How to Play: Ranks and Scoring

GamePlay: Ranks and Scoring

What does it take to "win" the Spelling Bee? 

The goal of the Spelling Bee is to find a finite list words that have been selected by the puzzle editor from among all possible words that can be derived from the given letter set. As players identify and enter the correct words, they earn points and advance through a series of pre-determined ranks. Here’s a guide to the Spelling Bee scores and ranking system, with tips about how some players use this information to add more layers of fun and challenge to their game.

Word Scores
The solution set of each Spelling Bee has, on average, about 40 words of varying lengths. Each word includes the "center letter" at the center of the hive, and may use any or all of the other letters. Each word is worth a certain number of points, calculated as follows:

• 4-letter words are worth 1 point each.• Longer words earn 1 point per letter; a 5-letter word is worth 5 points, a 6-letter word is worth 6 points, etc.• Each puzzle includes at least one “pangram,” a word that uses each of the seven letters at least once. A pangram earns one point per letter, plus an extra seven points. 

A pangram must be at least 7 letters long, but can be up to 19 letters long. A "perfect pangram" (a 7-letter word that uses each of the seven letters exactly once) will always be worth 14 points (1 point per letter, plus the 7-point pangram bonus). Other pangrams (8 or more letters long, using one or more letters multiple times) will be worth more; for example, the pangram CORMORANT is worth 16 points (1 point for each of the nine letters, plus 7 points for the pangram bonus). (Read more about pangrams HERE.)

As you find and enter correct words, the number of points earned will be displayed in a yellow dot at the top right of the puzzle screen, moving from left to right as more points are earned. Your progress will depend on your solving method. If you find the pangram(s) and more long words early on, you'll advance quickly, then your progress will slow down as you work your way through finding the short words to complete the list. The opposite is true; if you start with the small words and find the longer words later, the progress can feel glacial, especially in a long puzzle with a preponderance of short words.

Rankings
As you earn points, your ranking will advance from Beginner to Genius, and an indicator word in bold (e.g.,  Beginner) will be shown at the left side of the point scale. 

The rankings indicate the percentage of total points earned, and are the same for every Spelling Bee puzzle, regardless of the number or length of words in the solution set. The numerical increases between ranks grow larger (and more difficult) as you ascend (3, 3, 7, 10, 15, 10, 20, 30).

Beginner – 0% of points earnedGood Start – 2%Moving Up – 5%Good – 8%Solid – 15%Nice – 25%Great – 40%Amazing – 50%Genius – 70%

Because the numbers of words and points varies with each Bee, a rankings scale is provided for each puzzle. Within the puzzle, find the drop-down "More" menu and select "Rankings" to see how the scale is applied to that day's puzzle. 

This image shows, for example, how the ranking scale was applied to a Bee in which Genius could be achieved with 125 points.

When you have attained the Genius ranking, a splash screen will appear that shows the Bee logo (Beeatrice) wearing a little mortarboard, and you’ll be told that you have reached the puzzle’s “highest rank.” 

While Genius is officially the highest rank, there are still more words to find to complete the puzzle. Remember, Genius is achieved by finding just 70% of the points (and most of the words), not 100% of the points (and all of the words). Players who find all the words and score all the points become Queen Bee, a semi-secret top ranking. To achieve Queen Bee, you need to find the rest of the words. When you get to Genius, click the button that says "Keep Playing" and off you go. (You may need to scroll up to see that prompt.) 

The Spelling Bee's editor, Sam Ezersky, explained why the highest rank, Queen Bee, is kept hidden: "Why we keep the Queen Bee as an Easter Egg. We want our solvers to feel that great sense of accomplishment in that you don't need to find every last word... Everybody has their own personal lexicon of words they do and don't know. So just missing a word that one person finds to be esoteric and oh, you failed to get the 100% mark. That just doesn't feel great, right? I think there's something so satisfying about those Great, Amazing, Genius levels—really, whatever level you aspire to, that's publicly there. And then if you're just some solving heavyweight who seeks perfection, who knows, who has some super expansive lexicon, who's dying to see the breakdowns on Twitter [this is pre-Spelling Bee forum] or other people sharing exactly how many words there are, then that pursuit is for you. The way we've done it, there's something in this puzzle for every solver that way, which is why we keep the Queen Bee as we do." 

If and when you find all the words, you achieve Queen Bee, and that is the highest level and the actual official end of the puzzle. You don't need to take any more steps; there's nothing to submit to get your crown; enjoy the splash screen and Beatrice in her crown.

More Fun with Scores and Rankings

The very consistent scoring system offers some essential information that can aid in completing the puzzle. For example, when you reach Amazing level, take a look at the number of words you’ve found, then double it; that is the total number of words in the puzzle, give or take one or two words. You can double the Amazing points score, too, to see what the total number of points will be (within a few). When you’ve reached Amazing, then, you’re halfway home. And when you reach Genius, you know you’re in the home stretch.

Of course, you can stop playing at any point you choose. Some players have Genius as their goal, others enjoy being Amazing, and others go for Queen Bee every day. There is no rule about that, and no penalty for stopping; feel free to make the puzzle fun for you. The puzzle ends wherever you choose, anywhere between one word entered and Queen Bee.

Because the goal of the puzzle is to find all the words, the points don’t matter to that final outcome. But some players enjoy using the scoring system to create additional layers of game play; for example, a player might aspire to reach Genius without entering the pangram(s), focusing instead on the shorter words, and popping the pangram(s) in at the end, like the cherry on an ice cream sundae. Others prefer the challenge of looking for the pangram(s) first, then moving on to shorter words. Still others strive to reach Genius without using any low-value four-letter words, or even without four- or five-letter words.
If you’re interested in playing any of these self-styled point-based versions of the puzzle in which progressive scoring is of interest, head over to the Spelling Bee forum and post a comment with your question. There are several regulars who would be glad to share their methods and tips.

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 Beehttps://iteratehq.com/nytimes/6776de5d8b6862943a0fb831