Chemical Elements in the Spelling Bee Lexicon
Updated 2024-07-12
There are 118 chemical elements.
Of the 118 words that are names of elements, 68 are not eligible for inclusion in the Bee, for one or more of these four reasons: 27 include the letter S 32 include E + R 1 has only three letters 32 have more than 7 unique letters
There is overlap between these categories, of course, such as with “seaborgium.”
That leaves just 50 elements that are eligible for inclusion in the Bee.
Of these 50: 31 have never been selected for the sole reason that there has never been a Bee letter set to support their selection. (Surprising among these is LEAD!) 17 have been included each time they have been possible. 1 has been allowed, disallowed, allowed again 1 has been eligible but always excluded.
Here are the lists:
There are 118 chemical elements.
Of the 118 words that are names of elements, 68 are not eligible for inclusion in the Bee, for one or more of these four reasons: 27 include the letter S 32 include E + R 1 has only three letters 32 have more than 7 unique letters
There is overlap between these categories, of course, such as with “seaborgium.”
That leaves just 50 elements that are eligible for inclusion in the Bee.
Of these 50: 31 have never been selected for the sole reason that there has never been a Bee letter set to support their selection. (Surprising among these is LEAD!) 17 have been included each time they have been possible. 1 has been allowed, disallowed, allowed again 1 has been eligible but always excluded.
Here are the lists:
ELIGIBLE FOR INCLUSION IN THE BEE:
Eligible for inclusion and included every time it has been possible: 17 words
argon (has been in 10 Bees)boron (18)carbon (4)cobalt (1)curium (1)gold (12)iodine (8)iron (31)krypton (1)neon (71)nickel (2)radon (18)tantalum (2)uranium (2)xenon (9)yttrium (4)zinc (5)
Eligible for inclusion, but with a checkered history: 1 word
indium Indium’s history in the Bee:
August 29, 2019 allowedFebruary 25, 2022 disallowedMarch 12, 2022 disallowedMay 5, 2023 disallowedApril 21, 2024 disallowedJuly 12, 2024 allowed
indium Indium’s history in the Bee:
August 29, 2019 allowedFebruary 25, 2022 disallowedMarch 12, 2022 disallowedMay 5, 2023 disallowedApril 21, 2024 disallowedJuly 12, 2024 allowed
Eligible for inclusion but always excluded: 1 word
lutetium Lutetium has been possible only in one Bee (8/12/2021) but was not selected.
lutetium Lutetium has been possible only in one Bee (8/12/2021) but was not selected.
Eligible for the Bee but there has been no opportunity for their inclusion: 31 words(there has never been a letter set to support each of these words)
actiniumaluminumantimonybariumbohriumcadmiumcalciumchromiumdubniumgalliumhafniumheliumholmiumiridiumlanthanumleadlithiumneptuniumnihonium element 113niobiumoxygenpalladiumpoloniumradiumrhodiumrubidiumthalliumthoriumthuliumtitaniumvanadium
actiniumaluminumantimonybariumbohriumcadmiumcalciumchromiumdubniumgalliumhafniumheliumholmiumiridiumlanthanumleadlithiumneptuniumnihonium element 113niobiumoxygenpalladiumpoloniumradiumrhodiumrubidiumthalliumthoriumthuliumtitaniumvanadium
NOT ELIGIBLE FOR INCLUSION IN THE BEE:
Contains S: 27 words
arsenicastatinebismuthcesiumdarmstadtiumdysprosiumeinsteiniumhassiummagnesiummanganesemoscovium element 115oganesson element 118osmiumphosphoruspotassiumpraseodymiumsamariumscandiumseaborgiumseleniumsiliconsilversodiumstrontiumsulfurtennessine element 117tungsten
Contains E+R: 32 words
americiumarsenicberkeliumberylliumbromineceriumchlorinecoperniciumcoppererbiumeuropiumfermiumfleroviumfluorinegermaniumhydrogenlawrenciumlivermoriummeitneriummercurynitrogenpraseodymiumpromethiumrheniumroentgeniumrutheniumrutherfordiumseaborgiumsilvertelluriumterbiumytterbium
Has fewer than 4 letters: 1 word
tin
Has more than 7 unique letters: 32 words
californiumlawrenciumprotactiniumrutherfordiumseaborgiumpraseodymiumdarmstadtiummoscovium element 115fluorinefranciumgermaniumhydrogenlivermoriummagnesiummendeleviumneodymiumnobeliumplatinumplutoniumpotassiumrutheniumscandiumtechnetiumytterbiumzirconiumcoperniciumdysprosiumfleroviumgadoliniummolybdenumpromethiumroentgenium