How to check a word

If you want to find words using our solver, enter the letters you see in the game. Enter all the given letters into the search box, starting with the center letter first. There is one letter in the middle of the puzzle, and you must use that letter in every word you make.

Try a word — every word includes F. Use our free solver to check which words are valid before submitting.

Our tool follows the game rules carefully. It only uses the given letters and makes sure the main letter is included in every result. It is easy for everyone to use — no extra skills needed, just type the letters and press search.

Spelling Bee rules

Minimum four letters per word. Center letter must be in every word. Any letter can be used more than once in the same word. Only words from the NYT list count. No proper nouns, no hyphenated words.

Answers start at 4 letters. Every word includes F.

Scoring

Four-letter words are worth 1 point. That's it. Doesn't matter how rare or clever — one point.

Every letter above four adds a point. A five-letter word earns 5 points. An eight-letter word earns 8. Simple.

Pangrams — words that use all seven letters at least once — earn their normal length score plus 7 extra points. A pangram is a special word that uses all seven given letters at least once. It gives a 7-point bonus on top of the word's length score, making it the most valuable word in any puzzle.

Why a valid guess is rejected

Your word might not be in the NYT internal dictionary even if it is a real word. This often happens with very old, highly technical or extremely rare terms.

NYT uses its own special dictionary. It removes many proper nouns, slang, abbreviations and very uncommon words to keep the game fair and easier to manage for most players.

The game blocks simple plurals to stop players from just adding "s" to every word. Only a few special plurals that don't end in "s" are allowed.

Hints without spoilers

You can get helpful hints for the Spelling Bee Puzzle without giving away the answers. Hints show you ideas and tips to find words and guide you in the right direction. Hints are small clues, not full answers — they help you notice words you may miss while saving your precious time and keeping the challenge alive. Get today's hints →

When you're done playing and want the full list, our today's answers page has every valid word with point values, the pangrams highlighted, and the difficulty rating for the day.