LexiTopics: About the LexiTopics Project
The coverage in the Spelling Bee lexicon of various subjects (nautical, medical, anatomy, textiles, religion, etc.) has long been a frequent topic of interest and discussion in the Spelling Bee forum. Personal experiences and expectations sometimes lead Spelling Bee solvers into the thorny thickets of seeking meaning from, or seeing bias in, random sets of words that have nothing in common except the letters with which they are spelled. Those interpretations or impressions of how particular subjects are (or are not) represented in the Spelling Bee lexicon are not always in line with what actually exists there. To provide objective information, LexiConnexxions has analyzed the Bee lexicon and shares the resulting findings in the LexiTopics reports.
What are LexiTopics?
A LexiTopic is a report developed by LexiConnexxions that contains all the words in the Spelling Bee lexicon that are related to a specific subject (e.g., food, transportation) or that can be used to describe human experience (thought, emotion, behavior), or that describe things and conditions in the world at large (e.g., animals, weather, geology, time). All the LexiTopics reports may be viewed HERE.
If you cite information from any LexiConnexxions report, please give credit and a link to the relevant page. These reports and analyses are compiled and prepared by a person, not a machine. Thank you.
ABOUT THE LEXITOPICS PROJECT
Why did LexiConnexxions develop LexiTopics? What’s their purpose?
Each Spelling Bee solver (naturally) approaches the Bee through the very narrow aperture of personal experience, education, and interest. And humans being what they are, each player will naturally look for, and expect to find, familiar words.
For example, when a gardener attempts to solve the Bee, he or she will naturally “see” in the letter set words about plants and cultivation that other players might not see or even know. From the gardener’s perspective, those special words – familiar but not included in that day’s Bee – are “missing,” and the gardener may come away from the experience with the impression that the Spelling Bee lexicon – that’s the list of all words ever used in all the Bee puzzles – does not include “enough” gardening terms. Some solvers perceive those “missing” words as evidence of editorial bias against gardening – or sailing, or birds, or golf, or any other favorite.
Sometimes a Spelling Bee player will believe that the Bee “always” or “never” includes words on a certain topic, or that the Bee lexicon “always” includes more words on Topic A than Topic B.
These concerns all play out in the Spelling Bee forum, where players gather to talk about each day’s Bee.
In order that objective information might exist to inform those conversations, LexiConnexxions has undertaken a topical analysis of the entire Spelling Bee lexicon and makes the analysis available via the LexiTopics reports.
For example, when a gardener attempts to solve the Bee, he or she will naturally “see” in the letter set words about plants and cultivation that other players might not see or even know. From the gardener’s perspective, those special words – familiar but not included in that day’s Bee – are “missing,” and the gardener may come away from the experience with the impression that the Spelling Bee lexicon – that’s the list of all words ever used in all the Bee puzzles – does not include “enough” gardening terms. Some solvers perceive those “missing” words as evidence of editorial bias against gardening – or sailing, or birds, or golf, or any other favorite.
Sometimes a Spelling Bee player will believe that the Bee “always” or “never” includes words on a certain topic, or that the Bee lexicon “always” includes more words on Topic A than Topic B.
These concerns all play out in the Spelling Bee forum, where players gather to talk about each day’s Bee.
In order that objective information might exist to inform those conversations, LexiConnexxions has undertaken a topical analysis of the entire Spelling Bee lexicon and makes the analysis available via the LexiTopics reports.
How are the LexiTopics created? What’s the process?
The Word List – The first step was to obtain a list of all the words in the Spelling Bee lexicon – that is, all the words that have ever been used in the puzzle, including those that have been discontinued -- and to develop a method for keeping the list current as words are added or deleted from the lexicon (an almost-daily occurrence). LexiConnexxions is grateful to sbsolver.com for making available, in a reliable and timely fashion, the daily word lists and a searchable database of all Bee words.
From that word list, LexiConnexxions established a database of the Bee lexicon, which is updated whenever the Spelling Bee editor adds or discontinues words. (Those lexicon updates are compiled and reported in LexiConnexxions monthly and annual reports, as listed HERE.) The Analysis – For each word in the Bee lexicon, LexiConnexxions checks Merriam-Webster online (abridged), the easiest to use of the three dictionaries identified by the New York Times as primary dictionaries for the Spelling Bee editor, and the one that seems to be most commonly used by Bee players. We record the definition(s) in a custom database and assign subject heading(s) according to a custom taxonomy that LexiConnexxions developed expressly for this purpose.
