Is Spelling Bee free to play on NYT?
The New York Times Spelling Bee is only partially free to play as non-subscribers can only access the game up to the “Solid” rank. While the daily points total varies based on the word count, the “Solid” rank is around the halfway mark on the rankings chart. For those interested in the full game, full access requires a subscription to the New York Times and thus NYT print subscribers and All-Access digital subscribers have full access.
However, for those who don’t want to purchase the all-access subscription, there is a dedicated NYT Games subscription available as well for a lower price.
Platforms where you can play the Spelling Bee for free
Since the New York Times Spelling Bee isn’t free to play, fans and solvers often look for free-to-play versions of the game but few exist. There are, however, several platforms that offer free-to-play Spelling Bee games with a few differences here and there. Here are a few options:
SpellsBee.com: This free-to-play word game has daily puzzles as well as a mode that offers unlimited random puzzles. Not only that, it features similar rules to the NYT version, with a hive structure with seven letters, and tasks players with creating words that use the mandatory central letter as well. Furthermore, the user interface has made it one of the favorite alternatives and/or practice tools for players.
SpellBee.org: A fan-made version of the NYT game, SpellBee.org offers solvers a daily puzzle and an unlimited mode that mirrors the NYT version of the game. That applies to everything from the rules to the grid format, and even the point structure. It also offers players a dark mode and displays player rankings as well.
Wortendo: While it has become renowned for the German version of the game, Wortendo also offers an English Spelling Bee version for solvers. Much like the other versions on this list, Wortendo’s Spelling Bee also has similar rules and point structure to the NYT version.
Lexigo: A mobile-friendly word puzzle, Lexigo is an alternative to the NYT Spelling Bee although it does have a few similarities. Like the NYT version, Lexigo gives players a grid of letters and tasks them to create words but the major difference is that they offer clues for the words. Not only that, the puzzle is created in such a way that each new word starts with the last letter of the previous word.
If you are looking for the answers to these games (for the English versions), you can try the Spelling Bee Solver made by Sportskeeda. This will show you the possible spangrams and all possible words with a given set of letters.
Alternatives to Spelling Bee
Ever since the rise of Wordle, word games have erupted from every corner of the globe with the internet now filled with hundreds of choices for players. That includes the NYT Spelling Bee, which became popular shortly after Wordle’s creation, and a myriad of alternatives to Spelling Bee as well. These word games offer similar challenges to the NYT game while also testing vocabulary, their ability to quickly find words, and their ability to think outside the box.
Squardle: A daily word game where players are tasked with finding hidden words in a letter block, where the longer words earn more points.
FreeBee.fun: A free alternative to Spelling Bee, this version allows players to enjoy a similar experience to Spelling Bee but without a subscription.
Wordiply: Another free alternative to Spelling Bee, this version closely mimics the NYT game as it tasks players to create the longest word that includes the starter word from a set of letters in five turns.
Reactle: More like Wordle than Spelling Bee, Reactle gives solvers six tries to find the hidden word and mimics the color-coded feedback format of Wordle to give players hints.
The Washington Post Games: The website, much like the New York Times, has various word games on its site to drive engagement and these games include crosswords, solitaire, sudoku, and more.
