Words must include the center letter.• Our word list does not include words that are obscure, hyphenated, or proper nouns.• No cussing either, sorry.• Letters can be used more than once.Score points to increase your rating.• 4-letter words are worth 1 point each.• Longer words earn 1 point per letter.• Each puzzle includes at least one “pangram” which uses every letter. These are worth 7 extra points!
DID YOU KNOW? The Spelling Bee puzzle interface will accept words that are up to 19 letters long.
Enter a Word – and Know What to Expect Next
After you find and type a word, press, tap, or click on "Enter."
If the word you entered is... 1) in the list of words selected for the day’s puzzle, AND 2) spelled correctly according to the version in the selected list, AND 3) not already entered
...then a brief floating pop-up message will appear to confirm that the word was accepted (praising you as Good! Nice! Awesome, etc., becoming increasingly fulsome with bigger words) and briefly showing the number of points you earned (+1, +4, etc.). When you enter a word that is a pangram, you’ll receive a validating message. (“Pangram!”) (Read more about pangrams HERE, and Read more about ranks and scoring HERE.) Yay, you! Keep looking for more words.
If you try to enter a word that does not meet the criteria outlined above, you will see one of these messages:
"Not in word list" If the character string you entered is not in the day’s list (whether because the word was not chosen, or because you misspelled it, or had a typo) then a quick floating pop-up message will say “Not in Word List.” Check your spelling and try again; maybe you had a typo the first time. If the word is still not accepted, check a standard dictionary of American English, such as Merriam-Webster (free online). If it still comes up as "Not in Word List," then accept the fact that the word you thought of was not selected for that day's puzzle, and move on to look for other words. Remember, only the words that have been selected by the editor will count toward your score.
"Missing center letter" If you enter a word that does not include the center letter, a brief pop-up will tell you that the word is “Missing center letter.” Remember, each word must include that center letter.
"Too short" If you enter a word with fewer than four letters, a brief pop-up will tell you that it is “Too short.” Remember, each acceptable word must have at least four letters.
"Bad letters" If you enter a word that includes any letters other than the seven chosen for the day, a quick pop-up will chide you for using “Bad Letters.” Remember, you can use only the seven letters that appear in the honeycomb. These pop-up messages come and go within a few seconds, so pay attention as you enter words. Every player makes typos (especially if playing on a small screen), so if a word is not accepted, try at least one more time. Just keep playing, finding and entering as many words as you can. Keep in mind that the only words that matter are those that were selected by the puzzle editor for the day’s puzzle. The goal of the puzzle is to find and enter only those words. Let the “bad words” drop away; don’t waste time or energy fretting about them. They will not count toward your score or toward solving the puzzle, and there is no penalty for trying words that are not accepted.
...then a brief floating pop-up message will appear to confirm that the word was accepted (praising you as Good! Nice! Awesome, etc., becoming increasingly fulsome with bigger words) and briefly showing the number of points you earned (+1, +4, etc.). When you enter a word that is a pangram, you’ll receive a validating message. (“Pangram!”) (Read more about pangrams HERE, and Read more about ranks and scoring HERE.) Yay, you! Keep looking for more words.
If you try to enter a word that does not meet the criteria outlined above, you will see one of these messages:
"Not in word list" If the character string you entered is not in the day’s list (whether because the word was not chosen, or because you misspelled it, or had a typo) then a quick floating pop-up message will say “Not in Word List.” Check your spelling and try again; maybe you had a typo the first time. If the word is still not accepted, check a standard dictionary of American English, such as Merriam-Webster (free online). If it still comes up as "Not in Word List," then accept the fact that the word you thought of was not selected for that day's puzzle, and move on to look for other words. Remember, only the words that have been selected by the editor will count toward your score.
"Missing center letter" If you enter a word that does not include the center letter, a brief pop-up will tell you that the word is “Missing center letter.” Remember, each word must include that center letter.
"Too short" If you enter a word with fewer than four letters, a brief pop-up will tell you that it is “Too short.” Remember, each acceptable word must have at least four letters.
"Bad letters" If you enter a word that includes any letters other than the seven chosen for the day, a quick pop-up will chide you for using “Bad Letters.” Remember, you can use only the seven letters that appear in the honeycomb. These pop-up messages come and go within a few seconds, so pay attention as you enter words. Every player makes typos (especially if playing on a small screen), so if a word is not accepted, try at least one more time. Just keep playing, finding and entering as many words as you can. Keep in mind that the only words that matter are those that were selected by the puzzle editor for the day’s puzzle. The goal of the puzzle is to find and enter only those words. Let the “bad words” drop away; don’t waste time or energy fretting about them. They will not count toward your score or toward solving the puzzle, and there is no penalty for trying words that are not accepted.
If you cite information from this LexiConnexxions report, please give credit and a link to this page. These reports and analyses are compiled and prepared by a human being, not a machine. Thank you.
ESSENTIAL SPELLING BEE RESOURCES
The Spelling Bee Puzzlehttps://www.nytimes.com/puzzles/spelling-bee
The Spelling Bee Forumhttps://www.nytimes.com/spotlight/spelling-bee-forum Glossary of Spelling Bee Termshttps://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/26/crosswords/spelling-bee-forum-introduction.html
Spelling Bee Buddyhttps://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/upshot/spelling-bee-buddy.htmlAn interactive tool that provides personalized hints and statistics for your daily Spelling Bee solve.
New York Times Help page for Spelling Beehttps://help.nytimes.com/23675493312404-Spelling-Bee
New York Times Help page for all gameshttps://help.nytimes.com/360011158491-New-York-Times-Games
Suggest a word for Spelling BeeWithin the Bee puzzle, open the "More" dropdown and choose "Suggest a Word. This links to form by which players may suggest words to be included in the Bee. A direct link is here: https://nyti.ms/4pG5SOFPlayers may also email their suggestions to buzzwords@nytimes.com, especially if they wish to include more information than the form allows.
Provide feedback to the New York Times about Spelling Behttps://iteratehq.com/nytimes/6776de5d8b6862943a0fb831
The Spelling Bee Forumhttps://www.nytimes.com/spotlight/spelling-bee-forum Glossary of Spelling Bee Termshttps://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/26/crosswords/spelling-bee-forum-introduction.html
Spelling Bee Buddyhttps://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/upshot/spelling-bee-buddy.htmlAn interactive tool that provides personalized hints and statistics for your daily Spelling Bee solve.
New York Times Help page for Spelling Beehttps://help.nytimes.com/23675493312404-Spelling-Bee
New York Times Help page for all gameshttps://help.nytimes.com/360011158491-New-York-Times-Games
Suggest a word for Spelling BeeWithin the Bee puzzle, open the "More" dropdown and choose "Suggest a Word. This links to form by which players may suggest words to be included in the Bee. A direct link is here: https://nyti.ms/4pG5SOFPlayers may also email their suggestions to buzzwords@nytimes.com, especially if they wish to include more information than the form allows.
Provide feedback to the New York Times about Spelling Behttps://iteratehq.com/nytimes/6776de5d8b6862943a0fb831