From that word list, LexiConnexxions established a database of the Bee lexicon, which is updated whenever the Spelling Bee editor adds or discontinues words. (Those lexicon updates are compiled and reported in LexiConnexxions monthly and annual reports, as listed HERE.) The Analysis – For each word in the Bee lexicon, LexiConnexxions checks Merriam-Webster online (abridged), the easiest to use of the three dictionaries identified by the New York Times as primary dictionaries for the Spelling Bee editor, and the one that seems to be most commonly used by Bee players. We record the definition(s) in a custom database and assign subject heading(s) according to a custom taxonomy that LexiConnexxions developed expressly for this purpose.
The taxonomy exists in sixty-nine broad subject headings and hundreds of subtopical headings. The LexiTopics analysis is a work in progress; as our work continues, and as new words enter the Spelling Bee lexicon, the taxonomy, word analysis, and presentation are subject to change. New topics may be added, and existing topics may be combined, divided, or re-named. Click HERE to see the entire LexiTopics taxonomy.
At the beginning of this project, the analysis focused on the “hot button” topics that have been of high interest to Bee players who perceive “missing” words: nautical, textiles, belief systems, etc. But we soon realized that limiting the analysis in that way would produce a limited product, so we expanded the methodology to include all definitions and all subjects. As a result of this mid-stream change, the indexing for words in the early parts of the lexicon (mostly A-C) is less thorough than for the latter portions. We are circling back through the A-C portions to identify and fill any remaining gaps.
The LexiTopics – The information in the resulting database is published as subject-specific LexiTopics reports, so that a user may, for example, review all the Bee words about human anatomy, transportation, textiles, etc. Click HERE to jump to the LexiTopics index page with links to all the dozens of LexiTopics reports.
Though the LexiTopics reports include definition(s) for each word in the Bee lexicon, they do not comprise a dictionary; they are, instead, a simple analysis and index of concepts, word affiliations, and identities. The dictionary definitions serve solely as a guide to indexing, and as referential information for those who use the database for subject queries.
At the beginning of this project, the analysis focused on the “hot button” topics that have been of high interest to Bee players who perceive “missing” words: nautical, textiles, belief systems, etc. But we soon realized that limiting the analysis in that way would produce a limited product, so we expanded the methodology to include all definitions and all subjects. As a result of this mid-stream change, the indexing for words in the early parts of the lexicon (mostly A-C) is less thorough than for the latter portions. We are circling back through the A-C portions to identify and fill any remaining gaps.
The LexiTopics – The information in the resulting database is published as subject-specific LexiTopics reports, so that a user may, for example, review all the Bee words about human anatomy, transportation, textiles, etc. Click HERE to jump to the LexiTopics index page with links to all the dozens of LexiTopics reports.
Though the LexiTopics reports include definition(s) for each word in the Bee lexicon, they do not comprise a dictionary; they are, instead, a simple analysis and index of concepts, word affiliations, and identities. The dictionary definitions serve solely as a guide to indexing, and as referential information for those who use the database for subject queries.
An Important Update about Dictionaries used by the New York Times Puzzle Editors
In August 2026, the New York Times surprised many of their word puzzlers by saying that their puzzle editors "primarily use the Oxford English Dictionary." This information is at variance with previously published guidance for the Spelling Bee, as documented HERE, in which Merriam-Webster, Collins, and NOAD have long been named as the source dictionaries for the Spelling Bee. LexiConnexxions has reached out to the NYT games team for clarification, and we will provide updated information if and when it comes to us.
