NYT Spelling Bee Solver
Find every valid word in today's Spelling Bee — including pangrams — using your 7 honeycomb letters and required center letter.
How to Solve Spelling Bee with SmartUnscramble
- Open the Word Finder below
- Enter all 7 honeycomb letters in the "Letters Available" field
- Type the center letter in the "Must Contain" field
- Set minimum word length to 4 letters
- Hit Search — every result is a valid candidate
What Is the NYT Spelling Bee?
The New York Times Spelling Bee is a daily word puzzle published by The New York Times. It was created by puzzle editor Sam Ezersky and has become one of the most popular word games in the world, with millions of daily players.
Each day's puzzle gives you 7 letters arranged in a honeycomb pattern — 6 outer letters and 1 center letter. Your goal is to find as many valid words as possible using only those 7 letters, following three rules:
- Every word must be at least 4 letters long
- Every word must include the center letter at least once
- You can reuse letters as many times as you want
The ultimate goal is to find the pangram — the word (or words) that uses all 7 letters at least once. Every puzzle has at least one pangram, and finding it gives a significant point bonus.
How Spelling Bee Scoring Works
Points in Spelling Bee are awarded based on word length:
| Word Length | Points |
|---|---|
| 4 letters | 1 point |
| 5 letters | 5 points |
| 6 letters | 6 points |
| 7 letters | 7 points |
| 8+ letters | 1 point per letter |
| Pangram (uses all 7 letters) | +7 bonus points |
Spelling Bee Rank Thresholds
Your rank in Spelling Bee is based on what percentage of the total possible points you've earned. Here are the standard rank levels:
Spelling Bee Strategy Tips
Hunt the Pangram First
The pangram usually earns the most points. Try common word patterns that use all 7 letters — often compound-style words like OUTFIELD or DARKNESS.
Try Every Suffix
Systematically try each letter with common endings: -ING, -TION, -ED, -ER, -LY, -EST, -NESS, -MENT. Many hidden words reveal themselves this way.
Reuse Letters Freely
Unlike many word games, Spelling Bee lets you reuse letters. Words like PAPAYA (uses P twice, A three times) are valid — look for these.
Try Unusual Words
The NYT Spelling Bee often includes niche vocabulary: culinary terms (TAHINI), nature words (LICHEN), and old-fashioned words (WOOLEN). Think broadly.
Work Backward from Center
Build every word around the center letter. Try placing it at the start, middle, and end of words you know to discover combinations.
Know Common Non-Scrabble Words
The NYT list includes some everyday words that Scrabble rejects (like proper nouns that became common) — and excludes some Scrabble words. Keep an open mind.
Note on Word List Differences
The NYT Spelling Bee uses a proprietary word list curated by human editors. It accepts common English words but rejects obscure Scrabble words, proper nouns, and hyphenated terms. SmartUnscramble uses the Scrabble TWL/SOWPODS dictionary, which overlaps strongly with the NYT list but isn't identical. Some words our solver finds may not be accepted by the NYT, and occasionally the NYT accepts words we don't have. Use the solver to discover candidates, then confirm with the game.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use this solver without spoiling the whole puzzle?
Yes. Use the Word Finder tool and only look at as many results as you want. Scan for hints (e.g., "is there a word starting with BR?") without revealing everything. You control how much you see.
Does Spelling Bee allow proper nouns?
No. The NYT Spelling Bee does not accept proper nouns (names of people, places, brands). All answers must be common English words.
How many words are usually in a Spelling Bee puzzle?
A typical NYT Spelling Bee puzzle has between 20 and 80 valid words, depending on the letter combination. Puzzles with common letters (like E, A, T) tend to have more answers. Queen Bee (finding all words) is rare even for expert players.
Is there a way to check if a specific word is valid?
The NYT game tells you instantly whether a word is accepted. You can also enter the specific word into our word finder (set the "must contain" to the center letter and search for that exact word) to check if it's in our dictionary as a cross-reference.
What's the difference between Genius and Queen Bee?
Genius requires earning at least 70% of the day's total possible points. Queen Bee requires finding every single valid word. Queen Bee is the maximum rank and is very difficult to achieve without a solver.