WordPlay: Fun with Spelling Bee Words

Updated 2026-08-17 This section is under development; check back often for updates. The Spelling Bee lexicon, which contains more than 11,000 words, includes words from almost every aspect of human experience and endeavor, as revealed in the LexiTopics analysis project and the dozens of topical reports that were produced from the analysis. During the analysis process, LexiConnexxions also identified words in several broad non-topical categories, as listed and linked below. Some of these WordPlay reports compile and define types of words such as eponyms, palindromes, acronyms, brand names, and the like. Others bring together altered words including clipped words, abbreviations, or reductions. There are also reports that gather the many words in the Bee lexicon that seem to bend, and sometimes break, the basic "rules" of the Spelling Bee lexicon (e.g., no capitalized words, no hyphens, no words that are generally used in phrases, no vulgarities, etc.)
And for Bee players who like to keep lists of certain types of Bee words to use as solving aids, the "word lists for Bee solvers" gather Bee words that include specific character strings (e.g., YARD) or that end with certain suffixes (e.g., -LY or -FUL). Spelling Bee words about words, language, and linguistics in general are in the LexiTopic: Words and Language, 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
BEFORE YOU BEGIN EXPLORING...
Because the Spelling Bee lexicon is dynamic, these WordPlay reports are subject to change: New topics may be added, and existing topics may be combined, divided, re-named, or deletd. And that means that links may change. Therefore, if you wish to share any WordPlay report(s), we recommend that you link only to this page, https://www.lexiconnexxions.com/wordplay/, as this page (and its URL) will remain stable.
To view any WordPlay report, click the TITLE.
SPELLING COUNTS!
ABANDONED ACCENTS Spelling Bee words that have lost their accents or diacritics
ABBREVIATIONS, ACRONYMS, AND INITIALISMS Bee words that are abbreviations, acronyms, or initialisms
CLIPPED OR SHORTENED WORDS AND PHRASES Spelling Bee words that are derived from clipped or shortened words and phrases
MIRROR IMAGES Spelling Bee words that are palindromes, words that read exactly the same forwards as backwards
SMOOSHED Spelling Bee words that are reductions (words from which sounds have been lost, or reduced) or contractions (words that have been contracted by removal of letters)
WORDZ Spelling Bee words that are onomatopoetic constructions, pronunciation spellings and more
Coming soon! DOUBLE DEALING Variant spellings in the Spelling Bee lexicon
Coming soon! BONBONS AND DOODADS Spelling Bee words that are reduplications, having certain types of repeated sounds
ETYMOLOGIES & EXPLANATIONS
BRAND NAMES Bee words that are derived from brand names, trade names, and trademarks
EPONYMS Bee words that are derived from the names of people, characters, brands, etc., whether real, fictional, or imaginary
LITERARY AND FILM REFERENCES Bee words that originated in literature, poetry, drama, film, etc.
PORTMANTEAUX AND BLENDED WORDS Spelling Bee words that are “made by combining the spellings and meanings of two or more other words or word parts.” (M-W)
TOPONYMS Spelling Bee words that are derived from place names, whether real, fictional, or imaginary.


ROGUES AND RULEBREAKERS
Many of the words in the Spelling Bee lexicon seem to bend -- or even break -- certain of the Bee's own rules. We don't mind, but we confess that we had fun compiling these lists.
WASH YOUR MOUTH OUT WITH SOAP! Spelling Bee words that dictionaries label as vulgar, offensive, or disparaging
Coming soon! FANCY THAT! Spelling Bee words that dictionaries label as "chiefly British" or Scottish
Coming soon! CAPITAL CRIMES Spelling Bee words that lead double lives as both capitalized and uncapitalized words
Coming soon! MIND THE GAP Spelling Bee words that dictionaries present only as open compounds or parts of phrases
Coming soon! HYPHENS AND OTHER TRAVESTIES Spelling Bee words that break the rule on hyphenation in the Bee
Coming soon! MISSING WORD ALERT! Spelling Bee words that are not in any of the formerly-designated "Bee" dictionaries
Coming anon! YE OLDE WORDES Spelling Bee words that dictionaries label as archaic, obsolete, or outdated
Coming soon! WAIT, WHAT?! Spelling Bee oddments and anomalies
TOPICAL TREATS
ALPHABET SOUP Greek and Hebrew letter names in the Spelling Bee
BABY YOU CAN DRIVE MY CAR Spelling Bee words that are also names of motor vehicle makes or models
CHEMICAL ELEMENTS Names of chemical elements that have – and have not – been in the Spelling Bee
ILLIONs, TEENS, and NTHs Spelling Bee words about certain kinds of numbers
OLOGIES Spelling Bee words about science and discourse that have an ancient connection: The old Greek word LOGOS
STATE BIRDS The names of 23 U.S. State birds are in the Spelling Bee lexicon
WHAT'S IN A NAME? Spelling Bee words that are also personal names
WORDPLAY WANDERINGS
Brief essays to explore the etymological, literary, and/or linguistic backgrounds of selected Bee words (and of some words that have not yet made it in to the Spelling Bee but that we like anyway).
GIRD YOUR LOINS! What the heck does that even mean, anyway?
MOTORWAY Wait, isn't that one of those British words? In the Spelling Bee?
TRAJECTORIES Tossing around JECT words in the Spelling Bee




WORD LISTS FOR BEE SOLVERS
Good Bee solvers are know (and remember) words that share certain letter combinations. These lists can help.
AUGH EIGH IGH OUGH – OOH! Spelling Bee words that contain AUGH EIGH IGH OUGH
FULL HOUSE Spelling Bee words that contain FUL
IT'S RAINING CATS AND DOGS! Spelling Bee words that contain CAT or DOG
READY AND ABLE Spelling Bee words that contain ABLE or IBLE
WHAT'S IN A NYM? Spelling Bee words that contain NYM
WHEE! Spelling Bee words that end with -EE
WO/MAN HOOD Spelling Bee words that contain WOMAN, WOMEN, MAN, MEN, GIRL, BOY
WOODWINDS IN THE WILDWOOD Spelling Bee words that contain WOOD, WIND, and/or WILD

LexiConnexxions New York Times Spelling Bee answers analysis statistics peregrine
If you cite information from LexiConnexxions, please give credit and a link to the relevant page. These reports and analyses are conceived, compiled, designed, and prepared by a human being, not a machine. This website is 100% AI-free; it is conceived, designed, written, and maintained by a human being. Except where noted, all content ©2022-2026 and in perpetuity by LexiConnexxions. All rights reserved. Dissemination, re-use, or duplication by any means, for any purpose whatsoever, is prohibited except by express written permission of LexiConnexxions. This site is not affiliated with The New York Times or with any other sites related to the New York Times Spelling Bee. Contact LexiConnexxions at info // @ // lexiconnexxions.com.