"Why You Sometimes See Naughty Words in NYT Games"New York Times, August 5, 2026https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/05/insider/games-language-wordle-crossplay-spelling-bee.html
"Why You Sometimes See Naughty Words in NYT Games"New York Times, August 5, 2026https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/05/insider/games-language-wordle-crossplay-spelling-bee.html
An Important Note about Our Dynamic Language, Dictionaries, and the LexiTopics Project
LexiConnexxions began this topical analysis project in late 2023. Given that the work is done by a single person and not using any AI, it is perhaps not surprising that it has taken a few years to work through the ever-growing lexicon. After reaching the end of the lexicon in March 2026, we started circling back, as described in this article, to identify and fill in gaps to review indexing that had been done early in the project.
It has been interesting, and in some cases startling, to revisit definitions in Merriam-Webster and discover the extent to which many of them have been revised during the past few years. In some cases, definitions that we’d included in the LexiTopics reports no longer exist in the free abridged edition of M-W that is the primary source for this project. In other cases, new definitions have been added or revised, and often, the order in which definitions were presented has been altered. (A few years back, M-W announced that they would be undertaking those re-orderings, to reflect actual usage rather than historical chronology. This ordering affects the indexing for LexiTopics, as described in these pages.)
All this is to say that LexiConnexxions has made the difficult decision (for now, at least), not to revisit each of the definitions that we recorded earlier in the LexiTopics in order to check them against what may now (or in the future) appear in M-W. We may take on that work incrementally, and certainly incorporate new information when it is related to other changes to the lexicon (e.g., when new words are added), but to undertake a wholesale review and revision is beyond the capacity of our one-person noncommercial endeavor.
While we recognize that this decision will result in the LexiTopics reports no longer being completely aligned with the source dictionaries, the reports will, in our opinion, still represent, and accurately, the breadth and diversity of subject material represented in the Spelling Bee lexicon, which was, and remains, the central goal of this project.
Notes on the Definitions
Multiple Definitions for Most Words: Because the English language is nuanced and multi-layered, many words have multiple meanings. Nearly all the words in the Bee lexicon have multiple definitions, and the LexiConnexxions analysis accommodates them all.
For example, in the Animals category, the word FROG has two different meanings: First (and perhaps most familiar), a frog is “any of various largely aquatic leaping anuran amphibians (such as ranids) that have slender bodies with smooth moist skin and strong long hind legs with webbed feet.” But a frog is also “the triangular elastic horny pad in the middle of the sole of the foot of a horse.” Thus, the word FROG is indexed in two Animal subtopics: Amphibians and Mammals: Equine.
In the same way, any word may be included in more than one LexiTopics subject report. For example, in addition to appearing twice in the Animals report, the word FROG also appears in the LexiTopics reports for Attire, Fashion, and Style (an ornamental closure), Human Health and Medicine (a sore throat), Furnishings and Fitments (“a small holder … with perforations or spikes for holding flowers in place in a bowl or vase”), Music (“the nut of a violin bow”), and Weapons and Warfare (“a loop attached to a belt to hold a weapon or tool”).
Words and Word Roots: For verbs with more than one tense in the Bee lexicon (e.g., rant, ranted, ranting), or nouns and their adjective and adverb forms forms (e.g., beauty, beautiful, beautifully), the basic definition is often given for all forms; that is, without editing a definition to match case, voice, verb form, etc. What matters here is not the definition, but the subject assignment.
Offensive, Vulgar, Disparaging: In the early days of the project, we excluded offensive or disparaging definitions from the database; however, when it became clear that there were a substantial number of words of this type in the Bee lexicon, we began to include those unpleasant definitions, and to capture them in a new subject heading for “Offensive, Vulgar, or Disparaging.”
Oddments: If a Bee word has multiple meanings, and among them is a definition designated as “chiefly British,” “archaic,” “dialectical,” than that designated definition will not be used. If, however, a word’s only definition is so designated, then that definition is used as presented. Those words are also indexed as “chiefly British,” “archaic,” etc., to enable, for example, the compilation of a list of all the “chiefly British” words in the Bee lexicon.
In the same way, any word may be included in more than one LexiTopics subject report. For example, in addition to appearing twice in the Animals report, the word FROG also appears in the LexiTopics reports for Attire, Fashion, and Style (an ornamental closure), Human Health and Medicine (a sore throat), Furnishings and Fitments (“a small holder … with perforations or spikes for holding flowers in place in a bowl or vase”), Music (“the nut of a violin bow”), and Weapons and Warfare (“a loop attached to a belt to hold a weapon or tool”).
