How to Use the Spelling Bee Hint Grid (Without Spoilers)

The hint grid looks like a spreadsheet at first, but it’s the most useful tool in Spelling Bee once you know how to read it. It tells you where the missing words are without telling you what they are. Here’s how to use it.

What the grid shows

The hint grid counts the puzzle’s answers by first letter and by length. Each row is a starting letter. Each column is a word length. The number in a cell is how many answers start with that letter and have that length.

Here’s a small example for a hive with center T:

	4	5	6	7	Σ
A	2	1	-	1	4
I	1	-	-	-	1
T	5	3	2	-	10
Σ	8	4	2	1	15

Reading it: there are five 4-letter words starting with T, one 7-letter word starting with A, and 15 words total.

The two-letter list

Under the grid you’ll usually see something like:

AT-2 · AN-2 · IN-1 · TA-4 · TI-3 · TO-3

Each item is a two-letter start and a count. TA-4 means four answers begin with TA. This is more precise than the grid because it narrows each word down to its first two letters.

How to use them together

1. List what you’ve found. Look at your found words sorted by first letter.
2. Compare row by row. If the grid says five 4-letter T words and you have three, two are missing.
3. Narrow with the two-letter list. If TA-4 and you have TACT, TART and TATTOO, one TA- word is left.
4. Search a tiny space. You’re now looking for one TA- word of a known length. Try each letter after TA-.

That’s much easier than staring at the whole hive.

Our hints show what you haven’t found

In our game, the hint grid counts only the words you haven’t found yet, so a cell drops to zero as you fill it in. On the hints page for today’s NYT puzzle, the grid shows the full puzzle, so compare it with your own list.

A worked example

Say you’re at Amazing and the grid shows two missing 6-letter words starting with C, and the two-letter list shows CO-2 that you haven’t matched.

• 6 letters, starts with CO.
• Hive letters: C, O, N, T, R, A, I (center N).
• Try CO + N: CONTRA? 6 letters, uses the center. That’s one.
• Try CO + T: COTTON? Two Ts and two Os are fine since letters repeat, and there’s an N. That’s two.

Two specific words found in under a minute, without seeing either one.

Tips for using hints well

• Start with the biggest gaps. A row with three missing words is a better target than a row with one.
• Long words first. A missing 7-letter word is worth more than three missing 4-letter words.
• Don’t open the answers. If the grid and two-letter list don’t crack it, take a break first. You’ll usually find it on the second look.

The hint grid works best alongside a plan. See how to reach Genius for where it fits in a full session.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Spelling Bee hint grid?

A table that shows how many answers start with each letter and how long they are. For example, a 2 under '6' in the T row means there are two 6-letter words starting with T.

What does TR-3 mean in Spelling Bee hints?

It means three answers start with the letters TR.

Where can I find today's Spelling Bee hint grid?

Our hints page shows today's grid and two-letter list for the NYT Spelling Bee, updated after the puzzle goes live at 3 a.m. Eastern.

spelling bee hintshint gridtwo letter listspelling bee clues

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Written by Richard Elson Editor, Spell Bee Free

Richard Elson edits Spell Bee Free and writes its strategy guides. He plays the daily Spelling Bee every morning, tests every guide against real puzzles from the site's answer archive, and keeps the word list and solver up to date. His guides are written for everyday players: clear rules, worked examples and habits that get you to Genius without spoiling the fun.

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