Spelling Bee Guide

Spelling Bee Rules, Scoring, and Ranks

Learn how a spelling bee word puzzle works: use seven hive letters, include the center letter in every word, find pangrams, and climb from Beginner to Queen Bee.

Use the center letter

Every accepted word must include the required center letter. Words without the center letter do not count.

Make words of 4+ letters

Words need at least four letters. Shorter entries are not valid even when they use the available letters.

Reuse letters freely

You can use a hive letter more than once in the same word. A repeated letter does not need to appear twice in the hive.

Find the pangram

A pangram uses all seven letters. Most puzzles have at least one, and pangrams are usually the highest-value finds.

How Spelling Bee Scoring Works

Word typePointsExample use
4-letter word1 pointShort valid words build the base score.
5+ letter word1 point per letterLonger words move your rank faster.
PangramWord length + 7 bonusA pangram uses every hive letter at least once.

Common Questions

What is the center letter in Spelling Bee?

The center letter is the required letter in the middle of the hive. Every valid answer must include it at least once.

Can letters repeat in a Spelling Bee word?

Yes. Letters can repeat as many times as needed, as long as the word uses only the seven hive letters and includes the center letter.

What is Queen Bee?

Queen Bee is the top rank, reached by finding every accepted word in the puzzle and earning the maximum score.