Words and Word Roots: For verbs with more than one tense in the Bee lexicon (e.g., rant, ranted, ranting), or nouns and their adjective and adverb forms forms (e.g., beauty, beautiful, beautifully), the basic definition is often given for all forms; that is, without editing a definition to match case, voice, verb form, etc. What matters here is not the definition, but the subject assignment.
Offensive, Vulgar, Disparaging: In the early days of the project, we excluded offensive or disparaging definitions from the database; however, when it became clear that there were a substantial number of words of this type in the Bee lexicon, we began to include those unpleasant definitions, and to capture them in a new subject heading for “Offensive, Vulgar, or Disparaging.”
Oddments: If a Bee word has multiple meanings, and among them is a definition designated as “chiefly British,” “archaic,” “dialectical,” than that designated definition will not be used. If, however, a word’s only definition is so designated, then that definition is used as presented. Those words are also indexed as “chiefly British,” “archaic,” etc., to enable, for example, the compilation of a list of all the “chiefly British” words in the Bee lexicon.
Dictionaries and Sources
M-W refers to Merriam-Webster (abridged); NOAD refers to the North American Oxford Dictionary; Collins refers to the Collins Online Dictionary. Please review the important note HERE about the use of dictionaries by the Spelling Bee editor.
Because the free, abridged online edition of Merriam-Webster is the one most commonly consulted by Bee players, it made sense that LexiConnexxions use it as our primary source for definitions and etymologies. Information about how Merriam-Webster orders senses within their definitions may be found here: this ordering is an important consideration when dealing with words labeled as “archaic” or “obsolete” or “chiefly British;” examples of all of these are in the Bee lexicon.https://www.merriam-webster.com/help/explanatory-notes/dict-definitions
For words that are not in Merriam-Webster, or for which M-W’s entry conflicts with Bee rules and guidelines (e.g., no hyphenated words), LexiConnexxions will the other two “Bee” dictionaries, Collins and the New Oxford American Dictionary. These cross-checkings will all be done together in a grand circling back after the primary analysis and indexing (via M-W) has been finished.
Asterisks: Bee words marked with asterisks have been used in at least one Bee puzzle, then subsequently disallowed; they are retained here for historical interest.
Because the free, abridged online edition of Merriam-Webster is the one most commonly consulted by Bee players, it made sense that LexiConnexxions use it as our primary source for definitions and etymologies. Information about how Merriam-Webster orders senses within their definitions may be found here: this ordering is an important consideration when dealing with words labeled as “archaic” or “obsolete” or “chiefly British;” examples of all of these are in the Bee lexicon.https://www.merriam-webster.com/help/explanatory-notes/dict-definitions
For words that are not in Merriam-Webster, or for which M-W’s entry conflicts with Bee rules and guidelines (e.g., no hyphenated words), LexiConnexxions will the other two “Bee” dictionaries, Collins and the New Oxford American Dictionary. These cross-checkings will all be done together in a grand circling back after the primary analysis and indexing (via M-W) has been finished.
Asterisks: Bee words marked with asterisks have been used in at least one Bee puzzle, then subsequently disallowed; they are retained here for historical interest.
Credits and Caveats
LexiConnexxions is grateful to sbsolver.com, whose data, which has been made freely available to the Spelling Bee community, forms the foundation for this analysis. LexiConnexxions is also grateful to the dictionary publishers whose definitions are provided here.
The analysis of the data and definitions have been done solely by, and are, we believe, unique to LexiConnexxions.
Because this analysis is the work of a single person, done over a period of many months, and because the indexing process and taxonomy were created, developed, and refined as the project unfolded, there will inevitably be inconsistencies, gaps, and omissions. (We correct these as we find them.) Other individuals who undertake similar analyses will undoubtedly produce different results.
The analysis of the data and definitions have been done solely by, and are, we believe, unique to LexiConnexxions.
Because this analysis is the work of a single person, done over a period of many months, and because the indexing process and taxonomy were created, developed, and refined as the project unfolded, there will inevitably be inconsistencies, gaps, and omissions. (We correct these as we find them.) Other individuals who undertake similar analyses will undoubtedly produce different results.